Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-06
RAISE IS NOT SUFFICIENT
FOR LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS
Letter to Representative Adamson
Also Urges Passage Of Bill for
Their Retirement.

Appeal for the passage of two bills
pending in Congress. one for the re-
tirement of lighthouse keepers and
the other increasing their wages, has
been made in a letter to Representa-
tive w. c. Adamson from w. II. Law
of Detroit. He says the retirement
bill is good, but that the salary increas Sc
bill is not sufficiently liberal There
should be. he says. a 80 per cent in
crease in the wages of these men. who
by their strict attention to duty save
millions of dollars year and many
lives.
Accompanying Mr.. Laws letter are
two from lighthouse keepers. One says
that the Canadian government appro-
priated money for gold watches for him
and his assistant for rescuing the crew
of a Canadian vessel, but that they
were not allowed to accept.
II am glad" says the keeper, that /
have been in a position to get num-
Der of people out Of all sorts of scrapes.
But, apart from the gold watches, l
would just now rather have a barrel of
flour and a new pair of shoes than all
the trimmings they have given me.
Have to Scrimp on Salaries.
Each season / have to handle 16 tons
of coal, 3 cords of wood and $500 gal
Ions of oil and get them up a hill 1000
feet from the shore to the light station.
AS ] cannot do this with a wheelbar-
row, / have to keep a horse at my own
expense. l have also to provide my I'M
form So you see we have to scrlmp,
as living expenses keep going up all
the time"
The other expresses the hope that
something will be done for the light
house keepers. Il am badly in need
of help says this light keeper. 81 am
having a hard time of it since lost ray
wife. about year ago. ] was left
with seven small children. and living
on an island in a lighthouse. | have
been under great expense. l have to
send them to the mainland to attend
school. With the wages | receive, s65
a month. and everything SO high, ! am
see that l cannot meet my bills. and |
can hardly get enough to eat with the
pay | am now receiving"
Commenting in his letter on the work
done by these light keepers, Mr.. Law
says:
Poorly Paid for Services.
very poorly paid-to keep their lights
4 T.. 4
savers. but many a time. with thier
assistants. have risked their lives to go
to the rescue of people on stranded
ships. Often they have shared their
stores with those whom they have
saved from wrecks. caring for them for
days at a time. 1t is not generally
known all lighthouses are houses of
refuge Many a thrilling story OF he
roism could they tell-if they would
talk-but they are not talkative. They
live in isolation. and the habit of ST.
lence Is strong upon them, so they
leave that for me, an humble servant
to them all, to speak for them
what is the use of our navy without
efficient lightkeepers to guide it. There
is much talk and great activity in pre-
paredness, but what will it accomplish
without general efficiency, and YOU
can't have 1t on starvation wages Just
think of it, there are hundreds of men
in the service. with families to sup
port. receiving less than $65 a month,
and quite a number of men seventy
eight years of age who desire to be -
tired because Of their inability to Do
their duty"