The Washington times., 1917-12-19
HARD TO GET
NECESSITIES,
CLERK SAYS
At HEARING


postal service are slipping back all
the time and are unable to give their
families more than the bare necessar-
les Of life, was given today at the
hearing before the House Postofnce
subcommittee considering the Ques-
tion OF salary Increase for this branch
Of the Government service.
That the Postoffce Department IL
lending every aid to those employees
who desire to appear before the COM
mittee was indicated when Charles V.
Schneider. a special clerk of the Bal
timore Postof1ce, was called to the
stand
81 have been requested to appear
before this committee" he said. by
the first Assistant Postmaster General
For what purpose I do not know. but
presume am expected to give the
clerks views on the sa'lry increase
proposition"
Cites 0svn Case.
Under Questioning of members OF
the committee as to what he thought
Of the proposed increase, he said:
Il can best cite my own case. 1
was appointed a special clerk in the
Baltimore office in 1904 at $50 q
month and continued at that rate un-
I'll October Of that year, when ! was
raised to 800 a year. After that 1
was increased at the rate Of 800
year through FIVE grades until De-
cember of this year, when 1 was
raised to 81 800 per year. Despite that,
I am slipping back all the time, and in
the last three years I have gone In
debt 500. besides denying my family
the comforts they used to enjoy"
How much rent do you pay?" asked
Congressman Madden.
Il am buying my home" he replied,
~and I still owe $25 on IL. 1 have
been paying for my home ever since
before ! was married, in July, 1907,
but 1 also carry s., 500 in life in
surance. Since 1914 have borrowed
on this policy 5000 at per cent, and
owe 500 in edition to this amount.
II the present high cost Of living con
tues I will have 70 borrow more.
Economy the watehword.
'Ecoomy has been the watchword
IN our home ever since we were mar
ried- We now have two children.
and II has only been by practicing
the Etrlctest economy and denying
ourselves everything but the barest
necessaries that we have been able
TO get along at all"
HDo you think a 20 per cent in
crease on salaries. say. from 81 200 to
1y5O0 per year would be sufficient
for the needs OF men in your situa-
tion?" asked, Chairman Bell.
Il am not prepared to say as to
that" he replied, because consider
ing the interest that am obliged to
pay on the money 1 already owe and
the prospect of having to borrow
more would indicate that this amount,
, II the cost of living under war con-
ditions continues on the rise, hardly
would be sufficient
'If I had been compelled to pay
rent during the last three years It
would have cost me much more to
live than it has with my buying my
modest home
Others Worse Off.
Questions by Mt. Madden brought
out the statement that the purchase
OF his home on reasonable terms in
1907 had prevented him from going
further in debt during the last three
years.
Mr.. Schneider said that none OF the
employees were living as well as they
were few years ago. In fact many
of them were even worse of than he
Is. They all are compelled to deprive
their families OF the comforts of life
The question of the permanency OF
any increase was then brought up by
members Of the committee. They
wanted to know whether or not Mr.
Schneider favored a permanent in
crease or one merely to tide over the
present situation. He said that would
depend upon the effect of peace on
the country. He expressed 1t as his
opinion that with peace would come
a lowering OF the cost OF living and
II that were true he would be willing
10 abide the result Of any investiga-
tion by Congress to determine a just
wage.
Knows No other Work.
Concerning the question OF Mr..
Schneider entering some other work,
he said he was not fitted for anything
else and that he had gone into the
postal service at twenty years OF age
to make II a life work. He is now
thirty-four years old, and, although