Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-23
CLASH D|MS HOPE
FOR LEAVE BILLS
At THIS SESSION
Mcclellan Blocks Passage
in Senate, Charging
Discrimination.
COPELAND MAKES REPLY
TO ATTACK ON FAIRNESS
Tennessean Voices Willingness to
Consider Question When Con-
gress Reconvenes.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

With Congress heading toward ad-
journment tonight or tomorrow, the
Government leave bills appear to be
definitely sidetracked until January
as a result of the opposition Of Sen
ator Mcclellan, Democrat, Of Tennes-
see, who objected to their considera-
ton by unanimous consent in the
Senate yesterday afternoon.
Bills that seem dead sometimes are
revived in the closing hours of ses-
sion. but there were no signs today
OF such a development on the leave
measures.
Speaking on the measure to restore
annual leave from Is to 80 days, as 1t
existed prior to the economy act, Nc
Kellar blocked it on the ground that
II would not treat all employees alike.
He based his contention chiefly on the
claim that about $4,000 field employees
of the Navy Department and Marine
Corps, including per diem workers,
would be operating on 4-day week II
they are included in the pending bill,
because they are now on 5-day week.
Copeland Makes Final Plea.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, Of
New York, in pleading for passage Of
the bills, made the following reply to
the Tennesseean:
The Senator said that Government
employees should be treated alike. I
think he misunderstands about the
matter of leave to employees. When
we say 80 days leave that does not
mean a month off for vacation. Every
time they are half an hour late or
take half day of or an hour of to
see the dentist or the doctor, that Is
leave which is charged against them.
"Mr. President. think this is very
Just bill. II the Senator from Ten
nessee is going to use his efforts for
ever to try to defeat these measures.
so far as I am concerned I am going
to use my efforts to have them en-
acted into law"
Senator Mcclellan reiterated that
he wanted all Federal employees
treated alike and suggested hearings
to get the views Of all departments.
The leave, he said, should be the same
in each department and should apply
to all employees.
The Senator is very successful in
his efforts" Copeland responded. He
Is treating them alike. He is depriving
all of them Of leave"
The debate ended with McKellar's
rejoinder that 1.-The Senator does not
understand what he is talking about"
Sick Leave Bill Delayed.
The next bill on the calendar was
the measure reducing sick leave from
80 to Is days, and this also was post
poned at McKellar's request without
debate.
The letter from the department Nc
Kellar placed in the record regarding
the employees of the Navy and Marine
Corps who are on a five-day week
stated that they are paid for So
Saturdays, 7 legal holidays and Is
days annual leave. 1t went on to
state that If they are included in the
pending bills it would practically
make four-day work week for them"
Mcclellan also read letters from the
Post Office Department asking that
employees of the mail equipment shops
be placed on the same basis as other
field employees of the postal service
In regard to annual and sick leave.
The Tennessee Senator said today
that when Congress returns in jan
uary he will be willing to 60 over the
leave question. He said he was not
making any promises as to the future.
but thought a bill should be worked
out that would be equal In its appli-
cation.
On the desk Of every member of the
United States Senate this morning was
a letter from Luther G. Steward and
Gertrude M. Mentally, president and
secretary-treasurer, respectively, OF the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes, urging passage of the sick and
annual leave bills.
The letter stated:
I'VE urge immediate and favorable
action In order that these measures,
which mean so much to several hun
dred thousand men and women, may
not fail of passage at this session"
E. Claud Babcock, president, Amer
lean Federation of Government en-
ployes, sent the following message to
oil members of Congress:
will you not be willing to stay here
an hour or two extra so that our leave
bills can come up under motion. This
will give justice to $4,000 employees
and only means q small amount of
time to you