The Washington times., 1919-09-12
POORLY PAID
DC. WORKERS
BEGFOR RAISE
Appeal to Commissioners for Aid
In Fight to Obtain a Living
Wage.
BILL PRICE.

By BILL FRICE.
More than 1.5oO poorly paid en-
ployes on the statutory rolls Of the
District government today made
earnest appeal 20 the District Com
missioners to use their egood offices"
10 bring about such increases as will
az least put them en- the same foot
ing as employees of the Federal Gov
ernment and Of business and office
establishmSnts in Washington.
committee from Municipal Fed
eral Employees Union No. 80 presented
facts that ought to make such a
strong impression on Congress as to
result in prompt action in that body
80 correct fnjustices that have exist
20 for forty-hvs years and which, in
these days Of the high cost Of living,
/ amount practically to tragedies in
the lives Of loyal and faithful men
ana women who continue to stick to
their positions wholly because there
is dangling in front Of them the
promise and hope that relief will
come before long.
Commissiouer BrownloW promised
his callers that he would do every
thing within his power at any time
before any committee of Congress,
when opportunity arises, to obtain
relief which he admits is long de-
layed justice.
Kenyoh May De Something.
The cause Of these employees, as
well as that Of thousands Of under
paid employees in the Federal Govern
ment, would be partly helped If Sen
ator Kenyon, who IS both fair and
friendly, ie able to bring together
the Senate Committee on Education
and Labor 70 report out the Nolan
bill passed BY q large majority in
the House fixing 50 per day as the
minimum wage to be paid every
where tn the Federal and District
goVernmeata. OF the 500 District
employees who are now making ap-
Deal the Nolan bin would be q god
lend to the large majority whose pay
envelopes contain less fhan &1.08o per
year.
For permanent correction Of the
miserable EnIau salaries the employees
must look, g was pointed out today,
TO the reclassihcation committee Of
Congress that is working upon sal
aries at thib time. Before this COM
mittse or any other Commissioner
ErcWnloW will appear, IL given Op-
to reel&ssihcAtion, however, will bring
no increases, even IL accepted by
Congress, before the beginning OF the
fiscal year Of 1891, starting July
next How these employees viii be
able Co make ends meet until that
time they hardly know themselves
and they would be grateful IL Senator
Kenyon or somebody else could do
something for increases now
soms IndisPutabIe Facts.
Forty-nve years ago Congress made
a horizontal cut Of 20 per cent in
salaries OF statutory employees Of the
District and has never since correct
! ed this injustice. District employees
4 today are paid less money than Fed
Herai Government or private employees.
The last District appropriation bill,
in effect July 1, deliberately fixed
salaries that are pitifuL Every de-
partment ot the District government
10 just the same.
Here's a sample: Eight nurses in
the tuberculosis hospital, who must
be graduates and have experience,
are paid $500 yearly; the superintend-
tnt OF nurses there gets $720; the en-
gineeP is paid $720.
There are hundreds OF messengers,
watchmen and laborers whose pay is
$500 per year, with large numbers
Of cleriEs capable workers, too, whose
pay Is $3.50 per year. Eight elevator
conductors in the District building
receive $500 per year.
WoFk Elsewhere At Might.
In the water department. OF the
District government. the one depart
ment that is self-sustainlng and
turns into the United states Treas
uFy q surplus, there are nineteen
clerks whose pay Is 5000 per year. II
has been that since 1874. forty-five
years ago, except for the war bonus.
Seventeen Of these nineteen clerks
work in Harry Crandalrs theaters at
night as ushers to supplement this
: pay that they may at least live in
! reasonable comfort.
But for Harry CrGndall and other
men like him we would not know
what 20 do" said William F. Frank
lin. Poorly paid District employees
are all seeking night positions TO
make sufficient money to live upon.
There are hundreds doing such work.
The older men and women can not
ret such places and must do the best
they can"
Average Pay $50 Per Year.
The average pay Of the 800 stat
utory employees Is about $500 per
year, about the same amount the
minimum wage board has decided
should be the minimum pay Of q
woman fn business Embellishments Of
the District. II q single woman must
daVe that much TO live upon-and the
board has found that even this in
cludcs no extras and very sparse al
.oWances for Verything-What is
happening to married men with fam
ilios 20 support?
The commisSioner'B callers consist
eH of the memberB Of the executive
COMMITTEES Of Union No. SO, including
william r. Franklin, vice president
OF the union: Henry Saffel, secretary;
DR.. r. p. Tobin, treasurer: W. 7. Car
roll, and Charles =. Beatty.
The union specifically declares that
nothing like a strike" shall ever be
considered by tie members, and 80
these employees make their appeals TO |
TIE Commissioners and TO Cngress |
u9on merits and Justice