Evening star., 1930-12-13
WOOD PAY INCREASE
BAN BEATEN, S377|
Success of La Guardia Fight
Assures $4,400, 900 in Raises
In Next Fiscal Year.

NOOtItAhuou ETOm E1ISb R1Re.)
members had misunderstood the propo-
sition.
IF this section were to voice q policy
which laid down the rule that we would
not sanction any further law the pur-
pose OF which was to raise the salaries
OF employees" said Mr.. Breedy, "I should
certainly join with the Chairman of this
committee in support of It, But that
Is not all that this section accomplishes
as 1t Is phraSed."
Representative Frear, Republican. Of
wisconsin insisted that Congress should
keep its pledge to the employees and do
justice. He stated that there is no
place In the United States where the
cost OF living is as high as in WASH
lhgton, with one or two exceptions"
he added that the Government en-
plOyes affected receive from a few
hundred to $1,000 maximum annual
pay. They are the people who need
every dollar promised particularly
where they have families to support.
THESE underpaid employees, as q rule,
form the great majority Of those work.
ing Tor the Government in Washington
and throughout the country. We are
trying to give aid to the unemployed,
ana should do 50 to the underpaid
few are well paid, but many
are not. We propose soon to appro-
pirate $50, 600, 900 to $40,000.00 for re-
conditioning some old war vessels in
time of peace. They are now, or soon
Will be, only fit for naval targets. So
we are throwing good money away to
prolong their use for short time. That
we are asked to do, but we are warned
against keeping our word with these
employees by the provisions which the
LaGuardia amendment will strike out.
Is 1t better for US to put $50, ,OO0, 900
or more-and that Is what we are ex-
pected to do--for the new naval build
ing bill in addition to the $375, ,OOO. 900
annually given naval affairs all in time
OF peace, rather than distribute / per
cent OF that naval money among Gov
ernment employees whose promised pay
we adjusted long ago, but did not pay?
We are all sensible, or we ought to be,
on matters Of this kind, and we should
act Sensibly and justly. I appreciate
the responsible work of the Appropria-
tons Committee. It has done good
work on this bill, but am sure, in the
purchase Of parks, road building and
IKE items, running into many millions
OF dollars, few items are more worthy
than this pay promised to the employees
OF the Interior and all other depart
OF this kind ought to go through with
the Wood amendment, specifically re-
pudiating our promise. do not believe
the Senate will permit 1t to occur, and
l nope TO see the House sustain the
Senate in its action as reported in the
last appropriation bill which retained
this same provision, when many of us
were absent from the House. It ought
TO 60 out Of that bill and also out Of
this BILL"
Plan Held Wrong.
Representative Patterson, Democrat.
OF Alabama, declared that the Wood
proposal was fundamentally wrong"
and said that the present industrial de.
preston and nds>unemploymen situation
cannot be cured by depriving the COM
mon man OF q living wage" He as
sured his colleagues that stirling out
the Wood amendment "is no disa0van-
tage to farmers or workingmen In the
country, but an advantage"
+ Pleading for justice to the Govern
ment employees. he said:
1T IA merely giving to these people
what they ordinarily are entitled to: and
l tell you there are many men here IN
Congress who, q year ago, voted to give
wealthy people Of the country, and vet
we want to deprive these poor people
here. who are struggling for the neces-
stiles of life, Of this opportunity that
the law gives hem. Living expenses
in the District Of Columbia have not
decreased, and I challenge any man to
show by figures where living expenses
have decreased In the District Of CO.
lumbia or in this country to any mate
rial extent. This Is not only q question
Of violating the fundamental rights Of
on employe, but it is wrong fundamen-
tally to try to cure the industrial de-
preston in q way like this"