The Washington times., 1917-07-04
Involuntary Servitude
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Girls Engraving Printing Compelled to Work
Overtime, Against Their Will

This being independence Day. much win be said about the
birth of free country and Of the great Constitution given
by the fathers There article in the Constitution Of
the United States which well worth reproducing today
It reads
Neither slavery nor INVOLUNTARY SERvITUDE,
cpt punishment for crime whereof the party shall have
duly convicted shall within the United States
place subject to their jurisdiction Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation"
The Times directed attention few days to the de-
porabe conditions in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Miss Rankin discovered after talking with nearly eighty girls
from the bureau that notwithstanding Director Ralph dena
conditions have undergone Improvement Several letters
have now by Times confirming earlier state
ments that girls COMPELLED to work twelve hours
day against their will True enough, of the
anxious to work overtime because they cannot exist $15
day $1225 week Many of the workers mothers
and the extra $500 week for overtime in handy
in these days of rising prices for the necessities of life Here
is typical letter to The Times from who is
poyd in the bureau and whose withhold for obvious
reasons:
"The charges made by Dr. Cooke and Miss Rankin
that the and girls of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing are overworked absolutely true, despite
the repeated denials of Director Ralph
Can he deny that girls working bonds and certain
denominations Of working twelve hours daily
and also Sundays?
"Can he deny that counters examiners tissue pckers
and others of different divisions working from twelve
to fifteen hours daily and Sundays?
why notices posted in the press to the
effect due to the increase in work the force had been
enlarged and that after the rush would be
necessary to readust the force the preference being given
to those who had WILLINGLY accepted the duties i'm
posed them, by the foreman of the division? This
notice after many of the girls had refused to work
the twelve hours Also girls able to work hours
after having finished eight hours work given unable
to work passes, which count against their records.
"Can he deny that he cancelled all leaves of absence
and that those remaining away for day compelled
to lose the days irrespective of how much time they
had coming to them? Today numbers of girls receiving
their envelopes received only regular amount
they had worked twelve hours and Sundays"
Director Ralph claims that the only doing
their part account Of the girl works eight
hours day next to the hot walls of tissue doing more
than her share Hundreds of girls looking for and
the Government well afford to put THREE eighthour
shifts There great deal of huabaoo last
the eghthour day. How hypocrica all in the face
of such conditions exist here in WASHINGTON at the seat
of the Government itself.
The American people gave their dollars for the Liberty
bonds to be used in wagng abroad How much real
comfort will purchasers of bonds get throughout nation
II the engraved which they receive shall to them
oppressive toil-INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE?