The Washington herald., 1916-12-01
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

is under way to raise the salaries of
the government employees. These un-
ions were urged to interest members
of Congress from their districts in the
measures to be introduced for the
betterment of the employees. and di-
rect pressure on Congressman ana
Senators is expected as a result.
Employees of the Bureau Of Engrav-
ing and Printing are among those who
have visited The Washington Herald
office to suggest that the movement
for increased salaries be continued
until Congress acts on the matter. The
condition of the women operators in
that branch of the service has been
described by one of the plate printers
in the bureau. He says:
They have to be at their place at
o'clock in the morning. All girls
aSe there before o'clock. They have
tS get the paper from the wetting di-
vision and count it. They are respon-
sible for every sheet that they receive
from this division. They have to
count that and be ready for their
printer to start work at o'clock.
They cannot turn in their work until
$40 o'clock; that is when the printer
finishes his work. 1t is $3.50 before
they can leave the bureau. Conse-
QuentIy. they have to put in eight full
hours work and they are on their
feet all day long.
Little Time for Rest.
There is no chance for them to rest
except for the short ten or fifteen
minutes period which they get for luncn.
They are supposed to have thirty
minutes for lunch, but they do not get
it, that is. the plate printers assistants,
and there are 800 of them. They get
ten or fifteen minutes for lunch, be-
cause they have more paper to draw
for the printer, and the printer has a
half hour for lunch. The girls have
to be back have the paper counted, anC
have that printer going in thirty minutes;
consequently she only gets ten or twenty
minutes at the most, for her lunch.
And for $L75 a day, / think they are
the hardest worked class of government
employees in the service. 1 thought my
self in duty bound to say a word fol
these women. When they get promoted
after six or seven years in this work
they are kept in the new division until
they can do a certain amount of worl
before they get any increase. and the1
then get an increase in pay to abou'
H92 a day. The minimum pay for thiI
higher work is $2.4 a day.
Pay Really Decreased.
"A woman from the bindery has statet
Engraving and Printing at one time. Girl
then did not get $500 to 500 year. Thes'
promoted girls do not get that now. Thes
girls get S2A. They are per diem girl
now; they do not get 800 a year as the!
used to get. So that naturally decrease
their yearly pay. and quite a number o
those women are widows with children
so you can imagine for yourself hov
they get along in a city like Washing
"a fH.alr Oh ~
$1.75 a day.
II make this statement as O printer VIII
works right with them and who is IN
position to see exactly what they hav
to undergo"
This employe stated that he had grow
daughters Of his own and that he woul
forbid them working in the bureau, rathe
having them get outside employment q
O dollar or two less per week and nc
work under the high speed condition
which the Federal standard enforces.
Among the interesting statistics whic
viii be offered at the coming sessio
Of Congress in support Of higher wage
win be those prepared by Robert Col
Chaptn, Of the Russell Sage Foundation
He declares that no family consisting G
q man. his wife and three children ca
live normally on less than 500 q year.
Based on 1910 Data.
This information was based on statil
tics secured In 1910. when the cost {
living was less than at present.
Miss Zip 8. Falk. secretary Of the Cor
sumers' League Of the District, Is anon
those who are working to interest men
bers Of Congress IN higher salaries fc
government employees. Statistics pr,
pared BY her association show as pt
cent Of the employees Of the District al
getting less than 1900 q year. Anon
all Of the single people, As per cent al
getting less than that a year, and IS
per cent of those who are married are ge
ting less than that amount.
Col Richard ]. Bright, former sergeant
alarms Of the Senate, believes that 60,
eminent employees should receive ms
terial compensation for their services.
'T do not believe" he said yesterda,
shat the person who Is not worth h
salt should receive as much a. the pei
son who takes an interest In his worl
NvHo- Ia nGr.a-lallx fralna<a lrr. n