Mr. WADE. I hope this amendment will prevail, and I hope, too, that it will be extended to all the laborers of the arsenal as well as of the navy yard. I have prepared an amrendment for the navy yard. The real hard laborers in these 2 places are not likely to be benefited by the passage of this resolution unless we amend it; and I cannot understand the reason that induces a man to go for increasing those who have large salaries there and entirely overlook the hard hand laborer that certainly does as much work and is as much entitled to compensation as anybody and always gets less for it than anybody else. Their case is entirely overlooked through the whole of this resolution. We are told by the Senfrom Iowa that their compensation is uncertain, and depends, as he thinks, upon the will of the head of the Dept; in the arsenal, of the War Dept; in the navy yard, of the Navy Dept. That may be so; but why can we not act when they appeal to us, and when we know about what they get, for I am informed by those well acquainted with the business of the navy yard that their wages are from 2 and a half to 3 dollars per day; and they work from morning till night, hard, fatiguing labor; and they find it exceedingly difficult to maintain themselves and families upon this pay. I say again I do not understand how it is that while we are providing for those who certainly are better off than these laborers we overlook them entirely and do not attempt to do anything for their benefit. I know we are told that if we do this we must extend it to every navy yard in the U.S..I. do not know but that we ought to do so. They have not applied to us, however, and I do not know that living and expenses are as burdensome in other places as they are here. But here we have the strong est appeals made constantly to us to the effect that they are unable to educate and clothe and feed their families on the wages we give them. While such a fact as that is staring me in the face I can hardly turn my back upon them and say we will not consider their case at all. I think we ought to extend this relief to them. Of course, under this resolution, the amount will be very little to the Government. 20%. on so small an amount as they earn now will be but a very small sum anyhow, but these poor men are accustomed to have but small amounts, and a very small sum to them appears to do them as much good and will go as far as a large amount to those who are receiving higher salaries. It will not be difficult to calculate this increase on their pay. We know very well what they are paid now, and it would be very easy to add 20%. to the small earnings they have, and it would be of great benefit to them. Although a man receiving a large salary would not estimate it as worth much, yet to these poor men who are accustomed to economize everything and make everything they do receive go as far as it can, it will be a great benefit. I hope, site, that we shall extend this relief, not only to the employees of the arsenal, but also to those of the navy yard. I have received a great number of communications from both places begging that we will not overlook their cases, and I cannot have the heart to do it. Therefore I was about to move an amendment to the resolution, in line 18, by inserting after the word “meters” the words “and also to the laborers and employees of the Washington navy yard.” I repeat again, it is not a great sum to come out of the Government, and it will do these people a great deal of good. I hope we shall grant it to them.