488 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX. No. 1273 



Plan No. S. — To form a scientific and tech- 

 nical branch, of Federal Employees IJnion 

 Ifo. 2. (Union No. 2 is the main Wash- 

 ington section of the National Federation 

 of Federal Employees, and has 21,000 

 members.) 

 Plan No. 1 received very little support, but 

 there was a spirited discussion between the 

 advocates of plans 2 and 3, the point at issue 

 being the advisability of organizing as a 

 branch of the Federal Employees Union, 

 which is affiliated with the American Federa- 

 tion of Labor. Plan 3 was adopted by a sub- 

 stantial majority, although there was a con- 

 siderable minority composed of those favor- 

 ing either Plan 1, or Plan 2, together with a 

 small number favoring a separate organiza- 

 tion directly affiliated with the American Fed- 

 eration of Labor. 



In order that work might be started without 

 waiting to perfect a permanent organization, 

 a temporary organization was formed com- 

 posed of a general interim committee, con- 

 sisting of a chairman, a secretary, and repre- 

 sentatives from the bureaus, one for each 

 twenty members. The organization is already 

 functioning, while the permanent organization 

 is being worked out. 



The considerations which lead to the organi- 

 zation of scientific and technical employees of 

 the government into a branch of the Federal 

 Employees Union may be summarized as 

 follows ; 



1. The belief that science can never play its 

 real role in the development of our national 

 life until the great body of workers of the 

 nation has a sympathetic understanding of the 

 significance of research, and that such an 

 understanding can be brought about only by 

 the scientific workers joining hands with the 

 other workers of the nation. 



2. Specifically, the belief that the affiliation 

 will greatly accelerate a general understand- 

 ing of the economic relation between scientific 

 research and the problem of a higher na- 

 tional standard of living; and that, when the 

 workers generally, fully realize that there is 

 a limit beyond which the standard of living 

 of the average of the population can not pro- 



gress by usual methods of readjustment, and 

 that this limit can only be raised by research 

 and the utilization of the results of research 

 in industry, the cause of science will be placed 

 in a position which we can not now anticipate. 



3. The necessity of contact with a body 

 having the confidence of, and influence with, 

 those with whom decisions rest. 



4. The complete autonomy enjoyed by the 

 Federal Employees Union in its affiliation 

 with the American Federation of Labor, and 

 by the Scientific and Technical Branch in its 

 affiliation with the former. 



5. The complete freedom from any compiil- 

 sion upon the individual, the constitution 

 pledging all its members not to strike, or sup- 

 port any strike against the government. 



6. The methods and the record of the Fed- 

 eral Employees Union. There has been cordial 

 cooperation with legislative and administra- 

 tive officials in collating and presenting re- 

 liable data, which has produced very concrete 

 results without producing friction or resent- 

 ment. For half a century the status of the 

 government employees had, on the whole, not 

 improved, or had even grown worse. In three 

 years of organization four important advances 

 have been made: the enactment of a compen- 

 sation law; the presidential veto of a bill in- 

 creasing hours of service without an increase 

 in pay; a flat increase of $120 (next year 

 $240) for all employees receiving $2,500 or 

 less per year; and the formation of the Re- 

 classification Commission. 



Y. The Tirgency of the reclassification prob- 

 lem, which made it doubtful whether a new 

 independent organization could be formed in 

 time to be effective, while here was at hand a 

 going, experienced organization with ma- 

 chinery and funds available, and already 

 working in close cooperation with, and enjoy- 

 ing the complete confidence of, the commis- 

 sion; and this organization already numbered 

 among its members more than six hundred of 

 the scientific workers, among them many of 

 the ablest and best known men in the scientific 

 service. 



The Reclassification Commission is to rec- 

 ommend a plan of classification and compensa- 



