The Washington herald., 1921-05-28
SAYS TRAINING
SCHOOL TEACHERS
GET SIS A MONTH
Head of Institution for
Boys Appeals for Re-
classification.

Salaries OF the so employees OF the
National Training school for Boys
are probably the lowest paid by the
government. L. B. Staples, superin-
tendent. told the joint civil serv-
ice committee yesterday in appeal
Ing for reclassification. The COM
mittee adjourned its hearings until
Tuesday morning
Only $1s to s25 a month is paid
those who train and teach the 32o
OF more boys sent to the school as
deiinquents." said Staples. About
half of these employees are women
only the men reach S25. Wives ana
children of the men are obIired 10
work in order to make ends meet
The work of this institution should
be abolished entirely unless II is to
be handled by competent people. he
said, and to obtain competent peo-
pie adequate salaries must be paid.
Appeals for Hospital Employees.
w. L. Deming. manager of the
laundry department of st. Eliza
beth's Hopital for the Insane. said
employees of his department of that
institution receive only $3.50 a
months, plus $3.50 bonus. Skill is
required for such work, he declared,
and asked that the trade be recog-
nized in the reciassiRcation bill.
He presented a brief for the wom-
en- in the housekeeping department,
Including Mattresses and chamber
maids, housekeepers and kitchen
helpers, cooks and chefs and also
Tor the tailor department, all ask
ing to be included under the pro-
visions of the Lehlbach bill and for
"a wage commission rather than a
custodial service as now classified.
Speaks for Field Service.
Mrs. Jessie Dale Pierce, stenog-
rapher at army post Fort Benjamin
Harrison of Indiana, presented
brief for the field services. She
emphasized the discrepancy and dis
satisfaction that would result IL
only employees in the District of CO.
lumbia were classified at this time.
while those elsewhere in the United
states, numbering three times as
many. were left in their present
situation. She urged the adoption
OF the Sterling Lehlbach bills, with
their provision for extension to the
neld, and the Lehlbach provision
for a federal wage commission. Mrs.
Pierce spoke on behalf of the Fed
eral Employees union at Fort Benja-
min Harrison.
Miss Anna G. Burke, ofthe wo-
mems Bindery union, described the
work of the women of the bindery
of the government printing office,
and asked for the establishment of
federal wage commission in order
that the complicated questions aris
ing in that trade and the necessity
of adjustment of the wage rates be
worked out with fairness, especially
to the women in the trade. who are
paid much less than are the men.
Urge Wage Commission.
other witnesses heard yesterday
afternoon included John A Mclean,
for the electrotype molders and I'm
ishers of the government printing
office, who advocated the federal
wage commission for the skilled
trades; Charles F. Miller, represent
ing the bookbinders and John Ger
man. representing the Laundry
Workers union of the bureau of en-
craving and printing, composed of
the men who launder the rags used
in connection with the printing
presses in the bureau.
Daniel Leans, representing the
Printing Pressmen's union of the
government printing office, asked
for enactment of the Sterling-Lehl-
bach bill. He said affiliation with
the American Federation of Labor
involved no obligation ostrike.
Promotio Incomes only with changes
of administration, he said. and for
this reason the efficiency rating
provided for in the Sterling-Lehl-
bach bill appealed to the printers,
who wanted overtime pay and sick
leave.
Discusses Living Costs.
Prof. Irving Fisher of Yale uni
versity. was the important witness
of yesterday morning, giving --sae
committee his views on the -pur-
chasing value .of the dollar. He
urged that salaries be raised to
make the pay of employees of>the
government go as far as in prewar
times, declaring they were barely
living wages then and that living
costs have. increased more than IS
per cent.
If salaries of congressman who
receive $500 a year had kept pace
with the diminishing value of the
dollar, he declred, they would be
receiving very much more than that
and s17,567 each would be required
to even UP their losses.
A $1,000 government employe' of
1913 should now receive s2,S08. 1t
would be fair to pay every man and
woman in the service s2.34 for
every dollar they now receive as
loss for the period since 1913. OF
course the government cannot do
that. he said. but 1t can and should
raise the salaries of employees so
that they may have living condi-
tions equal to what they were be-