The Washington times., 1908-09-21
PRINTERS PLEASED.
PAY IS INCREASED
No Reduction of Force in
Public Printery Accom-
panieS Raise.
FORMAL NOTICE
GIVEN TO-DAY
The Increase Means That $4,000
Yearly Is Added to the
Pay Roll.

ray RON.
There will be no reduction Of force
nor will there be a reduction of salary
in other departments of the Government
Printing Omice, on account of the ralse
TO 90 cents an hour granted to more
than 200 operators of linotype and mono
type machines. formal notice OF which
was given this morning TO the commit
tee Of employees, which has long sought
the increase.
The increase Of 10 cents an hour, which
means that an employee working eight
hours viii now receive $3.50 a day in
stead Of $780, has been granted. not at
the sacrifice of other employees, but
through the more economical admins
tration Of the new Public Printer John
S. LeeCh and through the removal. or
reduction 10 lower positions, Of some of
the many $500 men with whom the
former Public Printer Charles A. Still
ings surrounded himself
Leech Not Talking.
Although Mr.. Leech would not discuss
the matter this morning, preferring to
get results and not talk. it Is under
stood that there is no danger that the
big Prinery viii face a deficit Of $500, 90,
such as the Printing Commission of
Congress feared that ii would face.
when the former Public Printer resigned
last spring.
While Mt. Leech did not care to dis
cuss the way in which he effected this
increase, which means that those two
classes Of employees viii receive about
$4,000 more as a class each year than
they have hitherto. it is well known. in
circles familiar with the Printery, that
he has always believed that the best
possible return should be given 10 the
men who really do the work Under
a former regime II was not the men,
50 much as the various heads, who re-
GelVed the big salaries. and this Mr.
Leech has been trying 10 remedy.
Committee Notified.
The committee. which asked the Pub
lie Printer for this increase several
months ago, and which consists Of John
Puris, II. 3. 2srnhart, William II.
Cornish. John O'Donoghue. and Miss
Fenner. was received by Mr.. Leech this
morning and informed that their petit
ton had been considered, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt had approved, and that
the raise Will become effective the LIST
Of October.
The new rate for linotype and mono
type operators viii place these Govern
mcnt employees abOuI on a par with
those in commercial firms, so far as
pay goes For a long time the Govern
ment Printing OhiCe has been at a
in so far as these partiCu-
lar employees were concerned, by the
fact that good operators did not stay
long, there being too many Opportuni-
ties for higher wages in commercial
fields. This has always proved detri-
mental to the service, and & was the
desire Of the new Public Printer 70
What 1t Costs.
There IS no basis for an accurate ac-
counting of what the new increase may
cost the Government, for there is no
way of figuring the money that must
be expended in overtime work and night
work, which under the United States
statutes must be paid at a rate 20 per
cent higher than the day rate. The es-
innate made. however. is that it will
only mean an expenditure of a little
over $4,000 a year.
Just how much the new Public Printer
has been able to save through econOmi-
cal reforms in administration or through
the removal or DISCHARGE of forernen
whom StiIlings appointed, and whom he
has considered either overpaid or entire
" SuperduOuS, no one knows, perhaps
not even he himself.
Formal Notification.
The formal notification given 10 the
committee this morning reads as fol
lows:
Il have the honor TO advise you that
in accordance with my promise. under
date Of July p, 1908. have carefully
the request preferred by your
committee that an increase Of COM
pensation be granted TO linotype oper-
ators and mOnotype keyboard operators
in the Government Printing Office.
1.-The experimental stage Of machine
composition in the Government Print
ing Office has passed, and proficient
operators in this Office are not receiv-
ing compensation equal TO that paid by
commercial Offices IN the larger cities
throughout the country, and, in nv
judgment, the compensation paid by
the Government 10 linotype operators
and monotvDe keyboard operators is in
sufficient 20 insure the continuance in
the service Of capable operators, and.
not such as The interests
of the service demand. for it is an in
dtSbutdble fact that adequate rOmpCn-
sation is always an incentive to greater
and justice demands an in
creased compensation for this class OF
employees.
1.-THE matter has been considered by the
President, and il affords me great pleas
ure TO be the instrument in his hands TO
inform you that the President approves
an increase In the compensation Of all
linotype operators and all monotype|
keyboard operators now employed or to
be employed in the Government Print
Ing Ohice, and you are, therefore, adj
vised that the scale of wages paid this
class OF employees shall, On and after
October l, 1908, be increased from 50 to
% cents an hour"
RFGTNS ONO TpJD