Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-27
.URGESLAW TO AID
FEDERAL WORKERS
Employees Federation Head
for Bill to Insure Leave
With Pay.

Enactment of legislation to insure
thousands of Government workers
who now receive neither, and for Civ
ing one day off each week in lieu
of Sunday to many thousands of other
employees who receive no compensa-
ton for their regular Sunday work,
was urged yesterday by Luther G.
Steward, president of the National
Federation of Federal Employees, be-
fore the House Civil Service commit
tee.
1t is essential as a matter of justice,
Mr.. Steward said, that the bin father
ed by Representative Smith of Idaho
should be passed, granting 80 days
annual leave with pay and 10 days
sick leave, with a provision that this
may be cumulative until a maximum
of so days is reached. Both sick and
annual leave. under terms of the bill.
would be granted as a matter of right
and not left to the discretion of of
! ficials, as it is at present.
Present Policy Unfair
In the statement setting forth the
stand of the National Federation of
Federal Employees Mr.. Steward re-
viewed the present policy of granting
these leaves and termed it both short
sighted and unfair to the employees.
AT present, the granting of annual
leave is a matter of privilege that
may be withheld at any time by vir
tually any supervisory official in the
Government service" Mr.. Steward
said. THAT is wrong in principle
tat nd in
thought along personnel administra-
tive lines of the present day is unan-
imous that annual leave is something
to which all workers are entitled. The
Federal Government should not fol-
low a policy that is unfair to the en-
ploye and opposed to that which pre-
walls throughout private industry.
I'VE are contending that the grant
ing of the leave should be fixed by
law. The distribution, however, is an
administrative matter, and, it is right
| ly so, that the administrative official
may determine when certain employees
may be spared best to avoid interior
ence with the work of the Govern
ment.
Underlying Principle.
1.-THE underlying principle of this
measure is that a certain amount of
leave with pay is just as much an
incident to the job itself as the com
pensation of the job and not some
thing that would have to be bargained
for from time to time.
THE same principle applies to the
granting of sick leave. There are
many employees whose good health
has made it unnecessary to take such
leave for 20 years. But their record
is Of no benefit to them, since there
Is no way that they can avail them
selves of this unused leave under eX-
listing law
Representative Oldfeld, Democratic
campaign manager, appeared person
ally before the committee advocating
his bill which is designed to fix eight
hours in one day and six days in one
week as the minimum working time
for members of the Government
building custodial force.
Oldfield Recalls Abuses.
He expressed the hope that "contin-
ued abuse by the Federal Government
of the principle involved in this bill,
bearing in mind particularly the pres
ent more or less general practice in
American industry with respect not
only to the question of short working
hours, but also the voluntary adoption
by certain industries of a five-day
week, will no longer be permitted"
Representative Oldfield added: THE
passage of this legislation establishing
definitely and uniformly for the future
for the Federal Government a work
ing week of not more than six days,
except in an emergency, is not only
highly essential for all of the above
reasons, but, considering the unfor-
tunate and unfavorable working con-
ditions of certain employees which it
will affect, l believe that it demands
prompt affirmative action by this COM
mittee of Congress-
Following the hearing Mr.. Steward
issued a statement in behalf of the
National Federation of Federal EN-
ployes, declaring:
1T doubtless comes as a consider
able shock to a great many persons to
hear that the Federal Government
still has many thousands of employees
who work the whole seven days of the
week and receive little, if any, com
pensation for work Sunday after Sun
day."