The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-23
EQUAL WAGES
TOBOIH sexes
PLAN OF US.
GOVERNMENT GOES on RECORD
As FAvoRlNc EQUAL WAGE
TO WORK AMONG EMPLOYEES.
Washington Bureau,
Pensacola Journal.

On record in favor of the principle OF
an equal wage for equal work, the
same for women as for men. The
principle IL soon to be put into actual
operation in all the federal depart
ments in Washington.
The government is also going TO
establish scales OF wages for every
variety of work which, it is expected,
will before long become the standard
OF wages paid by civilian employers
for work of that kind.
The joint congressional commission
on the Redistribution Of civil service
employees is now at work on the plan,
and expects to be able to report to
congress shortly the findings of its
investigation and definite draft OF
the proposed system.
This commission, which was created
in the closing days of the last session
OF congress. is going to place all civil
ifications SO that all employees per-
forming services of kind will re-
ceive the same salary
Complaint has been made for many
years that under the Anticipated sys-
tenn civil service employees are not
paid in accordance with the kind OF
service they perform or are capable
of doing, but rather according to. the
vacancy they are called upon to fill.
The women have complained that
under. the old system they were re-
stricted to positions paying below
$1,000 per arnum, although they were
equipped for more responsible an
higher salaried places and that tn,
better salaried places were always
given to men.
The joint congressional commission
is composed of three senator's and
three congressman, Senators Jones OF
New Mexico, Spencer OF Missouri. and
Henderson of Nevada. and Congress
men Heating of Colorado, Hamlin OF
Missouri and Cooper of Wisconsin.
| The senatorial members all belong to
the incoming congress. while the con
/ gressmen are men who retired from
congress March 4th.
/ Aid Women Employees.
Women employees of the govern
ment are to be given a fair chance to
/ receive the compensation due for their
work and fair chance for advance
!ment where they show themselves
worthy of advancement # thesreclasas
ifica ton commission can bring II
about. said Congressman Heating, who
is secretary OF the commission.
The women of the country have
done everything they were able to dc
and that was a great deal, to help
win the war; continued Mr.. Heating
*rhey deserce fair chance. They
should receive just as much compen-
sation as the men if they do the same
character of work and do it as well
The only quetion, after all, is, can 9
woman do the work? If she can dc
it. there is no reason why she should
not get the same pay as man DOING
the same kind of work. In fact. there
| is every reason why she should re.
ceive it,
Mr.. Heating said that he had beef
receiving communications from a
| number of women employees of thu
government pointing out that the,
have been Disseminated against in tn
matter of salary and promotion in thu
| past, the men being paid more ant
| given promotions over the women
Here is letter from one woman
who has been in the government ser
| vice for about eighteen years., sal
Mr.. Heating. "She is a stenographc
and she writes that she entered tn
service at about $40: that in sever
Iyears she was advanced to 1920. an,
that for the last eleven years her sal
airy has remained stationary. sh
! frankly points out that men doing tn
/ same work have been given oppor
! tunities for advancement which sh
1 was not given. and says that h0r rec
n ord shows she has been successful
and has improved as q stenographel
For some time she served under
L nt,f 80 ~~y1,u that .
should be paid as much as men o
that they were as capable OF perform
Il ing the same work as men stenogra
, piers"
: Mr. Heating said that this was al
wrong. He said he had heard Of
great many Determinations agains
women and in favor Of men In tn
government service. END that no ha
| also heard OF other chiefs Of division
who were opposed to advancing WON
en-, and gave all the advantage to "a
men employees.
Mr.. Keatiyg today told OF the nov<
! plan the commission intends to adop
for classifying the employees. Unde
1 1t the employees would pfAcf1CAlf
classify themselves BY me replies tAa
Iake to . Que1tdonnairo which 60
civil service employe - to b asks
to ffll out.
uss ousseionnalre.
I'VE are planning 70 prepare . foen
Questionable for all OF the employs
which win call upon them to stat
the salary received. and tfe kind d
| work being performed. These An1wefy
| win form the principal index Tor tn
| commission. with this info9GnA1a0n Z
hand the oommisslon can oee scales q