Evening star., 1941-09-09
AT. 6. f. President
Warns Delegates Of
Economy Drive
Burns Also Calls for
Immediate Pay Roises
TO Offset Living Costs
BY J. A. FOX,
Star staff Correspondent.

Star staff Correspondent.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Sept. 9.-Fed-
eral workers can get ready to COM
bat an economy drive"-and per
haps sooner than we think" James
3. Burns, president of the American
Federation of Government Employees,
warned delegates to the ninth con-
vention here today.
Presenting the biennial presiden-
tial report, in which he recounted
the advances won by Government
employees and emphasized the neces-
sity for building up strong organi-
cation, Mr.. Burns declared that "in
the next two years we shall have
to battle militantly to protect our
hard-won rights"
U. s. Workers First Target"
1--WE are ready to do our full share
IN the way Of patriotic sacrifice. as
we have demonstrated again and
again." he continued, "but there are
always selfish interests eager to take
advantage of every national crisis,
and these interests will shortly, II
am not much mistaken, be much In
evidence. They will direct their fire
first upon us as Government en-
ployes: they will seek a lowering of
our working and living standards,
as prelude to an attack upon the
living and working standards of all
American labor. When these at
tacks come we must remember that
we are in the vanguard of the Amer
lean labor movement and that we
must do all we can in our own in
terest and also to protect all other
wage-earning men and women Of
America.
Now don't say I haven't warned
you, for have. and am in deadly
earnest about 1t. We face econ
ony' campaigns that, If successful,
will be more disastrous than any,
thing ever known in the past. We
have had threats of economy in
the last two years and the econ
omizers' have been defeated. There
has been talk of pay cuts or reduc-
ton In force; all the time -honored
methods of terrorizing employees
with job panic and of seeking to
turn public opinion against an able
and conscientious group of public
employees. That talk came to moth
ing in the last two years. But it will
ris again, perhaps sooner than we
think. When the present emergency
has ended, and with it the need, in
defense Of our democracy, for the
expenditure of sums of money now
30 essential, we must expect and
prepare for Standardization of
personnel, deflation of salaries and
def1ation of our national prosperity,
now geared to a condition of war
economy. The A. r. @. e. is pre-
pairing now for such developments
and hopes to meet them effectively
when they arrive"
Urges Pay Increase.
Mr.. Burns at the same time
brought up the pay question, which
Is being given particular attention
by organized Government workers
just now. declaring it "impera-
tive" that Congress be asked to
grant an immediate" salary in
crease to Offset the advance in liv-
ing costs. The salaries of Federal
employees, he continued, ARE def
nitely worth less than what they
were year or even a few months
ago"
THE remedy" he amplified,
SHOULD be at least for the dura-
ton of the emergency, and beyond
that point if the condition which
has brought about higher living
costs continues to exist"
Mr.. Burns further insisted that
the white collar" employees of the
Government should be reimbursed
for overtime work
Election Contest Assured.
At least one battle for q place
on the Executive Council of the
federation was assured today when
Fred Frazer, president of the Dis
trict department and prominent in
the American Legion, announced
he would oppose Vice President
G. Carol Dimond, one of the three
vice presidents from the District
The others, Michael D. Schaefer
and James G. Yaden, have no oppo-
sition In sight.
The convention was welcomed
yesterday by Gov. Harold <. Stas-
sen Of Minnesota, the keynoter
Of the last Republican National
Convention and the official respon-
sible for putting the Minnesots
State government under civil serv-
ice. The system is now less than
three years old, but 1t has worked
out 30 successfully. the Governor
said, that "I am certain civil serv-
ice is here to stay" no matter what
party Is In power.