Evening star., 1918-02-26

iAre young and without homo ana re-
iSponsibility. that more tnan ~ Per Ss Sene
of these women have oepenoents Wnoan
they must support
Miss McNaIiy said that there are 4.oo7
women in tho bureau getting from e2.se
e day down to $1.S0. There has been
At that time the highest grade was
$500 and 1t was then increased to $!e0
Printers ASSISTANTS she said. get $lIS
day. Until 1914 they received 81 so
a day, and through the organization
they got the 25-cent increase.
Miss McNally emphasized the hard
ships that the majority OF the employees
of the bureau are forced to suffer
through the increased cost of living.
She said that many of the women are
leaving the bureau because they can
not make ends meet on that wage In
response to questions for definite in
formation she said that thirty-eight
printers. assistants had left in De-
cember.
Served From Five to Fifty Years.
About so per cent of those in the
Z service. she said, have held their posi-
tions from to SO years. In response
to questions from members of the COM
mittee she said there was great dis
satisfaction in the bureau against the
rule which prohibits transfers out OF
higher pay.
Miss McNally said that conditions in
the bureau are such that many women
are going into debt without any hope
of ever getting out of debt. She pre-
sented the resolution adopted at the
American Federation of Labor conven-
tion. at Buffalo. which recites that the
wages paid to woman employees OF the
bureau are not sufficient to meet the
increased cost of living nor commen-
surate with the work performed
3. The resolution calls upon officers ana
- ~ tat ffx-sS
GRAFTON to exert every effort III their
power to secure passage of the salary
increase measure sufficient to increase
the yearly pay of the woman employees
of the bureau at least $500 a year.
Employees of the government PRINT
ing office have not received any sal
AIRY increase since 1866 and are getting
less pay than those of their class
working on newspapers in WashnS
ton, who have shorter hours, accoru-
ing to testimony given the committee
by T. c. Parsons. representing the EN-
oIoyes of the government printing Of
flee.
Every newspaper in the city. he said
pays its printers Sc a week more
money and works them six hours less
time than at the government prinths
office for the same character OF work
Mr. Parsons said that the newspapers
voluntarily increased the pay of their
printers Is per cent last month. not
withstanding that they were already
paying more than the government
He said it was a fact that out OF
5000 employees at the government print
ing office more than one-half receive
less than 5000 year A census re-
Gently made shows that these employees
average two dependents each.
Miss Haver Tells of Low Salaries.
Miss Jessie Haver. secretary of the Dis
trict branch of the Consumers League.
testified yesterday afternoon regarding
the struggles of low-salaried government
workers to make their meager pay en-
velope cover the absolute needs of their
families. She said:
'It is startling to learn that in the capi-
tai of the nation in year of unprece-
dented high prices, se7 or IS per cent, OF
the 2.loo families investigated had yearly
incomes Of less than $500. There were
1.295 families. or 81 per cent. who had
$500 for Family of Seven.
U. D. Eriseoe, clerk in the Treasury
Department who has been twenty-four
years in the government service. told the
committee how he manages to make $500
a year cover the costs of living for his
wife and five children.
That the government clerks are making
a determined fight against the Boriand
eight-hour day amendment was shown
last night when Miss Florence EtheFidge.
fourth vice president of the National
Federation OF Federal Employees. who has
been conducting a campaign in Represen-
tative Boriand's home district. made pub
lie a letter from four organizations of
government workers in Kansas City to
Representative Borland. calling upon him
as their representative in Congress to
support the legislation in favor OF the
government employees