Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-04
NO MORE EXTRA PAY
Recent Order as to Bureau of Engraving and
Printing Employees.
Specimen of Government Litt1encss-
Some Facts About the Work
Therc-The Law Cited.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

AT lHe DuTtdu VI
of the new rule that employees working
extra time shall not receive extra COM
pensation. That the PRONUNCIATION and en-
fCrcement of this rule Is a specimen Of
governmental ..littieness'' will strike at
first glance all persons having any knowl-
edge of the workings of this office and the
treatment there accorded the employees,
but as large proportion oil these EN-
ployes are women and what are classed in
labor circles "unorganiZed labor, the
Crgfnators of this most unjust and IN
equitable order are safe in enforcing t,
and beyond few rlurmurs from these un-
organized women laborers, anticipate and
will realize but little trouble.
In this connection il is interesting to col-
kder the condition of the employees in this
great workshop. These persons must be in
the building at O'Clock sharp or they
fcn't get in at all, and when once in they
Ere locked up and cannot leave without Il
PASS, ana not then until their work IS
counted and reported upon This imprison-
ment lasts until what, prior to the making
of the new rule. considered ii regular
working day. namely, from am. to
Pm y half hour is allowed for lunch, and
even during that time the workers con-
tinue prisoners, and cannot leave the con-
fines of the building AT the close of the
day. should any mistakes be discovered, all
employees who by any chance could be
cor nected Herewith are detained until the
mistake is corrected. and this detention IS
not pail for, as some accounts have err
Toneously stated. Every person visiting
the bureau is impressed with the ceaselesS
energy CT the employees, and it is safe to
say that in no other branch of the govern
marital service do the employees work as
hard or Is the work as difficult or as wear
ing on the physical and nervous forces.
1t is constant drive from morning to
night, and the wonder is that this work.
some OF 1t Cy hand and some by machinery,
does not wreck more persons. Many. after
passing the examinations and obtaining ap-
pointrhents. because unable to resist the
strain of this work, are compelled to re-
sign, ana l have leen informed that ply
sicians have advised women workers that
the work on the machines in particular is
most injurious to them.
The remuneration to the workmen is in
some instances by the piece; in others an
annual salary is paid them. 1t is said that
this last form of payment is based upon
per diem rate It would appear. however
that the nature of this employment, that
is. whether per diem or annual depends
on which. at the time, is most favorable to
the powers At present it seems that the
annual is the pettel child, for in that fact
do the authorities find their justification
for refusing the extra compensation for
extra labor.
The women employed receive for their
services at the rate of-froTn S1-2.I to 81 per
day. and have heretofore received about -
cents per hour for extra time. What a
truly munificent salary the first is, and
what a tremendous saving the last will
prove TO the government. Contrast for a
moment The treatment OF the employees of
the other branches of the governmental
service. whose employees arrive at their
o:hces at ? am and depart at p.nl.-who
leave during the heated term at 3 o'clock
on Saturdays and On especially warm days
even ear;ier-and whose work is, in most
Instances, light and pleasant, and with
salaries in many cases out of all proportion
to the value of the services rendered. This
Is one side: the other is enc of employees
working longer hours on more difficult
work, and actually receiving less compen-
satlon tfan Is paid in private business es-
adjustments for similar services
In one OF the departments OF this service
VIZ: the number division the employees
have been compelled TO work since May to
the present time one and two extra hours
per Gay. ard during the extreme heat of
the summer this extra time was uniformly
Two hCUTS, and there was no reduction of
time, as in other departments. on Satur-
gay Thus no time was given these per-
sons for recreation, nor could they take
lfeSe Pheasant. hSat-eScaping trips that are
so popular with all observation-disclosures True
they received - cents per hour for their
services, but it is a question whether the
benefit SO received financially was COM
mems rate with the harm done to the
health, and even this small monetary bene-
fit bids fair to be wrested from them unless
the enforcement cf this obnoxious rule be
Immediately stopped.
Now. what is the legal aspect of this
matter?
The nationa! eight-hour law of August L.
1St2, in part provides as follows:
THAT the service and employment of all
laborers and mechanics who are now or
may hereafter be employed by the govern
ment of the United States. by the District
OF Columbia, OF by any contractor or sub
contractor, upon any of the public works
OF the l nited States or of the said District
= OF columbia. Is hereby limited and restrict
Ell 10 eight hours in any one calendar day.
and IL shall be unlawful for any officer of
the United States government or of the
District of Columbia or any such contract
or or subcontractpr whose DUTY il shall
elDD'OV 1frol rH
OF such laborers or mechanics, to require
or permit any such laborer or mechanic to
work more than eight hours in any calen-
Gar day. except in cases of extraordinary
emergency.
Sec =. That any officer or agent of the
government of the United States or of the
scnccntractor whose duty it shall he to
employ. direct or control any laborer or
mechanic employed upon any Of the public
works OF the United States or of the Dis
ulct OF Columbia who shall Intentionally
violate any provision Of this act shall he
oeeIned guilty of a misdemeanor and for
e&ch and every such oittnse shall upon
conviction. be punished by q fine nor To ex
coed $l,bp, or by imprisonment for not
mere tran six months. or by both such fine
and Imprisonment, in the discretion of the
court having jurisdiction thereof"
II would, therefore. SEEM from n road
Ihs OF me above CITATION. that this law has
and SIN is being violated. but. as in All
AVS: there are l5umherIess Iocpholes and
II VII probably De conte nded by the ex-
ecutlves that the persons who are com
Pehea 10 work are not 'laborers or me-
ctanics. or that the work done is required
by extraordinary emergency but these
excuses. should they be urged, are puerjle
ard at any rate do not justify Withholding
tne extra compensation. though the cues
,iCn is not entirely one of extra cornpensa-
tion' Tor as a matter of fact, a majority of
the employees prefer not TO work extra time
preferrinS that a larger force of hands he
engaged. but if they are compelled 10 rem
uer extra services extra CONDENSATION
should be given them
If this department is sufficiently busy %
give extra employment for an hour a day
Ter five months. extra labor. of which
plenty IS TO be found. should be employed
Organized labor should concern itself MI, h
TINS condition. and all minded persons
should combine to defeat this pe,tv GOV.
ernmental imposition jES
MnrtiEcIIi ut Jesuit Jubilee