The Republican journal., 1907-08-08
Equal Pay for Equal Service

Equal ray TOT Equal service
coRrELYou FOLLOWS THAT RULE IN
HIS DEPARTMENT..
WASHINGTON, July "a. Secretary
Cortelyou has followed the rule laid
down by the late Gen. Spinner, former
treasurer of the United States, that
when a woman employee of the govern
ment rendered the same service as a
man she should have equal compensa-
ton. The case on which the secretary
passed was that of Miss Margaret V.
Kelly, who for more than year has
been performing the duties of adjuster
of accounts for the Director of the
Mint. The Office was formerly filled by
a man. who draw salary of $4,000 a
year.
When George E. Roberts, Director Of
preparatory to going to Chicago to be-
come president Of the Commercial
National Bank, he took up with Secre-
tary Cortelyou the case of Miss Kelly,
who had been receiving a salary of
$1,000 year as classified employee of
the civil service. The Secretary of the
Treasury is an alumnus of the civil
service school. The only information
he desired was whether Miss Kelly
was performing the duties of a 1000
position and doing the work satisfac-
torily. The Director of the Mint an
sWered that she was, and the only rea-
sons he could offer why she had not
been advanced previously to $4,000 was
that she had not asked for promotion
and was already receiving more than
the average pay for women clerks.
The Director of the Mint was anxious
that justice be done in the case of Miss
Kelly before he quit office. Secretary
Cortelyou promptly advanced Miss
Kelly to the $4,000 class and appointed
her ''adjuster."
Miss Kelly is one of the most efficient
employees of the treasury. She has
become so familiar with the details of
the mint bureau that she might very
appropriately be called Assistant to
the Director of the Mint" The value
of her services is so we'll understood by
the people who have business with the
mint bureau that when some officials
were discussing the question of the ap.
pointment of successor to Mr.. Rob
erts one of them inquired: "Why not
appoint Miss Kelly?" 1t was agreed
by all present that no more fitting
recognition of ability could be made.
Miss Kelly is not the only woman
employee in the classified service who
receives a salary of $4,000. There are
two experts in the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing who draw the same
salary. They are Miss Annie E. Rowe,
chief of the numbering division, who
has 265 employees under her control,
and Miss Anna E. Bealle, chief of the
examining division, who directs the
work of nearly four hundred employees.
Both divisions have charge of the print
ing, numbering and counting of paper
money. 1t is delicate and responsible
work.
In the Department of Justice Miss
Anna II. Shortridge of Brooklyn re
ceives salary Of $4,000 year. She is
assistant to Solicitor General Hoyt and
her services are almost indispensable
on account of her familiarity with the
work of drawing legal documents. Miss
Department Of Agriculture, and Miss
Government Printing Office, draw sal
aries of 50, 900 year each.
Miss Estelle Reel, Superintendent of
900 year, but this is a Presidential APP
polntment and not strictly within the
classified service. Miss Reel came to
Washington in the first administration
of President Mckinley after she had
been elected Superintendent of Public
Instruction in Wyoming, where women
vote and hold office. She was so sue
cessful in her official work as an educa-
tor that the interest of President Nc
Kinley was aroused, and when Senator
Warren recommended her for appoint
ment as chief of the Indian school work
Mr.. Mckinley gave her the place.
There are several women clerks who
hold responsible positions in the de-
partments. They do special work and
receive salaries of $1,000 and $780,
Miss Anna j. Shirley of West Virginia,
who handles the pay-rOlls of the chief
clerk of the Pension Bureau, has been
i'll the government service since 1875
Miss Mabel Hatch of New Hampshire,
clerk to the Commissioner of Patents,
has been in office since 1877. She has a
room set apart for her adjoining that
of the commissioner, and her work is
highly specialized and of confidential
character She is credited with knowing
more about the details of the Patent
Office than any other person connected
with it.
Miss NJ E. Alexander of Philadelphia,
assistant to the Solicitor for Internal
Revenue, has filled the position for sew
eral years. Five solicitors have been
appointed since she entered the office.
She is linguist and has a knowledge
of legal and official papers relating to
the solicitors office that makes her ser
vices very valuable. Miss Clara Grea-
son is the only woman law clerk in the
government service. She is carried on
the rolls of the Office of Comptroller of
the Treasury by that title and is said to
be very competent employee.
Miss Nettie Peterson of Albert Lea,
Mimi, and Miss Caroline l. Griesheimer
of Washington, D. c., are specially COM
petent women employees of the Civil
Service Commission and have charge
of examination papers, They receive
the highest salary paid to women in
that bureau, $1,000 a year. Miss Mary
Van Branken of the Internal Revenue
Bureau and Miss Marietta G.. Deehan
and Mrs. C. 7. Limeburner of the sup
cruising architects Office each draw
1,S00 a year.
The two government experts in the
identification of paper money that has
been burned, mutilated or otherwise
rendered unfit for currency are women
Miss Amanda E. Brown was appointed