The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-11
JANIrORs AND LIFE SAvERA


There are two itsms In the sundry
civil appropriation bin. introduced IN the
House last week, which In juxtapoaitiOu
afford . particular interest. ThSy are:
For pay Of jaAliors Of pubic buiidiAGs ts.too,
on an Increase % tsaa.0a.
FOr ne Life Saving Service. tl.aei.isO. q Dc
crease Of taamo
buildings makes necessary an increaao
in our httls army Of ianitOrs. worthy
ofiiclals o1allfsd and authorised 90 super
viss and direct the activities Of the scrub
women and 20 boss the ashmen. Nobody
has any fault to find with the ianitors OF
any reason 10 object 20 an increase in
their numbers, but Why should the nation
he liberal in the matter Of iahitOrs and
nigEardly toward a service Of such i'm
pOrtance as the life saving cOrpsg
An increase Of $500 600 would have baen
better for the country and more creditable
70 tho COMMITTEES reporting the bill than
the proposed decrease Of $4,000. There
are plenty Of soft spots from which such
a sim could he drawn. II could b. taken
out of the rivers and harbOs hill. for
instance. There are plenty Of Idle mes
senRers and other daWdlers around the
Capitol and the Departments in Washing
ton who could be spared. II necessary, in
the interest Of highest efficiency In our
coast guard system.
Generous provision has been made for
q multitude Of heroes who donnSd the
uniform OF the United States army and
carried q muskst for few months. Thou
sands Of these benshciaries saw no active
service and ran no risk whatever 10 life
or limb. They are objects Of earnest
political solioihids and millions Of dollars
arc paid annually 20 the undessrving.
Every enlistment of the life saver do
clares Secretary Macveagh 10 entered
with the certainty Of exposure 70 extrAOr-
binary danger yet Ne pay these men a
meagre wage and provide no pension
In a letter dated April - addressed 70
the chairman Of the House COMMITTEES On
Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Sec
Rotary MaoVeagh calls attention h the
shortcomings II the Congress and the
nation in the matter oi proper rscompenss
for the men who patrol our coasts 10 warn
mariners Of danger and 70 aid and save
them when In peril. He asks for thess men
an increase Of pay based on their years Of
service. a system which has long been sm-
ployed in the army and navy. and he asks
for a pension system. An objection APP
pears because the corps IL . part Of the
civil and not the military sstabliahment
and the proposed system II adopted might
serve a. a precedent for a general civil
pension list. The difference between SER
vice pay and pensions TO men whose work
involves constant physical exposure and
hardship. work that may at any time
involve risk Of life or los of life, and sim
liar benefits to our great army 81 civil
employees is sufficiently obvious. The
discipline Of the corps In the discipline Of
the navy, and the risk Of he members is
the risk Of the army and navy combined.
Mr.. MaeveAGh's argument for the men
Of this service h convincing He says:
Living IN isolauou sGpossd 70 the ssverss,
storms, meeting b. anhual tests the inasaibie
demands Of ne Department a. 70 ply ricai atness.
accepting . compulsory leave Of absence o. from
two 10 four months IN every year Without pay,
doing deeds Of daring always ~ tho expense Of
comfort and very frequently of health Or me-,
submitting 10 en- immensely narrower sphere
than their fellows In these regards In rshuncia.
dca. IN courage In constancy those men reader
service mat Il unapproachable and they are neg
lsc'sd 70 degree uususpsstsd By our people.
BY all means let NJ bs good 20 our
janitOrs In public buildings. 20 the many
heroes Of ninety days Of psaoefll service
when the nations life was in danger. and |
10 the many soldiers widows who were
not horn until after the Close Of the war:
but the undeniable merit Of the claims Of
The Life Saving Service should not he