New-York tribune., 1903-05-17
4 TALE OF TWO WOMEN.
Need OF Reform 4mong School
-Jonitors, Colonel Ogden Thinks.
ONE MAKES $4,000, OTHER 5000

The Civil Service Commission has been in
janitors' assistants in the public schools and
has found a lot OF things it does not like. Colo
mel Willis L. Ogden, of Brooklyn, is president
of the commission, and in the twenty-five page
report that he and Secretary Briscoe have
turned in to the Board of Education there may
he lot of things tn At the world can do without
Nothing need be said about them. They nave
however. run across two women janitors "ho'
when judged by human standards. shine in their
chosen calling.
One shines more effuIgently than the other. be-
cause she manages to carve out income OF
about 50 600 net for herself and family from
the allowance made for the care of Public Schooi
No a.. at No. 49, East ne-hundred-and-n1th-
st. This is Mrs. George w. Thatcher
The other is Mrs Annie L. Butterield, of NO
272 Second-st. who since 1874 has been jani-
tor of School No. 13i. She bosses the JAM
torial' department herself stokes the furnaces
AMI receives the munihcent net salary Of SZ54
a year.
The coldblooded narrative of the twenty-five
page report of the Civil Service Commission Is
the best record however. and here it is. so far
as il concerns this modern tale of two women:
An instance of the bad workings of the present
system is seen in school No q rStbeI 9u,tGs is is
anitor His salary s2574. which. with extras & OF
Women make s1S one .oai nan o with one extra during
the night school sessions. The women ar e ne
mstron' The servant. Lizzie Mcmahon, receives;
81 month She Is his Gny f9T te tanifors fam
fly. including one boarder and in addluoh "orAs III
TT The man. Oscar Behil is employed a fireman
and sleeps in the school He Is paid 80 I'm ...5
and boards with the tanitor He WORKS rom Sue s-
a until p He takes care OF ~ the deHaIS
stairs halls and ciassrooms. and has charge OF
opening closing all the doors from time to t1s I'M
He &c
and at the time of his examination had been only
three o9ths H In hns lhs before had charge Of
any boilers. nevertheless. he does al tne len EN-
The extra man Emil Madlik: is at the the school e %
session At the time of the investigation he had
been employed only five weeks he tt receLN%e en- S
tire salary and of it pays his eHpemSGs He
expenses. including the board OF dne tbe 4oitor
a net result of about $2-e0- ,...o-.,,-.+od
See Seem q. to be administered P''''
And here is the data concerning the falth1uI
and persevering Mrs. Butterfeld'
In School No 1l the anitor is T0ms9 f0 hen Tno Sfr
Sha 1sIes care of the boilers herself. She pays
them SIG and 81 Of 9SRh 5 Ed the board at
,pG a month for the two she pays out sbZi ana mas
remaining only SE5A
In the opinion OF the commission the present
system is not in accordance with the provisions
of the State constitution and the ClVi 0e'Ni'0
law The report continues:
The ianitors are held responsible for the condiuo
of the schools but they have the sole power VI
commitment and removal of their suporolh1IF rs
mower not possessed by any other olHCer vi 90
Move of the city government except IN tae ~
Instances where the position Is exempt dI.il ,i
oreratton of the Civil Service law. Ihe nePeiS
s1 called are responsible TO or unaeI TIE O0i4
trol Of or paid by the Board of Education -
-Tba rssrlt Is that the employees are ehlertIE a.
The mercy of the janitor; that they are oILeH
o,,ired To work from early in the il1oriiIls
late AZ night: they often tnousn not o.
uays nsijficiently paid. and that they are oa'eI @
banged are apt be OF inferior abllty flu LlIay
he Of indifferent character. and as such nor Ropt
"a he brought contact with school n+
tba CONDENSATION of the janitOrs IS regulated hot
succass I'm procuring the work to DC dohe fou uIe
icsst rompensation and. consequence olIItr-
nt ianitors receive substantially different SUM- I1
Snfjar services As IL is to their interest 10 ntIe
as few cleaners possible the sHSt - {" fi
,1iuu on dirty rather than clean scnoolS. 1T.
The remedy for these conditions IS we Supii INN;
,,a annontulent of the assistants from t1e IN
S.-vre lists and such also submit; Is the plt
Confinement of the constitution and the la" -
,rs advised that city has no authorlly 70 coIl
trart for the appointment OF any OF us eIhIlo9Ea
ne resDectFully suggest that the allotment 70
isnitors of salaries based upon the size oi .Ie
iriding With the requirement that they SIld eiii
- and nav their assistants from tIlen 9ao
- js such a contract The testimony OF ne @ uls
a.. orestad witnesses who appeared before us was
i:nanrnous in urging the use OF the -1lNH 0eiN4O0
Iisrs for the employment of cleaners