Evening star., 1932-03-25
LABOR DELEGATES.
CANVASS CONGRESS.
AS Leaders Make. Personal
Calls on Lawmakers to
Fight Pay Cuts.
Continued From First Page.)

already contributed generously to the
Community Chest and who have paid
their federal income tax. He warned
the subcommittee that such a cut in
salary would drive out of the Govern
mens service by the score many of the
best lawyers who are now performing
important work of direct money value
TO the various branches of the Govern
ment service.
Full Committee Meeting.
William A. Roberts. assistant corpora
ton counsel, was another of the four
speakers representing the Federal Bar
Association at today's hearing before
the McDuffle subcommittee
The full Economy Committee is meet
ing this afternoon, with a group of the
members predicting they will force out
a bill for fiat rate cut on all salaries.
Chairman Byrns is insisting that
salaries under $4,000 be exempt, and
has intimated he will refuse as chair
man to report out any bill hitting these
low-salaried employees.
The situation is that the committee
several days ago voted its approval of
the IL per cent slash on all salaries.
with an exemption of $1,000 on all
salaries. This vote has never been
rescinded and before any other PROPOSE
tion is voted out, the committee must
vote to reconsider that action. 1t is on
that earlier vote that such men as
Representative McDufie, Alabama;
Dakota, and Ramseyer, Iowa, are in
sisting that they will be able to force
out the bill today.
The delegation representing the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor is seeking to
persuade members of the House that
constituents do not ask or expect that
members of Congress will vote to re-
duce their own salaries. These labor
representatives are emphasizing these
two points regarding salaries Of mem
bers Of Congress
First, that member is not dealing
fairly with his constituents, because he
cannot maintain two residences. one IN
his district and one in Washington; en-
tertain visitors to the Capital and run
a campaign every two years, If the sal
airy is reduced.
Second, that if salaries of Congress
members are reduced. the result will be
to make Congress rich mans club.
Four Actively Opposed.
The four Democratic members from
actively opposed to any salary reduc-
ton Representative Connery is CO.
operating with the labor represent
atives, who are making his office their
headquarters, and he will help lead the
fight on the floor Representative Nc
Cormack, a member of the Ways and
Means Committee and author of the
short week" legislation, declared today
that it is criminal to think of cutting
into the salaries of low-paid Govern
ment workers.
"One of the major problems that
came before us on the Ways and Means
Committee is that there has been a
great deal of overproduction in Amer
ican industry" he said This over
production is the result of falling of in
consumption, and that is a result Of
decrease in the purchasing power OF the
people. i
"It is unfortunate that the Federal
Government is placed by some in the
position of being unable to keep faith
with its employees after their salaries
were fixed by law. Disturbance of the
nay schedules of the Federal Govern
ment cannot mean anything else but
breaking down of wage scales all over
the country.
ANY one visiting Washington stores
there is very little shopping being
done. That is because Of fear instilled
into Government employees that their
wages are to be cut and they are nat
urally refraining from buying any
more than they can help. That is a
growing condition all over the coun-
try. The people are fearful that they
will lose their jobs or that their pay
will be cut, and they are buying only
what they must.
This is a serious situation which
must be given earnest consideration.
If those now employed had assurance
thet they would not be disturbed in
their jobs or their salaries it would do
more to stabilize conditions and to
bring the country back to normalcy
and good times than anything else.
Pear is gripping at the hearts of
Washington people, and this has
great deal to do with continuing the
depression. They are kept worried
from day to day regarding what may
happen. We should do something to
correct that situation"