San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07
Cite Local Conditions to
Show They Are
Underpaid.
TELL OF COMPETITION
Asks Classification Board.
at Washington for
Relief.


for employees of the various federal
departments and bureaus in San An
tonic has been forwarded to the
Personnel Classification Board at
Washington. This board fixes the
pay of federal employees according to
the living costs and wage scale OF the
districts in which the employe il To-
Gated. In making an appeal for high
or pay the l-cal federal employees
point out that two factors here tend
to lower the wage scale for workers
in all lines of endeavof. One OF
these is the fact that many health
seekers come here and work cheap !;
another is that Mexican labor is OBJ
tainable at cheap prices. Because OF
these facts they ask. the loard not
to base the salary schedule according
and in comparison with the salaries
maid outside government service for
similar duties, in fixing pny for
clerical grades, watchmen, teamsters;
janitors, laundry workers and skilled
and common laborers.
II is signed by William Haensier,
president of the National Federation
Of. Federal Employees, Branch No. 2S,
c. V. Teel, secretary and Dan OCon-
nor, chairman Of the executive coun-
ell. Mr.. Haensler said there are 5000
federal employees in San Antonio and
vicinity.
Held Group Conferences.
The petition follows:'
"The National Federation Of Fed
efal Employees Branch No. 90, San
Antonio, Tex. has. following advice
received from headquarters some time
ago. conducted n .mber of group
conferences. embracing all branches OF
the Civil Service in this locality.
ain order to obtain clear view
of the situation regarding salary
ranges and duties of positions, the
group conferences were divided so as
to give each group an. opportunity
to be head. 4,
ain this district are represented
the Air Service, the War Department
with its many departments, U. 3.
Veterans Bureau. etc.
"The results obtained furnish ! O
basis for n justified appeal TO your
board, to carefully consider the cir
cumstnnces which show ,San Antonio
and vicinity as center of low sal
aries in the industries and CONNER
cial enterprises.
"The reasons attributed to this
situation are as follows:
Il. San Antonio is known all
over the country as n health resort
on account of its climatic advant-
ages in the winter months and draws
health seekers from all over the
country. especially so from the east
ern and northern states.
VIII Work For Less.
"Among these people are such,
whose means are limited and not suf-
ficient to defray the expenses for n
lengthy stay and in order to enable
them to remain. they offer their SER
vices to the industrials and merchants
far below the compensations paid in
other districts.
40. Another cause of low salaries
are the Mexican immigrants of which
San Antonio has from twenty-five to
thirty thousand. Their mode of liv.
ing is below 'the American Standard
of Living and they accent work ms
low as one dollar (S1O0) per day
for ordinary labor and even in clerical
positions. Manufacturers, industrials
and merchants hire these Mexicans,
male and female, on account of the
low wages asked by them.
"That these circumstances will have
tendency to lower the scale paid
to similar positions and occupations
in the government service cannot be
denied and therefore the employees in
the federal service. appeal to you in
consideration Of these existing facts,
not to base the salar schedule ac-
cortling and in comparison with the
salaries paid outside government SER
vice for similar duties.
= Go to Work on Car.
"The most affected groups are. the
lover clerical grades, watchmen,
teamsters, janitors. laundry workers,
skilled and common laborers.
at particularly call the attention
Of the board to the facts that most
of the government establishments are
.outside the city and require the use
Of street cars which presents an ad-
ditional expense to the employees of
Kelly Field. Camp Normoyle. Fort
Sam Houston. Camp Bulls and Re
mount Station.
Regarding occupational positions
as carpenters. sheet. metal workers.
machinists. electricians and all other
crafts coming under outside paid sal.
aries for similar positions We call
the boards attention to the wages
paid to organized crafts in San An
tonic and vicinity.
"The following scale of wages was
obtained from the San AntoniosTrades
Council and its correctness cannot
be doubted:
"Pay scale based on eight hours
per day: Carpenters, 81 per day:
painters. 81 per day: electrical work
ers, 81 per day; bricklayers, S11 per
day; plasterers, $40 per day; labor
ers. 81 per dav fathers. $40 per day;
plumbers, SO per day; machinists,
81 10 cents per hour: boilermakers,
81 IL cents per hour; car repairers.
as cents per hour: blacksmiths.- 81
cents per hour; sheet metal workers,
SS per day: sign. writers. $40 per
day.
Wants Bonus For Some.
aForemen in these crafts receive
from ten to twenty-five per cent
higher salaries. All above crafts with
only n few exceptions are represented
in the government service and COM
parison of salaries paid by the gov
eminent furnishes convincing facts
that the present rate of pay is in
adequate and insufficient according
to the standard of American living
and the continued prevailing high
prices of necessities of life.
"We also recommend that in con-