Evening star., 1934-01-17
Steward and Green Tell Glass
Full Restoration Is
Imperative.
SIGNAL BY U. S. SOUGHT
TO START WAGE UPTURN
N. F. F. E. Head Testifes Before
Subcommittee That Increase Over
Is Per Cent Is Not Fantastic.

The prospect of rising price levels
during the coming year was emphasized
by William Green, president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, and
Luther c. Steward, president Of the
National Federation Of Federal En-
ployes, in appealing to a Senate Ap-
propriations subcommittee today to re-
store all of the Is per cent Government
pay cut.
They were the first witnesses before
the subcommittee headed by Senator
Glass Of Virginia. considering the in
dependent offices supply bill, in which
the House voted to give back only per
cent Of the pay cut by providing for a
10 per cent cut for the fiscal year be-
ginning July /.
After declaring the whole trend Of
pending legislation and administrative
policy of the Government is to bring
about higher commodity prices, Mr.
Steward told the subcommittee:
1T would seem to me not at all fan
tastic to begin figuring. not only on
restoring basic pay. but on determining
what increase might be needed to meet
rising costs"
While Mr.. Green was testifying, Sen
ator Townsend. Republican, of Della
ware interrupted to ask him if the pro-
gram for devaluation of the dollar will
be helpful to labor.
Not Now. Says Green.
1T would not for the moment" Mr.
Green replied He contended that as
the purchasing power of the dollar de-
creases. the workers should receive
more pay to meet the new conditions.
The Importance Of restoring the en-
tire Is per cent Federal pay cut cannot
be too strongly emphasized at this time,
Green told the Senators.
ITO restore Federal employees wages
now and so give the signal for wage in
creases in industry is most important,
the A. F. of L. head continued.
Monthly earnings of industrial work
ers have declined since October, for the
first time since the N. r. A. program
went into effect. This first drop is q
danger signal. Now is the time to stor
the downward trend and start wages uI
again."
Green Lists Reasons.
Green summed up his reasons for ad.
vocating return of the entire IS per cent
as follows:
employers in industry will model
their action upon the decision OF Con-
gress regarding salaries of Federal en-
ployes; so per cent Of Federal employees
are now receiving less than the min
imum wage for health and decency;
the cost of living is rising rapidly; Fed
eral wage cuts caused business depreS-
sion in Washington"
Green and Steward both reminded
the committee that history has shown
that Government salary schedules al
ways lag behind private industry when
there is an upward trend in prices ano
wages. and that the legislation now be-
ing considered is for fiscal year that
will run until June, 1885.
Senator Byrnes, Democrat, Of South
Carolina. interrupted to bring Out that
under existing economy legislation the
President has the power to modify Oh
repeal the pay cut at the end of six
month periods.
Every feature Of the program fol
economic recovery is based on a rise ir
the cost of commodities" Steward de-
clared. I'VE know that when COM
modities rise they go in leaps an6
| bounds. By June. 1885. there will bt
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