Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-07

I NASInNGroN CITY, Dec. e, 1875.
! 70 hc Senate and
House Of Representatives,:
GENTLEMEN In the name humanity,
Of justice, OF right, of policy, for the in
/ tcrcSts and character Of the Government,
appeal to YOU in behalf of that honora-
bic and intelligent class of our citizens,
/ the clerical employees of the Government
| have made it my study TO ascertain, by
the iOwCN and most economical scale,
what it costs clerk with family, a
wife and 5 or 8 children, to live IN Wash
/ ington-that is, if they only wish to live
like ordinary, decent white people, and
not 60 to the outskirts Of the city and
live in shanty among the free negroes.
Living in this city has increased within
, or > years from 50 TO - per cent.
Whose fault is it! They cannot help
this state Of things. If | was allowed
space enough, | could fully satisfy you Of
the hardslips, the poverty, the gross in
justice and oppression, this class of our
citizens are suffering, by giving you a
detailed statement; but | am compelled
TO consolidate, for one year, as follows:
House rent. $500 90
Gr6ccry bill, 50 cents per day IS2 90
Marketing, 81 25 per day 45G 90
Two ScrvantS-the clerk cannot
he servant at home and in
the Department at the same
timc,-hiS children cannot act
as servants and 90 to school, 40 GO
Milk, 10 cents per quart So 80
Wood and coal 100 GO
Clothes for persons, at S35 90
each; about what it would
cost laboring man $50 GO
Schooling for four children loo %
School hooks and stationery for
! children % 90
Pew rent 80 90
Doctors bills and medicines 81 90
Sl,70O 0G
In this estimate, TO allowance is made
for ga light, or light of any kind, and no
allowance is made for washing; prcsuming
it NAV uc done at home. At the end Of
one wear. the clerk finds himself in debt
$500, after living in the most frugal and
economical manner, next to starvation.
lie also finds he has paid the Government
,,.I0D for the honor of working for it one
ycar-only because a man can live in one
OF the western States on 81 200. Every
man with family in Washington knows
there are hundreds of incidental expenses
that he is compelled to incur, however
great miscr he may be. He cannot in
duicc himself in tobacco and segarS--hc
can,tot indulge his family in any innocent
rec. cation or amusement, such as books.
ncNsrapc;S, omnibus 7 DIES and hack
hire, theatres, concerts, pan0yamaS, &c:
he is compelled to torego all these. If,
there should be a death in his family, he
j. not able TO pay the funeral expenses. .
If his family wish 20 visit their relations
once a year, he Is compelled to deny them
the pleasure; his salary Will not allow ii:
and the Office is not life Office, but held
hy tenure, as Irccarious and uncertain as
the weather. But enough, we are in the
age of progress. The expense of living
in Washington has increased enormously,
and is mcrcasinG-strikcS are taking
place all over this country and through
out Europe for higher wages, and yet the
clerk 5 salary must remain stationary.
The same causes that compel other class
cs of society to demand higher wages
operate as opprcssiycly on the clerks. |
say, then, The fair fame, the honesty, the
character, the interest and the policy OF
the Government demands this stigma
should be wiped out from its fair escutch-
con, for it is Il stigma Of the blackcst and
most revolving character That Govern
mcnt like ours, the richest on the face of
the earth, should be SO parsimonious and
mi>crly as to refuse a faithful clerk
enough to support his family, if he should
happen to have one. More anon.
JUNIUS.
r,suI OF n.TI,ErTc