Evening star., 1918-02-26
Byrns Subcommittee Hears;
Representatives of Bureau
Workers and Teachers,
H. NJ. McLARIN COMPARES !
WAGES PAID ELSEWHERE
Market Head Gives Detailed Prizes
List Of Food. Products Nec-
essary for Workers.

How girls employed at the bureau of
engraving and printing and as teach,
ers.in the elementary grades are being
forced into debt because their meagsr
salaries from the government are in-
sufficient to meet the expenses of de-
pendent relatives, today was laid before
the Byrns subcommittee on appropria-
tions, which is holding hearings prepara-
tory to drafting an omnibus salary in
crease bill.
These facts were cited by Miss Ger
trude McNally, representing the bureau
girls union. and by Miss NJ. e. Aften.
representing the grade teachers union
both of whom presented specific cases
of young women who are carrying .
heavy burden Of responsibility toward
dependent relatives.
Comparisons between salaries res
eminent and in similar occupations
outside of the government service were
made for the committee by H. n. Nc
Larin, president of the National Feoe-
charge Of presenting Testimony bearing
upon the Keating bill. which carries
salary increases Of from to 50 per
cent
Gave Food Price List.
J. A. Whitfield. president of the Old
the committee detailed price lists COW
ering all food products which the gov.
ernment empl0Hes must buy in order
to live, and cited general stattDttcsS Gov.
ering a period Of three ycare and
showing the tremenduous Increase In
the cost of living which the govern
ment workers here have been forced to
meet, driving many Of them into debt
Noyes. chairman Of the export divisions
of the fuel administration, who 10
president Of Oneida Community COM
pany; J: w. Gindsr. clerk IN The csss
ssBt M 4ss II; -; R iogss 5s:'ei G.|ss =
.ssszats 3. Alta rssrss?astsx
s.sss.s,,fIe t.s az bl.trset q r coiussis hnf'sz
Employees. Union; a l.. Maarey, repft
eentfng the school teachers: ". s. ReesG
Of the .watchmen's union.
Many Teachers in Debt.
Miss Alton, in behalf Of the grade
teachers. told the committee that -
tary grade schools in Washington are
forced to. run in debt on account Of tnc
sufficient salary, and that SO per cene
of them are Obliged to DO outside WORK
Miss Alton discussed the situation
first from the standard OF schools.
She pointed out the danger OF dfsor"
ganization of the school system Cs.
cause SO many teachers are leaving the
service. She said that more than two
hundred already have resigned and as
many others are planning to go 10
more re>remunerative work
that competitive examinations have
been withdrawn. because out OF 2oo
who applied to take the examinations
only four appeared. due to the fact that
an inducement.
Unframed Are Drafted
Miss Alton said that unframed teach-
ers and those who are out Of touch with
methods Are now being
drafted into the service.
The second point made by Miss Alton
was as to why teachers must leave the
service on account of low-salaries. She
said that out of fourteen hundred eIe-
mentary teachers. about one-hah re-
The minimum salary is $500. The
maximum for elementary teachers is
s1.s5O This, she said. is prohibitive
for the big majority. because Il is paid
solely to principals, of whom there are
less than one hundred. and most OF
these have been in the service from
twenty to twenty-five years.
The third point made by Miss Alton
was in pointing out why the teachers
must leave. She presented to the COM
mittee budgets prepared from repre-
sentative groups of the teachers. For
young woman supported dependent
relative in feeble health and unable to
do any work. and that the yearly ex-
pense for the two is S1,24S. To meet
this she receives salary of $500, leav-
ing a balance to be made up by extra
work.
Many Have Family Help.
Miss Alton said that these budgets
showed that not only are GO per cent Of
the teachers in debt. SO per cent doing
work other than school work to meet
expenses, but that 80 per cent are re-
ceiving financial help from the families
Or relatives and 50 per cent are sup
porting, or partly supporting. depend
ents.,
Very often, she said. they are the
heads Of families.
Miss Alton pointed out that teachers
ire forced to go in debt generally on
account of illness. And she showed by
he budget that the salaries received
cave no surplus with which to meet
;uch emergency.
The lowest pay for school teacher
n the elementary grade Is $500. Those
low filing the positions have been re-
,uired to show four-year high school
Courses. two years in tho orrnal school
md some musical education.
In addition to this. many Of them are s
college graduates.
Examples From Bureau
Concrete examples of girls employed
n the bureau of engraving and print
ng, who had dependent families to
support on a meager salary OF $700 4
rear. were presented to the subccmmit-
ee.
One girl. who has to support widow
d mother. blind sister and feebie-
minded sister. on $700, was cited as an
example. Another case was mentiened
where girl Is supporting two orphans
ind an old grandmother. Scores Of
hese cases were laid before the com
nittee by Miss McNally, who subzzfttsd
o the committee replies by the girls 20
! Questionnafre that the union had
lent out
Tsnie oueaeionnaire provad that vAfx2