Evening star., 1921-05-28
FIRST DUTY TO GOVERNMENT.
A. F. L. STAND M u. S. SERVICE
Pressmen Representative Is Among Those
Heard by Committees of Congress
on Classification Policies.

Obligation to the government is
recognized as prior to any other
obligation, Daniel Leane, represent
ing the Printing Pressmen's Union,
and appearing on behalf OF the
pressmen of the Government Print
ing Office, told the Senate and House
civil service committees at the hear
ing yesterday afternoon on reclassl-
fication of government employees.
Mr.. Leane was discussing the ques-
ton of government employees aftilia-
tion with the American Federation OF
Labor.
The reclassifcation hearings will
be continued Tuesday morning at
1890 o'clock, the joint commlttee
having ADJOURNED ed. over "f tho necopa, commitn
teemen to wind the hearings up next
week.
No Obligation to Strike.
Asking leave to reply further to
question by Senator Nicholson OF Col-
orado few days ago to another WIZ
ness, Mr.. Leane said that amiaiion
with the American Federation OIL La-
bor by government employees unoeF
no circumstances involved an obliga-
:
tion to strike. .
ANY question of going on strike Is
entirely in the control of the men IN.
volved, and in our organization must
also be approved by our lnternatiomai
before any local could strike: me
American Federation of Labor mas no
authority whatever over any oi i's
affiliated organizations"
You, of course. recognize an ophsa
ton to the government as prior 10 any
other obligation?" said Senator Ster-
Inr to which Mr.. Leane replied
yes"
"A proposal once made to forbid
affiliation with the American Feoera-
! ton Of Labor, by government e,,nd em5
mean a loss to the printing pressmen
of the benefits from their insurance
fund, and their privileges and rights
in their home for disabled or aged
members" he added.
advocating the Sterling -Lehlbach
bills Mr.. Leane cited the provision for
efficiency rating, and declared that IN
i the government printing office promo
tion comes only with change of ad-
| ministration. and he knew of no case
time. He advocates the federal wage
commission and provision for over
| time pay and for sick leave.
Receive Lowest Pay.
Presumably the lowest-paid en-
ployes in the entire government serv-
ice were represented at the hearing
ystrday afternoon by L. B. Staples,
superintendent Of the National Train
ing School for Boys. The salaries of
| the sixty people employed to conduct
the institution. train and teach the
320 or more boys usually under their
charge as federal offenders COM
mited there for purposes of reform.
I hpS
half Of these employees are women.
| half Of whom are teachers. and the
women receive SIS to $40 a month,
! only the men reaching the $25 grade.
The wives and children of the men,
Mr.. Staples stated. are. of course,
! make ends meet. The work of this
institution should be abolished en-
| tirely. unless it is to he handled by
| competent people. declared Mr..
Staples. -..
FOR Congress to spend great guam
! institution without adequate salaries
| to secure people qualified to deal
with boys fourteen TO twenty years
! old is unfair to the public and an
| employees Of the school at present
| work from twelve to sixteen hours
every day, seven days week and on
all holidays. With such conditions
| and at salaries of SIS, $40 to SIS
| month. we can secure only such peo-
pie as we can pick up on the street..
Hospital Laundry Work.
Another group of institutional en-
| ployes. many of whom are receiving
! only $27.50 month. plus a part of
the bonus. namely $3.50. were repre-
sented at the hearing by w. l.. Dem
! ing, manager of the laundry depart
ment at st. Elizabeth's Hospital for
Inc ih.,I
the laundry work. the skill required
by the workers in the modern laun-
dry plant. such as that at st. Eliza
beth's, and asked that they be recog-
nized in the reclassification as an
established trade. In the laundry. the
kitchen and the dining room of the
hospital. MIR. Deming pointed out. the
employees are working with and in
charge of insane patients, and are
therefore subject to constant danger.
women in the housekeeping depart
ment, including mattresses and cham
bermaids. housekeepers and kitchen
helpers, cooks and chefs, and also for
the tailor shops. All these groups
| asked to be included under the pro-
isions Of vthe Lehlbach bill for fed
eral wage commission. rather than in
the custodial service. where the bills
now classify them. The women's
briefs pointed out that their laborious
w
pay than unskilled labor done by
men. and they asked that they be
placed on an equal footing with men
in compensation.
Brief for Field Services.
Mrs. Jessie Dale Pierce. stenograph-
er at the Army post. Fort Benjamin
Harrison, of Indiana. presented a
brief for the field services She en-
phasized the discrepancy and dissat-
isfaction that would result if only
| the 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 sit
uation. She urged the adoption of
the Sterling -Lehlbach bills. with their
provision for extension to the field,
and the Lehlbach provision for fed
eral wage commission. Mrs Pierce
spoke on behalf of the Federal EN-
ployes' Union at Fort Benjamin Har-
rison.
Miss Anna G. Burke of the Women's
Rindery Union. described in detail the
work OF the women in the bindery of
the government printing Office, and
asked for the establishment OF fed
eral wage commission. in order that
the complicated questions arising in
that trade and the necessity of ad-