Evening star., 1924-07-16
|RECLASS|F|EDPAY
| SCALE WORKS FEW
| HARDSH|PS IN D. c.
Post Office Workers Com
pIain-Many CharWomen
Are Affected.
INTERIOR EMPLOYEES SAY
OFFICIALS ARE FAVORED
Procedure Of Board in Handling
Cases Not Defned-Faithful
Messenger Reduced.


received raise in salary under the
first reclassiication pay scale yester-
day were cougratulating themselves
today throughout the city, a few who
suffered cuts in salary were making
protests to their chiefs, and in some
instances were being strongly backed
up by chiefs in fight for higher
salaries, promising interesting de-
veIopments.
A large block Of employees. it was
revealed when the pay was received.
had no change at all in their remu-
neration. The majority were raised.
Some were cut.
A few protests were filed by en-
ployes formally with their chiefs.
while 1t was understood a greater
number planned to send their COM
plants direct to the classified ton
board itself.
Boards Stand Unknown.
No word was forthcoming from the
board as to the procedure which it
would adopt toward these protests.
Among complaints generally heard
was one which charged that the
higher paid officials in some depart
ments received higher percentages Of
increases than lower paid employees.
This was a general complaint in the
Interior Department. The answer
made to this was said to be that such
changes were effected to make up
discrepancies between the chiefs SAL
aria oil xxyhi io1
nearly equal before.
A very few protests were lodged
at the Department of Commerce, De-
partment of Labor and the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Cfarwomen Suffer LOSS
At the Post Office Department it
| was revealed that charwomen, al
ready getting the lowest wages in
| the government service, were further
| reduced by reclassifcation. suffering
| a total loss Of $40 q year from their
already meager salaries of 1884.
Under the old wage scale women
who clean the Post Office Depart
ment buildings for three hours day
received $24o salary. plus s14o bonus.
a total OF 1884 year.
Under reclassification the wage
scale for charwomen is 40 cents per
| hour, which, being applied. means
that each worker get S1.20 a day for
her three hours. This sum, multiplied
by 313, the number of days they are
employed, counting out Sundays and
holidays, gives the new yearly earn
ing of s375.60.
About 100 File Protests.
lust how far this condition extends
| in the federal departments was
matter of doubt today, reclassihcatlon
officials pointing to the fact that
whole-tfme charwomen under the
War, State and Navy Offices are class
cd in the custodial service, at higher
wages.
More than 100 protests were received
by Chief Clerk Regar of the Post
Office Department from clerical ana
other employees dissatisfied with their
gradings under Redistribution
Only four persons in the department,
other than charwomen, suffered loss
| in salary by reason of Redistribution
it was declared. The greatest loss
was under 5000.
News Assistants Raised.
1t was pointed out today that the
| four assistants to Postmaster General
New were included in grade II of the
clerical and administrative grade,
which gives them $500, under classi-
fcation, as opposed to the $4,000 sal
aries each formerly received.
Chief clerks and other officials OF the
State, War and Navy Departments were
averse to discussing the administration
of the reclassification law on the ground
that they had no jurisdiction It was ad-
mitted that many employees had COM
planned privately about the rerahngs,
and some had alleged favoritism and
discrimination in certain cases. One Of
fetal said that as the Classification
Board had final jurisdiction the policy
had been adopted Of referring all ap-
peals received from employees against
their new rating direct to that board
for consideration
At the Treasury, it was asserted,
although not officially announced,
that many of the employees in the Of
fees Of the Secretary and his assist
ants were either reduced in salary.
or remained at the same level. This,
however, was not authenticated.
Older Employees Benefited.
Fewer raises were understood to
have been received at the more re-
Gently organised bureaus Of the gov
ernments, such as the Veterans Bu-
reau. than among the older estab-
lishments, in view of the fact that the
salary scales in the newer branches
had already been more nearly brought
| up to the proper level to meet the
cost Of living.
In one Of the major government
! departments the case of trusty
special messenger who has been en-
ployed in confidential work for the
head of the department for 50 years
has reused the Indignation of officials
there. This man, declared to have
given honest, conscientious service
all the long period of his employ
] (Continued On Pa0a q Column ~