Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-12
FAIR PLAY FOR
WOMEN IN Civil.
SERVICE ASKED
Convention Is Expected to
Go on Record Against the
Double Wage Standard
Now in Existence.
Especial Correspondence to The journal


Especial Correspondence to The Journal
Washington, Sept. 1l.--Fair play
for women in the United States civil
service will be one of the questions
brought forward in the fifth an
nual convention of the National
Federation OF Federal Employees, to
be held in New Orleans September
IL to 16.
Miss Gertrude M. McNally, third
vice president of the federation,
who will be chairman of the COM
convention 20 call upon congress
and the administrative officers to
abolish the double wage standard
now existing, which, it is pointed
out, keeps women out of the high
err paid positions, gives men the
promotions oftentimes over better
qualified women. and fixes a lower
rate OF pay for women than for
men on work of comparable skill.
The resolution, which will be in
troduced by Miss McNally, makes
the following assertions of fact as
to existing conditions in the civil
service:
The average salary of women is
5000 less than the average salary
Of men.
During months when. because of
war conditions. women were APP
pointed in greater numbers at
higher salaries than ever before,
only per cent of the women ap-
pointed to the United States civil
service were paid more than $1,000
while 46 per cent of the male APP
pointees received more than that,
Deadlines for Women.
Many bureaus have a virtual
deadline for women in respect to
salaries, and the women employees
are found massed in the lower
scales of pay, very few reaching
executive positions or receiving sal
aries more than $1,S00. although
doing highly technical work.
Congress, on recommendation of
Senator Smoot OF Utah and Repre-
sentative Wood Of Indiana, has
limited the salaries of women ex-
perts in the women's bureau of the
department of labor to $1,000
year, except three at $4,000, while
In the same law allowing salaries
of s2.750 to $1,000 in the bureau
of efficiency and other bureaus
where comparable positions are
filled by men Senators said when
interviewed $4,000 is enough for
a woman"
Women flag-makers in the navy
yards women working in the arse
nails. in the bureau of engraving
and printing, and in the mail
equipment shop of the postoffice
department, where they are paid
from lump sum appropriations,
with rates fixed by the department
heads, are paid less for their skilled
operations than men are paid for
unskilled labor. such as pushing
trucks
Some women in the government
service, in such institutions as st.
Elizabeth's hospital for the insane,
and elsewhere, are paid only $40 a
week, which is less than a legal
wage for women in private employ
ment in the District of Columbia
and states having minimum wage
laws.
Delegates from the women's
union Of the bureau of engraving
and printing, of which Miss Kath-
ryn Tracy Is president, will intro
duce in the convention a resolution
calling for sick leave for employees
of the governments big money
manufacturing plant, for higher
pay for night work, and for the es-
tablishment of personnel division
with a woman in charge. About
1900 of the bureaus employees, or
nearly two-thirds of the whole
force, are women.
The organized charwomen in the
government service, many of whom
work all night, and under other
conditions detrimental to health,
will ask for adjustment of their
hours and improved working con-
ditions.
Among the women delegates to
the convention will be: From
Washington, Miss Gertrude NJ. Nc
Nally, third vice president of the
National Federation of Federal
Employees; Misses Kathryn Tracy
and Belle Trouland, and Mrs. Ella
M. Stork, of the bureau of engrav-
ing and printing; Mrs. Adele Guth-
ridge, of the department of agri-
culture; from Dubuque, Ia, Miss
Marie j. Donahue, Of the internal
revenue bureau; from Pittsburgh;
Miss Bertha Bollner, of the quar-
termaster corps of the Pittsburgh
arsenal: from Milwaukee, Mrs.
Blanche M. Caldwell, of the inter-
nal revenue bureau; from Jeffer-
sonville. Ind, Miss Anna Schmid.
Of the quartermaster corps.
The National Federation of Fed
eral Employees is composed of FAC
local unions of government work
ers, in every state and every branch