Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-24
WANT LARGER SALARY
JANIToRs OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
APPEAL TO CONGRESS.

The board of education last evening, on
the motion of DR. Richard Kingsman, voted
that the petition OF the school janitors for
Increase of salary be heartily approved by
the board, and referred to the Commits
sioners with request that 1t be sent to the
Senate committee on District of Columbia
with favorable recommendation. At the
suggestion of Mr.. Stuart the case of the
office force at the Franklin, which was
not included in the teachers schedule, was
added to the recommendation for the jani-
tors.
The petition is signed by H. F. McQueeny.
B. A. Estep, L. Bradford, r. Beverly and
G. A. Anderson, a committee appointed at
special meeting of the janitors. and reads
as follows:
ITO the chairman and members of the
committee on the District of Columbia
we were appointed a committee to re-
quest that section fourteen 14), H. r.
1912, so far as It relates to janitors, en-
gineers. and laborers, be Incorporated in
the bill which you now have before you.
This section increases the salaries of the
1anitors. 1t not only does this, but IN
sures the betterment of the service by plac-
Ing the appointment of assistants directly
under the board of education The plan
or giving Janitor lump sum and having
MN pay his assistants has for long time
been considered faulty by the school au-
thorities
The average janitor during the winter
months labors from fourteen to eighteen
hours day and in extremely cold weather
often works thirty-six hours without rest
we are not complaining of the long hours
or OF our duties, but we are complaining of
the insufficient pay. We cannot support
our families as they should be and are en-
utled to be supported.
Increase in Cost of Living.
The cost of living has increased rapidly,
While the Janitor's pay has remained at
standstill. public school janitor has to
be moral. sober, honest patient and indus
rious He is vested with police authority
and performs duty around his building
The Janitor of a steam-heated building is
required TO be a licensed steam engineer
and must also be acquainted with the laws
of ventilation
The janitor of an eight-room building
receives forty-fve Csf0 dollars month.
he pays eighteen G1S) dollars for rent;
twenty-five $3.50 dollars for groceries and
four tS4) dollars for fuel. Sum I'D the fetal
and see that forty-seven ($4T) dollars has
oeen utilized and he is in debt two ($2) dol
iars. Gentlemen, we have not anything
iett to buy clothes and shoes for our wives
and children. pay doctor bills. or buy medi-
cine when our families are sick.
The Jdnitor of a twelYe-room building
receives seventy-five $50 dollars a month
and has TO pay an assistant at leaststwen-
ty-five (S25) dollars, because 1t Is imposs-
BILE to do all the work himself. which
brings his salary down to about the level
of the insufficiently paid eight-rooCn man.
The above facts will give you an idea of
the conditions surrounding a public school
Janltor. All we ask is that the part relat-
ing to janitors be restored to the school bill
we are small army of one hundred and
forty men, intrusted with the care of hun
Greds of boys and girls. and property valu-
ing thousands of dollars, yet we receive less
recognition than the white wings of our
streets, or the foreigners who make our
trenches. We know no eighth day, our
time is wholly the Districts. and we hum
bly, petition that we receive at your hands
the justice melted out to other public serv-
ants of our capital city"