Evening star., 1902-03-11
Mr.. Shallenberger Replies to
His Charges.
PRODUCES WAGE SCALE
DENIES THAT "SWEAT SHOP" SYS-
TEN IS IN VOGUE.
Declares That Employees Of Mail Bag
Repair Shop Are Well Taken
Care OF.

Mr. w. S. Shallenberger second assist
ant postmaster general, when his attention
today was called to an article in yester-
days Star in which Representative Kern
Of Illinois was quoted as declaring In
speech in the House that the mail bag re-
pair shop Is disgrace to the country. said:
Mr.. kern's statements contain much
misleading information. There is hardly a
word of truth in what he is quoted as say
Ing. The mail bag repair shop is not op-
Grated under the contract system, as he
charges and it's employees are not, by any
means,> working under starvation wages.
AS an evidence of this fact have to state
that the average number of days worked
and the average amount of money received
by the seventy or more female employees of
the shop for the last three months was:
December. average number Of days worked
by each employe. q, $39e5; January, "a
days, $456S: February % days. A3S6. It
will be observed that this is the average
number Of days worked by each employe.
Many. of course, received sums largely IN
excess Of the amount stated above.
Says Wages Are Reasonable.
These rates are, 1t is believed, much
higher than are paid by any establishment
in the United States for similar services.
The reason why the rates are not still
higher is that some time since the quantity
of special work on hand warranted this
department In taking on in the bag shop
several additional employees.
when the special work gave out rather
than discharge a lot of capable and eff
cient workers and worthy persons, it was
decided to retain the additional force, which
has been done up to this time. The result
is that the average quantity of work per-
formed by each individual is less than 1t
would be if the department should see fit
to discharge one-fourth or more of these
women for the purpose of giving full time
to those remaining.
while the eight-hour law is fully lived
UP to in this establishment, if the employees
perform their allotted task before the clos
ing hour they are permitted to leave the
shop.
Comfort Of Employees
Further. it must be borne in mind that
the establishment Is not an office; it is SIM
ply workshop or factory. The comfort OF
its employees, however, is looked after as
closely as 1t is possible to do so. The de-
partment furnishes commodious dressing
and toilet rooms, soap, towels and we'll
built lockers in which to care for their
street costumes, and under law allows
them fifteen days leave of absence with
pay each year.
ter adapted for the business than the pres
ent would render the occupants much
more comfortable in the performance of
their duties, still this is a matter over
which the department has no control.
Denial of Sweat Shop Charges.
Under these conditions it must be quite
| evident to Mr.. Kern that there is not the
| slightest ground for the charge that the
| mail bag repair shop is operated under the
sweatshop system or any other scheme
| akin to it.
"The information conveyed to Mr.. Kern
| it has been found, was given out by an en-
ploye Of the shop who for time was ply
sically unable to perform her duties, and
who by reason of absenteesm Is credited
with but fourteen days work during the
! month of December last. She naturally
would prefer a fixed salary rather than
| work under the piece system. 1t appears,
| however, from he pay rolls that she Is
credited with fourteen days service for
December 1901; twenty and three quarter
| days for January, 1902, and twenty three
and one-half days for February, 1902, for
which she received, according to the rolls,
$22. .12 $4O.15 and $i9,97, respectively"