The Washington times., 1917-07-02
The Cruelties Of Patriotism
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

By DAVID LAWRENCE
What is the truth about conditions in the Bureau Of
craving and Printing! For several days The Times has
heard reports that in the bureau being worked
twelve hours every day. including Sundays and that
have been taken to the bureau hospital because Of their
inability to stand the strain especially during the hot
weather. To complain some of the women said they had
been informed, would dismissal because emer
gency existed and the printing of Liberty bonds must be
finished.
Director Ralph has denied that the women are over
worked and has called untrue the charges made by Dr. e.
Albert Cook pastor of the Capitol Heights Congregational
Church who demanded reduction Of working hours for
bureau employees The facts have been difficult to ascertain
The bureau for thing is closed to visitors nowadays
employees fearing the consequences have hetated to
voice their complaints publicly
Miss Jeanette Rankin, of Montana had heard Of this
situation The whispers had been carried to her many
of recently She determined to investigate She did not
disclose her identity member of Congress- but through
the aid of another Congressmans secretary who insisted
he wanted atourst to the bureau she permitted
to mngle with the employees.
What Miss Rankin did after she investigated conditions
to write letter to Director Ralph complaining Of th
long hours which employees especially working
Hardly had become known that Miss Ran was visto
at the bureau when Mr. Ralph hastily announced that so
cent of the overtime work would be abolished return
made to the eght-heur schedule This is still disputed
Circumstantally this sequence Of happenings would
confirm the reports that employees of the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing have been subjected to cruel
ordeal the ground of patrotism. Even deplor
able is the fact that such thing has happened the Capital
of the United States because for several weeks President
Wilson has been successfully persuadng the captains Of
industry not to destroy labor standards during the how
urgent might be the necessity For change industrial
standards does not efficiency England and France
have both discovered that and their missions this country
warned of the labor troubles would have if such
course pursued The influence of the Administration
has been exerted already to prevent what seemed be
the part of capasc interests sweep aside labor
would tend to destroy the enthusiasm of labor and impair the
patriotic harmony that much exist between the workman and
his employer IN order that this war may be successfully
prosecuted
But conditions Capital have been overlooked
Now they to be remeded But has not this incident
deep moral ought not to be dismissed many things
are ndugenty passed by in the District of Columbia Why
should it have been Miss Rankin representative IN Con-
gress from Montana who champoned the interests Of m
people of the District All thanks her. indeed for her
activity behalf of people, but it not for the
tunate coincidence that Miss Rankin was peculiarly 4
terested in the conditions under which work in
country socitude might have been expressed by amp
Certainly no other member of Congress-and MANY mus
have heard the of the last two weekstoo enoug
interest protect the thousands working in the Bureau
Engraving and Printing.
This illustrates better than anything that has We: hap
pened the need of suffrage in the District of Columbia When
and women here vote and have representative
the House and Senate from the District of Columbia then
alone will the people of this city find their interests properly
cared for Many of leaders in Congress shout nightly
about social welfare in campaign days. but few of them have
the time perhaps the inclination investigate conditions
in the Capital itself For the truth is the District of Cou
ba is nobody district and political experience teaches
that where there vote there responsible pokes
man. and the bdy polite suffers abuse The people of the
city of Washington have been tolerant long enough They
should insist on representation in Congress.