The colored American., 1901-04-06

cauSpd such a scandal during the late
CInvpland-CarlisIe Administration is
etHI showing a portion of its ugly head
a+ the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing Capt. w. NJ. Meredith, whom all
admire as a fair and hOnOrablc-ninded
Gentleman. has made a model Director
as far as his powers permit him to go,
hUt if is alleged that certain authority
* held by few of the remnants of
tho inglOriOuS Claude Johnson regime,
which Capt. Meredith cannot Overrule
and hence an evil exists there which
can be remedied only by the action OF
the President of the United States or
bv the Secretary of the Treasury.
Neither of the latter would cOunte
nance any discrimination based upon
color, if the facts were properly
hroUght to their attention. Feeling it
= public duty to probe the charges to
the very bottom, to the end that JUS
rice might be done if a wrong had
been committed, and to prompt an eX-
animation that might lead to a cOrrec-
tion of any flaw in the workings Of the
RurpaU. The COlOred American pub
fishes the following statement, in re-
sponSe to a letter of inquiry, every
sppcificatiOn of which the author al
lpgps to be true:
Last summer Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury Vanderlip conceived the
very just idea of equalizing the pay
of persons doing the same kind Of
work in the several divisions of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The wages of all employees were in
creased. some to $500, and some to
S72O with the exception of the ma
chine division, under Mr. Steinbrumer,
and the cleaning division, under Capt.
RadfOrd). Mr. Steinbrumer, chief OF
the machine division, under the new
order. recommended and had promoted
all the white labOrerS in the yard un-
der him. and one cOlOred man. The col
Orpd IabOrers who worked in the yard
and the labOrers who did he work in
the laundry (alI cOlOreO all naturally
expected an increase in pay. They
waited in vain to be called IN to sign
until after July /, 1900. when an or
der came down from the Treasury, is
sued by Secretary Gage, stating that
in the future parties in order to get
promotions must have the recommend
alton of the chief of their division.
Since the issuing of that order two
cOlOred men have been promoted (bOth
Catholics. The laundry is a very inn
p0rtant branch of the Bureau. The
short rags are used by the plate print
erS in Wiping ink from the plates. The
long rags are used by the steam and
electric presSeTS. 1t requires labor and
skill to get these rags in proper con-
ditiOn for use When SOiled in the
different rooms they are brought down
to the laundry, assorted, and put in
tubs and boiled in strong lye water,
which eats the ink and grease. They
are rinSed, and then put in the wiring
er, They then have to be straightene0
out, as they become very much tangled
in the steam wringer They are then
taken to the drying room and dried;
then brought back and Starched; then
dried again; then rolled upon Spindles
and are then ready for the press. This
work IS very eXacting, and must be
finished in a skillful and proper man
ner. The work not only requires skill
but hard labor. The laundry is truly
the Van DiemanS land of the Bureau
and should have been among the first
to receive promotion. The chief Of the
machine division and the captain ot
the watch are two of the hOld-Overs
Of the Carlisle regime, and
the poor cOlOred men under them nave
no chance whatever to get justice, OF
a proper recognition according II
merit. Secretary Cages order mean
where men or a person showed mer
Of HTIff