The Arizona sentinel., 1886-07-31
GOVERNMENT PRINTING.
Condition of Male and Female Workers ir
 the French Imprimerie Rationale.

Condition of Male and Female Workers in
 the French Imprimerie Rationale.
 The ReUeil TypOgraphique has been issuing series of papers describing the condition of the workers in the State workshops of France. Among others, the 1mprimerie Rationale, or Govern ment Printing Office situated at No. S7 Rue Vieille-du-Temple, Paris, comes in for notice. This establishment possesses the finest printing material in the world, and an annual budget of S1, 4OO,- 900 insures its constant renewal, as well as the salaries of the managers, clerks and workmen. Most of the work CTS are paid by the piece. The higher official staff comprises a general man. ager at S3, ,O00 a year; an under man. ager at S1,600; superintendent over the interior department work at S1 200; an assistant to the latter at S900, and a score of others, such as cashiers, over- Seers, clerks, etc., with salaries ranging from $500 to S360.
 The establishment is divided into three great services, named respectively first division, second division and re- serve, with superabundance of over- seers and clerks. The personnel of the office consists of clerks and officials, 220; laborers, 50; bookfolders, sewers, perforators, gummers and females con- nected with the drying room, BIO; book binders, 120; typefounders (15 males, 10 females), and machine boys, 120; pressmen, no; compositors, 209, show ing total of about l, 200 persons occu- pied exclusively in the printing of Gov ernment work. The working day of the skilled workers is ten hours, but the labOrerS have to work eleven. The male workers receive six cents an hour extra for overtime; the females have to be content with four cents. The read- CTS earn. thanks to extra work, between S1.75 and S2 day; compositors, on an average, about S95O week; machine men, between $1.75 and $2.25 a day; pointers (male), on an average, S1 day. The pointer is re- spons ble for any paper that may be spoiled, and he has to do the spoiled work over again without any remun- eration. The book binders and press men make between $1 and $1. 25 day; the typefounders about S9.5O week.
 The wages of the females may be thus classified: Booksewers, 90 cents day bookbinders, 60 cents rulers, 6S cents caSemakers, 80 cents gluers, about 75 cents; perforators, 75 cents. In the drying-room, where elderly women are chiefly employed, they earn 6S cents. The female pointers make so cents day. Fines somewhat dim nish these by no means exorbitant earnings. A quarter of an hours lateness costs 10 cents; an absence of half day, 20 cents; a whole day, 40 cents. The females are fined at half the above rates. Drunkenness, fighting and smoking may all be enjoyed at a charge of S1.25 for each of1ense.
 The pay of the laborers is supple mented by means of an oppressive cus- tom. They receive only S16. 25 month, but the workers have to make on their behalf so-called optional contribution under the name of gratuity-of four cents per man every week. Thus the state, which gives S3,000 to manager, forces it's own servants to augment the low wages of the porters whom it en- ploys. After thirty years service the male worker is is entitled to pension of $110 year; the female to one of $80. The officials receive half of their emoluments, which means, for example. in the case of the manager, S1, 300 year. When worker has completed twenty-five years service and reached the siXtieth year of his age, he is equally entitled to the pension. Infirmities contracted at work, along with twenty years service, give the same right. A third of the pension is revertible to the widow when the marriage bond has ex- isted for at least five years. This pen sion and sickness fund is maintained by a deduction of three per cent. from the salaries, by the fines, and by a share of the profits. s.-Ihe Booknadker.