Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-24
DECLARES WOMEN
ARE EMPLOYED|N
DUST.F|LLEDA AIR

Charges that women employed in
the mail bag repair shop of the Post
Office Department work in an atmos-
phere saturated with dust, the shop
being without fans or ventilators,
were made today before the joint
congressional commission on reclassi-
hcation of salaries in the District by
Miss Rose E. Adams of the repair
shop. and Stewart E. BIassingham of
the department, who represented the
employees a t the hearing of the supply
and equipment services.
The sacks which the women handle
are 1uil or the dust accumulated in
travei and handling on the trains. and
at terminals, and they are not cleansed
IN any manner before coming to the
hands of the repairers." declared the
brief presented.
rms IS true. notwithstanding the
fact that the department purcha sed
two large .tumbling machines ut 81. 900
70 use in cleansing the bags before
handling. The tumbling machines
nave never been used since the pres
emit building has been occupied The
CONDITIONS Of the bags and the dust
menace to the health of the workers"
Repair Canvas Bags.
The bags upon which the women
work are at present all of canvas.
Miss Adams. who acted as Spokesman
tod the commission. Formerly. she
SAID, the women worked upon leather
bottom bags also. But this work was
taken away from them and given to
the men about the time the reclassi-
ncat1on commission uuestionnaires
were distributed in the shop"
In order to correct the conditions al
leged TO exist in the repair shop. the
woman workers there recommended
the rerating of the woman en-
proves, according to the skill acquired
Tor their work on the same basis as
men engaged in work on correspond
ing skill.
we ask that the employees be pro-
tected from the dust which fills the air
of the shop" said Miss Adams. This
can be done first by cleaning the bags
DeIore they are handled in the shop,
and second by installing a system of
ventilators or exhausts to remove the
dust from the air."
The brief asserted charwomen or nm
skilled laborers have asked the COM
mission for minimum wage of $3.50
per year and that this rate is equiva-
lent to 1857 per day, which is the
same as the rate for unskilled labor
in the navy yard. The women in the
get base rates of $1.75. s21O. 1925
and $3.50 per day. and they work in
two shifts. night and day, at the same
rate.
Should Be Skilled Trades.
The sewing trades should be recog-
nized as skilled trades, whether done
by women or men.
in the navy yard, where the ratings
may present a favorable comparison
to the mail bag repair shop. so far
as the man employees are concerned,
they carry out the same unfairnesS
to women that is elsewhere preva-
lent. and we ask that they be con-
sidered in connection with the rating
of the women in the mail bag repair
shop only in respect to unskilled
labor" said the brief. The navy
women is the same or lower than
the pay for unskilled labor. We urge
that women doing skilled work be
paid more than men or women en-
gagged in unskilled work.
A brief was presented by the pur-
printing Office on behalf of such Off
Gals of the government. The supply
and equipment officials and clerks
were called the heart and vitals" of
brought out that the cost of supplies
and equipment for the big print shop
has increased from $3.5O0.OOO to 3d.
100000 annually in the last twelve
wears, but LnaC the pay Oh the puT-
chasing agent has remained at $500
a year during all that time.
John Amrein, superintendent of the
Soldiers Home national cemetery
told the commission that the pay of
superintendents was today what it
was in 1877.
Mr.. Cady Replies to Charges.
Supt. Cady of the mail bag re-
pair shop. replying to the charges
made by Miss Adams. declared that he
felt that the Post Office Department had
in it's new repair shop, at 9Th and w
streets northeast, IAN ideal building"
He said that the building is of the fac
tory type, with full length windows
SO that its sides are practically all
glass.
Questioned by Commissioner Cooper.
Mr.. Cady admitted that the mail bags
had not been cleaned before being given
to the women since June, 1918.
''They become very dusty" said Mr..
Cooper.
'They do. indeed" answered Mr..
Cady.
The superintendent of the mail bag
repair shop said that he had not been
able to get labor to run tumbling ma
chimes recently, and that these machines
could only handle approximately 1000
bags often were received Commits
sioner Cooper brought out that although
there were electric fans in the shop
they were not of the suction type to
withdraw dust