Evening star., 1935-04-24
Workers. Morals Defended
In Martial Status LaU Fight
BnbcOcks Statement Is Insult To Every
Single Person in u. S. Serrice,
Cochran Declares.

The morality of Government work
ers was defended in a statement to-
day by Chairman Cochran Of the
House Expenditures Committee in re-
ply 10 an ascertain before the House
Civil Service Committee yesterday by
&. Claude Babcock. president OF the
American Federation of Federal EN-
ployes. Bsbcock had said the marital
status law was leading young couples
to live together outside the bonds Of
matrimony
Cochran called this AN insult to
| every single man and woman in the
Government service" and added:
'Bsbcock should be removed from
once for slandering the women en-
ployed In the Federal service. and
1 hope the women will have the
courage to resent his statement"
Babcock's assertion was made at
the Civil Service Committee inquiry
on the Celler bill to repeal the mari
tai status Law. which provides for dis
missal of one OF 4 married couple in
necessary reductions Of force. Today
Babcock was questioned further by
committee members at the final ses-
sion of the hearing and said he knew
Of nine cases in which the condition
he alleged existed
Cochran. who sponsored the mari
tai status law in the economy act OF
1882. said: 'Babcock pictured girls
coming to Washington who. without
the protection Of the home. soon find
themselves in love and. fearing dis
miSsal. II married. agree to live to-
sether as husband and wife, simply
overlooking marriage
Such statement, is. in nv opinion,
insidious camoufiage. II couples are
living together. it is not because of the
law Babcock would repeal, for if the
inclination was there. all the laws that
could be enacted would not prevent II.
nor would the repeal Of any law be the
cure. Where one such case might be
found. you will find thousands of
women. young and old. in the Govern
ment service. too honorable to even
think of being a party to such a con-
dition.
Il wonder if Mr.. Babcock gave any
thought to the mental anguish he has
caused not only to the women en-
ployed by the Government but to their
families back home"
To stoop so low in order to secure
the passage of legislation Is in
excusa BILE
Il have plenty of information on this
subject. which will be used at the
proper time. If necessary. With mil
lions Of our constituents out of en-
ployment and on the relief rolls you
can rest assured this law will not be
repealed. On the contrary. what the
Congress should do is to put teeth in
It,"
tee hearings today. Chairman Rams
peck said he would wait for the hear
inss to be printed before calling the
committee together to draw Up its
report and that this would be a week
or 10 days.
Representative Celler. author of
the repeal measure went before
the committee again, this time
to oppose q suggestion that linked
up with this repeal there should
be an amendment to civil serv-
ice law to restrict original appoint
ments in Government service to one
member of a family instead OF the two
now allowed. Ramspeck favors such
. change
Celler again struck at nepotism in
Congress and asserted that IL the
marital restriction is placed on the
executive branch Of the Government
1t should with justice be applied to
the legislative branch.
He pointed out that Vice President
Garner, former Speaker, has his wife
there as his secretary and that the
late Speaker Rsiney did the same.
Ramspeck explained that his pro-
posai would apply to original appoint
ments only: that it would not affect
anybody already in the Government;
nor would it affect young persons who