The Washington times., 1919-06-12

BENEFIT ACT
APPLY TOD.C.
District Employees Now Lack
Any Form of Compensation
For Injuries or Illness.
BY BILL PRICE.


Extension to District employees of
the dement's OF the compensation act
enjoyed by Federal employees will
probably be incorporated in the Dis
trict appropriation bill as II is about
to be reported to the Senate.
Senator Curtis. chairman of the
Senate subcommittee considering the
District bill for the fiscal year 1919,
today told a committee from Local
Sc, Of the Federal Employees Union,
composed Of municipal employees, that
he thought the existing compensation
act should be made to apply to Dis
trict employees and would incorporate
such a provision in the BILL il other
Senators do not object
The District Commissioners also
1 asked the Senate committee to in
clude compensation provision in the
District bill. believing that District
employees should be put on the same
footing as Federal employees. Injured
employees Of the District are COM
PEELED to meet their own expenses
and loss Of wages unless fellow
workers raise funds for their beneft.
5000 Employed by District.
Among the something like 5000
employees of the District government
nearly everyone is greatly underpaid.
the firemen, policemen and school
teachers have their own unions or
organizations. There are two other
orEanizations-No. SO, affiliated with
the Federal Employees Union, and the
City Employees Union, independent,
presided over by John Hurley, has
placed before Engineer Commissioner
Kutz written threats to act drastic
ally unless wage readjustments are
quickly made.
The constitution OF Local 50 dis
tinctly provides against strikes, but
uses other methods to attain what it
regards as Justice These employees
feel that they have been grossly dis
eliminated against in salaries for
many years by Congress. but all they
can do Is to work and agitate for in
ereases and general betterment of
conditions.
offcial figures before the District
Commissioners show that since 1913
the salaries OF office workers Of the
District have increased % $40 per
cent, while the cost Of living has
practically doubled. The advance in
the wages Of mechanics and common
1aborers has been s2% per cent q.
Diseontent Over Reductions.
About 800 employees in the Engineer
Commissioners office are TO have
Gheir salaries considerably decreased
utter July / unless the Commission
ers fnd some way to overcome the
situation, and this fact is causing
much discomfort which will not be
vented in the shape Of anything like
= strike.
These employees were until 1918 on
Tba statutory rolls Of the District
Government. They were all under
paid The late General Knight, then
Engineer Commissioner, transferred
them to rolls paid from lump sums
and Increased salaries commensurate
with their work and efficiency.
While there will be lump sum ap-
preparations available in the coming
year the engineer office claims that
many additional employees will have
ing the salaries now being paid. The
effect will be a decrease that will
bear heavily upon many men and
women with families and dependents.
\ RepresenfatfOn On Wage Board.
The readjustments which high Of
ficials hold will be necessary will
be made through the wage board,
composed of six heads Of bureaus in
the Engineer office.
Local SO iE TO request the Engineer
Commissioner TO appoint one Of its
members on the wage board so that
the attitude and status Of employees
may be made directly known to that
body when salaries are under consid-
Grafton.
The union, in view Of decisions by
int War Labor Board and other Gov
eminent agencies that collective
bargaining is right and proper, feel
keenly that IL this principle is right
they should be consulted so that their
grievances, IL any. may be properly
stated Engineer Commissioner Kutz
will take this question under advise
menE
The union recently asked the En-
Efneer Commissioner for space in
the District building TO establish a
cooperative store in an attempt TO
cheaper the cost of living. Colonel
EutE reached the conclusion that all
The space in the building is necessary
No municipal activities and that the
granting Of the request might set
a precedent for the establishment
81 similar concerns in school build
ings through the District, most of
the schools being entirely too small
1or this purpose.
The wage board is a part of the
Engineer office only and does not
adjust salaries throughout parts Of
ahe District service coming under
the two civilian commissioners.
EMERSON TO GRADUATE |