The evening times., 1896-08-15
CAS- Jets ADD TO HEAT
Plate Printing Room at Bu-
reau Almost Unbsarable.
GIRLS SUFFER THE MOST
They Are Compelled to Wash and Dry
the Hot Plates and Must Stand ON
Their Feet All Day-Fans Fail to
Give Reiief-women Employees Are
Poorly Paid.

Everywhere people are suffering from
heat in n greater or teas degree, but II Is
doubtful II human beings are compelled to
work in a hotter place in Washington than
in the plate printing rooms Of the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing.
The main room OF this department. Is
situated on the fourth floor OF the Bureau
at Thirteenth street and Maryland avenue
southwest. There are over 500 girls in
tue esta blishment. and the vast na ajority OF
them work in the ptate-room as assistants
to the printers There are several hundred
people in this room where the natural heat
might be endured the same as in other
offices were it not for the artificial heat
OF more than 5000 gas Jets, used to warm
the printing plates 49, a- f2
It's necessary to have the plates heated in
this manner In order 20 use them and these
little stoves by which il is done. are burn.
ing all day long, and the heat which they
eDsender. especially during the middle OF
the day, is at times almost unbear;ibie. 1t
is the duty OF the girls to wash the plates
and wipe and rewipe them until they are
thoroughly dry. f
MERCURY II WAY UP.
To do this they are compelled TO stand
nug The entire day OF seven and half
hou Is. surrounded by the burning Jets. While
IL is possible for the male worKmea 10 ap-
pear somewhat deshabiiie, it would be
unconventional for the girls TO do SO, and
for this reason, aod the fact that 1t is i'm
pussible for them to remain sitting and ac-
coIupiish their work, they have to suffer
with he temperature ranging in the vicinity
or Sc and leo degrees.
II is no uBcommon thing for the mercury
TO reach the latter point, and many of the
poor girls have been rendered. Ill and COM
pelied to ccas. work. Ie Is true that the
many windows on either side are raised,
otherwise the workers woaid suffocate, but
il is the terrific artificial heat from wiCiun
that causes suffering.
There are number OF two-arn fans in
tue room, but these are suspended FRONT the
ceiling SO high up that scarcely a breath
OF air is felt from them. They only re-
voive when the machinery is in motion aud
are practically of little use, SO far as they
relieve the suffering OF the plate printers
anu their assistants.
During the past ten days the suffering
has been intense To add 10 il ALI the girls
are Only pam St.SO IL Od1 anu dEC GOib-
PEELED to report AZ 8 o'clock In the morning
and continue until In the Afternoon. with
a half hour for lunch.
WAGES OUT OF PROPORTION.
The rates paid in proportion to the wages
of girls In other departments are scarcely
one-half, Notwithstanding the fact that
their work is harder and their surround
sngs anything but agreeable. SAID one
of the young ladies employed at the Bureau
to a Times reporter today:
The heat of that room is something ter
rife No one has any idea OF the suffering
of the poor girls until they get Inside the
workroam. People passing through the
building do not tarry long in the plate
printing room, and are astolished when
they witness what we have TO endure
unable TO sit down. And for what? Just
$1.25 day.
in other departments that are COM
paratiyely comfortable the CLERKS on warm
afternoons are released at 3 O'Clock, but
we must continue to swelter an hour
longer in the abnormal heat.
Possibly we might be willing to endure
mere if the girls were paid in proportion
to what they earn; but We are not COM
pensated in anything like the same ratio
that other clerks are"