The Washington times., 1931-05-02
PROMISES PROBE OF BAN ON SALARY INCREASE
LABOR MAY AID
employees IN
FIGHT
Green Confers With Hoover;
Presidents Policy Results
In Complaint OF Workers

Presidents Policy Results
In Complaint Of Workers
Continued From Page -
not at this time discuss the
action Of the Hoover Administra-
ton.
Green Keeps Silent
It was assumed that the head
Of the federation would make no
comment until the matter had
been brought to the attention Of
his body.
Mr.. Green said that the matter
Of Government salary increases
was not broached at the luncn-
con.
Ranking officials Of the Fed
Grafton of Government Employees
are out Of the city and no one
at the office here could either
confirm or deny the report that
the labor federation would be
asked to act. Luther Steward,
president of the employees fed
Grafton is in the southwest on
an organization tour, while Ger
trude McNally, secretary-treasurer,
left the city yesterday on a
speaking tour.
Congressional action Is prom
ised on the matter by Senator
Smith w. BrOOkhart (R.) Of
Iowa, who believes that the &C
ton Of the Administration has
been in direct opposition to the
will of Congress.
All Departments Are Hit
All Government departments
will fall in line with the policy OF
the President, it was learned to-
day. Already announcements
have been made in several re
garding the curtailment OF the in
creases and others will follow
shortly. The departments in
which the announcements were
made are: Interior, Justice, Post
office, Navy and Agriculture. The
War, Labor, Treasury and Com.
merce departments are expected
to make an announcement regard
ing the matter today.
In several Of the departments
a slight amount of hedging" is
apparent in the carrying out Of
the Presidential orders. The Navy
Department and the POStOrfice
Department announced that in
exceptional cases promotions would
be made. The routine promotions,
however, will be withheld.
It is assured that the matter
Of withholding the increases will
cause a big fight at the open
ing of Congress in December.
Members who are now at their
homes are expressing themselves
in no uncertain terms and prom
Use to take action.
Another factor that has entered
into the matter is the fact that
President Hoover some time ago
asked leading business men Of
the country to maintain their
stats and to build up payrollS
as q means of combating the
depression. With the issuance Of
the presidential order a wave Of
ill-feeling swept over the business
world. There is the feeling in
many quarters that President
Hoover has broken faith with the
business men whom he advised.
The effect this will have Is not
yet reckoned but it is expected
to provide a great deal of fuel
to the fight that will be waged
against Mr.. Hoover when the
1882 election campaigns start.
Demand for a Congressional in
vestigation Of President Hoover's
decision was voiced today by Sena-
tor Brookhart.
Senator BrOOkhart branded the
move rs an attempt by the Ad-
ministratiOn to put into practice
the Wood amendment which was
defeated in both Houses at the
last session Of Congress.
Many Government workers, it
was said, are being kept on the
pay rolls despite the fact that
work in some departments has
slackened to such an extent that
dismissals would be justified.
Senator BrOOkhart declared
that If Congress were now i'm ses-
sion o resolution would be intro
duced asking an investigation of
this arbitrary dictum" on the
part Of Government officials.
AS it is, he said, he will demand
q sweeping investigation as soon
as the next Congress convenes.
Much comment on the new pol
icy has been aroused, as this
week Secretary Of Commerce La
mont, speaking at a meeting of
the United States Chamber of
Commerce, urged that salaries
and wages be kept up. A reduc-
ton would cause national disas-
ter, he said.
Wood Amendment