Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-15
MICH MONEY AT MINT,
But NOT FOR WAGES
Appropriation Urgently Need
ed for Pay Increase, Says
Superintendent
WORKERS DESERT JOBS

dollars facing them and dollars on
avery side of them. but not enough dol
lars TO pay salaries of those who help
10 make dollars.
This situation may exist soon In the
limited States Mint in this city. About
,cn men employed in the Mint have re-
sIrned within tho last few months. At
tractive salaries in muntion plants
caused them to give up their positions.
Increases In wages for machinists,
Numbers and carpenters employed at the
Mint are now being arranged by Super
,n,endent a. IL. Joyce. These increases
will range from 15 TO 90 per cent. 1t
Ia MANNED to have these increases 60
into effect tomorrow.
Blame for scarcity in money for sal
aries" is placed on the delay in the pas
sage of the urgent deficiency bill, which
contains an item for an extra S32O,OO0.
This amount is required to operate the
Mint during the fiscal year. The last
appropriation of s315,000 for operation
EXPENSES has almost been spent
The urgent deficiency bill is now in
,be hands of members of the joint con-
forence committee Of the House and Sem
ate. A report on the bill is expected
:. .some day this week. Superintendent
Joyce said today that II was imperative
that the bill be passed as soon as pos
sible.
Appropriation Nearly Spent
y The first appropriation Of s3i5,000, it
was learned today, virtually has been
expended owing TO the heavy payroll at
the mint. This was due to the fact that
the mint was kept in constant operation
the twenty-four hours daily between
last September and the first of last
month. Not only was money being
coined for circulation in this country but
gold coin was made for South American
countries, among them being Salvatore,
peru, Panama and also for slam.
To keep the mint going and to pay
the wages of men employed on the diff
ferent shifts during the twenty-four
hours including Sunday. it was neces-
sary TO draw the original appropria-
tion Since that appropriation has be-
gun to dwindle down it was learned to-
day that the twenty-four hour shift has
been changed to siXteen-hour sched-
ule.
nav employees dt IIlt ullHl
This has been changed. 1t has been de-
clded to pay salaries monthly. The first
monthly salaries will &C into effect
March l. This was done so that II
wouldn't be necessary to draw on what
remains of the first appropriation.
There are 460 persons employed at
the Philadelphia Mint. Some are still in
the twenties. Others are in the tifties
, or cider. Many OF them frankly declare
that the Government ought to pay them
higher salaries-modestly however-they
cay that they are willing to wait until
the war Is over.
Won't Embarrass Government
ut wouldn't be well tc embarrass the
Government at the present time" said
a veteran employe of the granite stone
building. which occupies most of the
south side of Spring Garden street be-
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
'"Of course. an increase in my wages
would mean a great deal to me and my
family But ] can readily see that the
Government has its tribulations at the
present time he said, "As fer myself.
I shall try to pull through with my
present wages the best can. and when
all this trouble---I mean the war-comcs
to an end l wouldn't object to making a
written plea to Washington for an in
carese. But not now"
Within the last few years there have
been some slight increases made in sal
aries Of those who are employed in diff
ferent departments of the mint But
those increases have been few and small.
'I feel confident that the item pro-
vidng an additional 100000 mentioned
In the urgent deficiency bill will be acted
on favorably," said Superintendent
Joyce.
"The amount asked will help a great
deal. With the granting of the extra
appropriation we may be able to resume
working in the mint on a twenty-four-
hour schedule again, which naturally
means that there will be more work"
Coming money for the South Amer
lean countries at the Philadelphia Mint
doesn't give any profit to the Govern
ment. 1t is done as a matter Of cour-
tesy.
ANAyTNU1 W r,rUUUu