Evening star., 1924-08-17
SITS TOP PAY RATE
URGED ON PRINTERS
Carter, Refusing Flat S1.10
!: Scale, Proposes Schedule
Ranging From so Cents.

Printer Carter yesterday presented
counter proposal involving sliding
scale ranging from 80 cents to $1.1o
per hour.
At one point in his reply to the
printers proposal for the fiat rate
Mr.. Carter declared
while all men may have been Gre
ated equal SO far as their political
rights are concerned. even the AL
mighty himself never undertook to
make them equal physically or intel
1ectually. Therefore, to assert that
all workmen of a certain trade shall
receive the same rate of pay. regard
less of their individual ability or
special training. is out of harmony
with the divine plan of creation
Submitted to Committee.
The counter proposal was submit
ted to Edward S. Hantzmon. Hermann
B. Barnhart and William l.. Kirby.
composing the committee represent
ing journeyman printers employed in
the hand, monotype. linotype. proof,
job and Library sections of the big
print shop.
Mr.. Carter said last night that he
did not know when he would receive
an answer from the committee. The
Public Printer declared that his pro-
posal. if accepted, means substan-
tial increase for majority OF the
900 printers in the Government Print
ing Office.
The day rates of pay for printers in
the Government Printing Office per
hour as proposed by Mr.. Carter are
as follows:
Compositor. 90 cents; increase over
June so, 1924, cents.
Job compositor, 95 cents; increase,
10 cents.
Monotype assembler, 90 cents: in
crease. 10 cents.
Imposer, 95 cents; increase. 5 cents.
Maker-up, 81; increase, Is cents.
Job imposer, 81: increase. 10 cents.
Copyholdcr, 90 cents: no increase.
Proofreader. 81; increase, 3 cents.
Job proofreader, $1.05; increase, 20
cents.
Copy editor. $1o5: increase, 20
cents.
Proposes 3O-Cent Boost.
The various classes of linotype op-
orators and monotype keyboard oper-
ators, as proposed by the public
printer would receive from so cents
to $1.15, involving increases Of from
10 to 80 cents per hour more than
June 80 1924.
The proposal of the printers. made
July 3 and last, was that all print
ers shall be paid at the rate of $l.1o
per hour for the time actually en-
ployed; that when the employees are
Compelled to work in excess Of eight
hours in any one calendar day they
Shall be paid so per centum in addi-
zion to their regular pay. and that
the rates of pay for night work. Sun
DAYS and holidays shall remain the
same as now provided by law. The
rates per hour under the law effect
i've July l. 1924, are 80 cents per
af
June 80, 1924, including the bonus of
$24o. in most cases.
In view of the permanency OF em-
ployment. retirement. holidays, and
at least ~ non-workinS days every
year. for which full pay is granted
Carter replied to the committee, lit
has been found impossible to approve
the rate of $1.1o per hour"
Means 5000 Annually.
The proposed rate of $1.1O an hour,
be said, would provide Il minimum
COMPENSATION of se,754.40 per annum
for every printer employed in the
Government Printing Office at the
day rate with the usual extra
earnings. the fl.10 rate would make
an income of more than $4,000 per
annum for a large number of night
employees continued MIR. Carter.
"Deducting the non-working hours OF
total about Is per cent of the time
for which Government employees are
baid), the proposed day rate OF S!.1O
per hour would mean a basic pay OF
has per hour of actual working
Time" Mr.. Carter continued.
From wage data brought to his at
tention lit seems reasonable to con-
tlude that the new minimum day rate
of 30 cents per hour Gncluding leave
5ust and fair minimum for the coming
Sear for compoSitorS employed in the
{;overnment Printing Office" Mr..
Garter declares.
Compensation for Specialists.
There is still another and even
more important reason why the flat
rate. which has obtained in the Gov
trnment Printing Office for only the
last five years. should not continue he
says Owing to the magnitude of work
undertaken by the worlds greatest
printing office, printers employed in
the Government Printing Office are,
and of necessity generally have to be,
specialists in some particular occupa-
tion, such as job compositor. maker
up. irnposer, assembler, proof reader,
copy editor, reviser. linotype and
monotype-keyboard operator. Limo
type and monotype-keyboard opera
certain kinds of copy, such as Patent
Specifications, Patent Gazette, or
Document Some operators are spe-
cially qualified to handle the more
difficult copy, such as the Surgeon
Generals Catalogues; others have
shown marked ability in setting
various foreign languages and intri-
cate tabular matter Thus it is that
the Government Printing Office re-
auires and has developed printing
specialists rather than all-around
printers. and it is right and fair that
they should be compensated accord
Ingly.
ut is proposed, therefore, to pay
compositors, machine operators, i'm
posers. make-ups, proof readers and
other printer specialists according to
the relative skill and requirements Of
their respective occupations. 1nas-
much as machine composition is def
nitely measurable and depends upon
the skill of the operator. it is plan
ned to base the pay of linotype and
monotype-ke operators upon
the quantity and quality of their
work. This plan conforms to the
practice which prevails in numerous
commercial book, job and newspaper
Offices. and seems cminently fair to
the operator.
Five Rates Suggested.
THE scale submitted here with con-
tains five rates of pay for linotype
and monotype-keyboard operators,
ranging from 95 cents to $1.15 per
hour. The assignment of operators
and their subsequent transfer from
one class to another will be based
chiefly upon their productive ability,
both as to quantity and quality. as
shown by the Office records.
"All operatOrs except those whose