Evening star., 1921-05-31
WOMAN EMPLOYEES
WANT SQUARE DEAL
Joint Redistribution Com
mit,ee Asked to End Dis
elimination in Pay.

| Woman government employees in
Washington. of whom there are APP
| proximately $4,000, appealed to Con-
! gress today to let down the bars be-
! fore them to any and all positions
! now open to men, and on equal terms
| with men.
! We look to Congress to correct the
! existing determinations by means Of
! the proposed assification law. and
We believe in the Sicriins-Lehibach
/ bill for this reason as well as others"
they declared through their spokeS-
! man. Miss Ethel NJ Smith. chairman
! OF the Washington branch of the Ma
tional Women's Trade Union League.
Miss Smith, who has attended every
session of the joint Senate and House
civil service committee hearings on
! classification. presented to the COM
nittee today brief going into the
details of the alleged Determinations
against the governments woman en-
ployes. 1t was indicated by Senator
Sterling the hearings might consume
another week.
New Order of Things Wanted.
Nv omen in the civil service want a
new order of things" said Miss Smith.
/ They protest against the present
ambitions imposed upon them by
Congress and the department heads.
i!'-s W ant 81 ne" VI Oci III " iitH tiie
! traditions that rate women's work at
over pay than mens beca it is done
by women shall be discarded for the
standard that requires equal pay for
corresponding work and equal oppor-
tuaity for promotion, irrespective OF
Sex.
We say that Congress in the max
ing of that law should not be govern
ed necessarily by the standards OF
private employers in fixing women s
wages. Congress should definitely
and determinedly depart at this time
from the competitive principle of
wage fixing and set new standard
d new standard of wages and salaries
for women on the basis of work per-
formed. That is the only consistent
step for a government that processes
to put women on an equality with
men"
Alleged Unjust Treatment.
Miss Smith indicted Congress and
government departments on many
counts for what she termed the gov
ernnlent's unjust treatment Of women.
She said more than half the workers
in the department are women. but
that the sum of their salaries Is not
near equal to the sum of the mems
salaries. The women's average pay.
sin said, is 5000 less than the mems.
The women are massed in the
lower grades of pay she continued.
largely without regard to their
work. During two months OF the
war. when this question was studied.
and when women were being appoint
ed in greater numbers and at better
salaries than ever before in the
world there were 5000 civil service
appointments. of which $500 went to
women and $500 went to men. But
only } per cent of the women were
appointed at more than $1,000. while
As per cent of the men were ap-
pointed at more than that figure.
Actual Deadline Fixed.
There are comparatively few wom-
en- in the service receiving more than
$500. or in an executive capacity at
all. Some department heads fix an
actual deadline for promotions for
women, usually at about $1,000 10
$500. United States senator's have
told US in SO many words why $1,000
is enough for woman.
And Congress has expressed its
faith in the idea by writing into law
the recommendation of Senator Smoot
and Representative Woods TO require
the Labor Department to limit the
salaries of the woman experts in the
woman's bureau to $500. except
three at $1,000. while the men engaged
OF labor statistics in the same de
partment may receive $4,000. S2.10O
and $4,000 and for fifteen experts in
the bureau of efficiency the minimum
salary fixed by Congress is $4,000. a
number of these receive $4,000.
Groxx Determination Charged.
There are women employed by the
United States government at $40 a
week. including the so-called war bo-
nus There are large groups of wom
en- receiving less for skilled work
for nnSkj1led la h0r
There are forewOmen in charge of
large and important divisions who
are paid less than men in charge OF
smaller and less important divisions"
Pointing out that these conditions
; exist in the government custodial
service in the navy yard and arsenals.
in the government printing office, the
; mailbag repair shop. Miss Smith
, charged that they exist either be-
cause Congress fixes the rates for
/ women lower than for men. or be-
cause department heads administer
ing lrmp-sum appropriations divert
I the larger proportion of their salary
allotment to the payment of men in
preference to women.
When promotions are made. she said
{ the men are looked after whether the
women are o- not. Economics are
effected at the expense of the women"
Takes Rap at Bill.
: Miss Smith took a rap ar the Smoot-
! W OodS reclasSifE.atlon bill for its
failure to provide for Sex equality
This measure. she said. begins its list
. of salary grades with a reduction in
, the pay of charwo omen. she pointed
: out that the bill desisnates this light
janitorial work" not to exceed 80
! cents an hour. and on the same page
rates male laborers at a higher wage.
( The light Janitorial work in the
War Depart flsnt buildings. for ex-
ample" said the speaker. consists
/ Of scrubbinS floors. after carrying
heavy buckets of water. together r
wuh wringers mops. etc. up one to
/ four or five flights Of stairs The
I cnarwomcn are forbidden the use
Of the elevators. II means working
until midnight and often all night,
( and then Il part of ,the day besides.
/ in .order TO exc out enough wages
/ TO live on
Miss Smith used the charwomen's
provisions IN the Smoot-Woods bill
AS the basis for general rap at
Congress. We have frequently no.
ticed" she continued, that in spasms
of economy senators or representa-
;ivcs hit upon She idea of reducin1,
the raw cf ciarwomcn. good many