The Washington times., 1919-11-24
Listen With Amusement.

law II attemptd In private Inc
Listen With
listened with amasement The reclas-
siftcation com missioners themselves
betrayed evidences OF surprise ~ they
questioned and Questioned again al
most incredible statements.
Hnpasyee orsup Hears.
These miserable employment condi-
t!ons were brought to light before the
commission in the hearing OF the fol-
lowing groups of Federal employees:
Custodians Of property. guardA
janitors, charwomen, matrous. guides.
parcel checkers. morgue, 500, pound,
and market employees.
H. +. McQueeney, superintendent Of
janitors Of the public schools Of this
city. and chairman of the 5anitors'
committee, was the drst to be heard
HiS plea for "men Of character" in
the janitor service WAS paramount TO
that there are not more than half
a doxen able bodied men In this ssrv-
ice today. stating that Of 27e 5anitors
employed in the last several year,
there are only sixty left
Cast Get Janissr New.
And there Is not the faintest hope
Of getting any janitors ut the present
salary" said Mr.. Ac0ueeney- Blk
years ago we had 1.54o applicants
on the list. Today there IL not q one.
"One after the other IL leaving be-
cause they can earn more doing any
thing else
LET me impress upon this commits
sion the danger Of small salaries n
they exist today In attracting men OF
questionable character. II the morals
of our daughters are to be safe
guarded. salaries must be paid that
will attract dependable men and men
Of character. The gravest danger
exists here"
Mr.. McQueeney said that the basic
salary of janitors averages $50 per
month. He declared that many of
them work sixteen hours q day, and
that they are subject to be called at
all hours.
Pay FIXED In lSoo.
B. T. McConchie, of the Library of
Congress, presented the brief for the
building guards. Many injustices and
INEQUALITIES both as to the hours of
duty and pay were discussed.
1t was shown that the basic sal
ary of $720 a year of a large portion
of the guards was fixed by an act of
1850. There have been guards in the
service who have had but two holi-
days in twenty-five years. There were
cases presented where some guards
have worked every Sunday in the
last fourteen years. Many of them
have not had a vacation in years.
There is a regulation which gives
guard two days OF every month.
However, according to the wording
Of this order such time OF lis a mat
ter of privilege and not of right"
Ask $1,000 a year.
The guards asked for a nominal sal
ary of 900 a year, declaring that
they regarded their duties as import
ant as those of a policeman and there
fore should receive his entrance SAL
airy.
1t was emphasized that a guard
occupies an important and dangerous
position. Instances were cited where
guards, in the performances of their
duties, were MANNED for life and suf-
fered other injuries and loss OF time
for which the Government never COM
pensated them.
Present CusteAians' Case.
E. NJ. Doolin. custodian of the State,
War and Navy Building, and James +.
Gill, of the Interior Department. rep
resented the custodians. The present
basic salary of custodians is $1,000,
while similar positions outside the
Government pay as high as $1,000,
with less responsibilities.
Ii was explained that custodian
is in complete charge of the care OF
buildings and is responsible for the
hundreds OF thousands OF dollars
worth of stock.
I'VE must employ engineers at the
ridiculously small salary OF $1,000
year" Doolin declared. such a sal
airy will never attract and hold COM
petent men. 1t will attract men who
can do more harm in a day than their
salary would amount TO in ten years.
Doolin said that among his many
qualifications a custodian should be
an engineer. He cited 4 case where
a heavy safe was placed in one of
the Government buildings and would
have caused the deaths of many en-
ployes by the collapse of the floor but
for the timely discovery of the dan
ger by a custodian.
Among the many other arguments
presented for the best qualified nan
in these positions IL was emphasized
III at they are in charge of millions OF
dollars worth of property and records
" hich carelessness could destroy.
Msrxue Employes Ask Raise.
DR.. w. 5. Carr, deputy coroner. pre-
, sented the brief of the morgue master
anG his assistant TlS former is re-
cciving l,J0O year and il skiing
for $3.50 a month. The latte asked
fer the same amount
But | believe thai this sI-l might