The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-26
City Employees Cannot Pay for
Their Bread and Butter.
Street Men at $1.75 a Day Cam
not Pay Expenses.
MAYOR WOULD HELP.
Believes New Commission Should
Revise Salary Schedule.
Average LabOrer Earns Only
Forty Dollars a Month.

That the day laborers working for
the city are underpaid and are nos
earning enough to pay their actual liv
ing expenses, that their wages should
be increased to at least 81 per day, and
that in raising the salary schedule over
the city the day laborers should be
given first preference. is the idea given
out on the troublesome salary propo-
sltion by Mayor William Green today.
The laborers working for the city
end receiving their wages for the actual
time put in on their work are only
raid $1.75 day When it is taken
into consideration that they are not paid
for Sundays. holidays and rainy. cold
and bad weather days, it is estimated
by the mayor that these men only av-
erage about $40 a month.
''At this time of high prices. at in
creased cost of living and other nee
essary expenses not known few years
ago the men working on our streets
by the day are not earning enough to
feed their families said the mayor
this afternoon. 81 know this from the
payrolls for the last MONTH
They Appeal for Help.
During the month of December there
was practically no work put in on the
streets of Topeka. Snow and ice COW
cred the pavements during the whole
month and the extreme cold weather
MADE It impossible to work out any
men. At the rate of $1.75 a day when
they were working and nothing when
they were not working it can be seen
that the street men had nothing to pay
their grocery and meat and rental
Hills.
Many of the men came to my office
Mayor Green. "They were out of work,
they are not paid on a salary basis
and they had no way to eatn -Eetr
daily bread. They came to me saying
that their rent was due. their coal was
low and they had no more credit. with
the grocerymen."
This pitiable state of affairs lasted
all through the exceedingly cold month
of December ard well into January
r'he last week or so the men have oeen
able to work regularly on the streets
:n the afternoons. But the pavements
have been frozen in the mornings and
they were unable to draw any money
for this waste of time. They would
report for duty but there was no work
for them.
Cost of Living Increases.
I'm 1906 when this cost of living was
inaugurated as a growing proposition
the men were advanced from $1.5O a
day to SITS" said the mayor. Even II
the men were getting 81 day at this
time they would not be as well off as
thew were in 1906 when they were GET
ting $50 I believe L am right in say
ing that 81 nowadays is no better than
$1.25 three years ago."
It is estimated that the average man
on the streets of the city loses at least
36 days in the year. There are times
when he may lose SO days in three
Ynonths-especially during severe
winter when he needs the money and
the work the most. But taking the
average of Sc days a year actually lost
by holidays and bad weather (and not
taking into consideration the 50 Sun
days. these men can only average
about $40 a month.
Forty dollars month is not enough
for the living expenses of a young
single man. Practically all Of the street
men working for the city are married
and have families to support Forty
dollars a month or a little over a dol.
lar a day will not cover their grocery
bills. When the rent, the light, th'
coal etc, are added it can be seer
where there is little chance for ever
a payment of all bills. To save an!
money is a luxury.
Commissioners First Move.
It is the opinion of Mayor Green tina
the first move of the city commissioner
after their election in the spring woul,
be to revise the whole salary schedul
now used by the city. There are place
where the increased cost of living ha
demanded this said the mayor land
really believe that the commission