Evening star., 1936-09-17
$1,5OO WAGE BASE
URGED BY YA.F. &c.
AS MEETING ENDS
Retirement Proposals Are
SheIved in Face of Rams
peck Warning.
35.HOUR WORK WEEK
is AMONG DETECTIVES
Automatic Promotions, Extension
of Classification Act to
Field Also Asked.
BY J. A. FOX,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

D1 De ~. Cohs
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
DETROIT. September 17.-With
legislative program mapped and ad-
ministrative machinery geared for
smoother operation, the American
Federation of Government Employees
today had wound up its fifth conven-
tion and was in adjournment un-
til next September, when Philadelphia
will be the site of the annual gather
ing.
In a session that went into last
night, the federation adopted proposals
for minimum wage of $500 through
out the Government service, automatic
promotions, extension of the classical
tion act to the field. and a flve-day,
s5-hour work week
1t was only on the question Of re-
tirement that there was evidence Of
intention to give heed to the warning
of Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat, of Georgia, against pressing for
increased benefits in view of the like
lihood of Government retrenchment.
On that item the federation simply
reaf1rmed its stand for optional re-
. tirement after 80 years service, Vice
President James A. Campbell of Gin
cinnati, chairman of the Legislative
Committee, saying other proposals
had been shelved because of Ram
speck's expression.
Other Proposals Advanced.
Dat - a
minimum pay base, Charles I. Stengle,
the new president, said, That is small
enough pay-considering the rising
cost of living-for any faithful public
servant"
Other proposals advanced by the
federation were:
Extension of the merit system, and
the placing of the employees of the
District of Columbia government un-
der civil service; making the civil
service career service setting up q
transfer agency in the Civil Service
Commission to facilitate transfer of
employees. and establishment of a
civil service court of appeals" to4%ad-
just employe grievances.
Again the federation called for re-
peal of the marital status act.
In most part the same program has
been advocated in the past.
ID. c. to Lose Official.
One change was made in the official
set-up when it was voted that one of
the three vice presidents from the
fourth civil service district hereafter
must come from outside of Washing
ton. At present all are from the Dis
trict. This shift, which will conform
to former practice, will be made ef-
fective next year when officers are
elected
The field forces were also successful
in getting a committee appointed to
study the feasibility of electing vice
presidents by the vote of members in
their respective districts, rather than
by a convention as whole
The federation completed its purge"
of the so-called radical" groups by
expelling Justice Department Lodge
81 for picketing the department in a
row with j. Edgar Hoover for firing
eight of its members from the Bureau
Of Investigation.
The custer, which had been antici-
pated, was accompanied by fireworks
as Isadore Weisberg and Bennett Mead,
representing the lodge, got the floor
to defend their conduct, and were
followed by National Treasurer Cecil
e. Custer and others of the majority
faction, who called on the convention
to drop the lodge.
New Lodges Planned.
The federation Immediately took
steps then to form new lodges in JUS
tice and five other agencies-Farm
Credit, Securities Exchange, Railroad
Retirement, Social Security and Pub
lie Assistance of the District of Co.
lumbia-which were ousted Tuesday.
The American Federation of Labor
was asked to designate a representa-
tive to work with the A. F. G. E.
Council in investigating the feasibility
OF doing organizing work in these and
other agencies where lodges are
wanted.
1t will be possible to handpick lodge
membership in any establishment
hereafter under another new constitu-
ton change. while additional power
was vested in the Executive Council
to deal with recalcitrants by broad
ening the suspension power, "gagging"
unauthorized publicity activities and
doing away with the power of recall
Of officers. These constitutional
changes brought a briefly acrimonious
exchange with the liberals" charging
that democracy" was being destroyed
in the federation.
One effort was made to limit the
extent to which supervisory officials OF
the Civil Service Commission and
personnel officers of other units could
hold official places in the federation,
but it was ruled out of order by Pres
1dent Stengle.
There was an echo Of an earlier
fight in the federation when the con-
vention, without debate, supported a
recommendation of the council to re-
instate Panama Canal Commission
Lodge of Washington, which was
suspended several months ago follow
ing an attack on E. Claude Babcock,
then president.