The evening times., 1895-11-25
RUN LIKE / sHEITsA0P
Complaint Of Women About the
Printing Office Bindery.
NOT Mr., BENEDICT's FAULT
1t Is Stated That NJ inor o Officials, with
out the Knowledge of the Public
Printer, Have Arranged a Scale of
Wages That Gives Many Women the
Scantic>t Kind of II Livelihood.

Reductions in the amount OF work given
certain employees in the Government Print
ing Office has resulted in renewal OF
that dissatisfaction which often man
ifcsts itself, hut seldom without sufficient
cause. in that branch rf the public service.
II Is stated on the highest authority as
a matter of fact that more tha one hun
dred young women who sew books in the
bndcry have for tin. past two months
been unable I" earn in excess OF 80 and
81. cents per day, according To the class
of labor performed.
This rate uf compensation allows tEcse
women but S5.l0 and S5.S2 with which
Ia meet all their expenses of living and
maintenance. Many of them are from
distant portions OF the country, having
no relatives or friends in this city, and
the small pittances received are utterly
inadequate To pay their board and en-
able them Ia exist with even the most
rigid economy.
SUBMIT To \ FURLOUGH.
But in this instance il seems that Calam-
ity has been piled upon Adversely. quite
recently each sewer in the bindcry has
been compelled 10 submit to one days
furlough in each week.
THIS enforced idicncss reduces the
weekly remuneration Ia S4.25 aud SI.s5.
THIS practically means distress. If not
partial starvatton, To- all those except the
relatives. A more piiiinl condition Of
affairs, IL is said, never existed in this
branch Of the Government Printing Office.
With the low limit or work given To these
employees. some OF The women report for
duty al eight O'Clock IN the morning, and
are on their way home before eleven
O'Clock having completed AL that !s re-
Qurcd of them in less ,lan three hours.
For some reason tiiat has not yet been
disclosed a large amount of work formerly
done in HE bindery has been transferred
FL. no frir RI
in sections, and when they are not engaged
in folding sheets they sew books. AT
the close Of the day The proceeds are di-
viGed pro rata among those constituting
the section.
An application is often made of the old
saying that nothing is 81 had but what II
might De worse, and toward this latter cS-
trcnty the women in the bindcry appear
10 be rapidly drifting.
When a change or administration brought
into office new Public Printer the
aside, and the announcement was made
that il was the intention to have all that
class Of work performed by hand.
CREATED A SMALL PANIC.
But now il is said new folding machine,
having all the latest Improvements and
appliances. has arrived and is now in the
blilding. ready 10 be set up and put int
operation. This machine folds and gathers
and has a capacity equal in one hour 10
the work nf twenty girls.
The contemplated introduction of this
labor saving machine has created partial
panic among The women employed in the
bndery and folding rnohl, as it is held 10
presage a material reduction in frrce.
Those i'll the bindpry are not greatly
worried. as their condition could not well
be made more miserable nr embarrassing.
As those in both grades now receive less
than So per week. which Is not sufficient
for self-surpnrt, they would prefer a ter
mutation nf their anxiety rather than a
pcrpeluaiion ur It,
& advanced IN
authority Of the most apparent reliability,
that 1t is believed the present system In
The bindery has been inauguratcd without
the knowledge ar consent Of Public Printer
Benedict. The opinion prevails that the
Subor,linates III charge III these departments
have acted in this matter entirely on their
own responsibility and without having
first obIaIned the approval OF their superior
Mr. Benedict has always been from start
TO finish firm believer In the whole loaf
doctrine. With his induction into office
he promptly announced that lie would ma ke
such a rCduCt ion III force as would enable
those retained to earn living wages. and
those removed could have au opportunity
of securing remunerative employment else
MIR. BENEDICT'S BELIEF.
In carrying out this policy he discharged
more than one thousand employees, dcciar-
ing ii better for those who remained 10
make reasonable wages than for the en-
tire force to earn mere existence.
.MF. Benedict has invariably affirmed his
better than none. He has been consistent
in his attempts to carry out this conviction
But in such a large and complex esta blish
ment as the Government Printing Office il
is impos ssible for any one man To keep per
soual supervision over all the minor details
aud they must neces sarily Ice left TO the
Judgment and discretion of subordinatcs.
IL is these minor officials. and not Mr..
Benedict that these dissatisfied employees
now hold responsible for the reduction of
time allowed employees in the bindery
aud their being IN consequence placed be-
low the verge III starvailoD. In some cases.
it is Said,-such terror has been inspired by
those in petty authority that the employees
do not dare ieopardize their positions by
making complaint to the Public Printer.
IL is confidently believed that when the
attention of Mr.. Ecnecict is called to the
matter. he will take prompt remedial ac-
ton and either discharge enough of those
engaged IN the binderN that those re-
maiuing can earn fair wages. or direct that
the work taken from that department and
performed in the Toding-room shall he re-
turned to the bindery.
EVIL