Evening star., 1937-03-19
Discrimination in Favor of
Students Charged by
A. F. G. E. Head.
TESTIMONY OF STENGLE
REVEALED IN HEARINGS
Workers Declared Forced to Bear
Expense of Entertaining Super
intendent's Guests.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

ChargeS that social service STU
dents are living at the National Train
ing School for Boys, receiving all the
benefits of the institution at the ex-
pense and denial of the regular en-
ployes," were made before an Appro-
priations Subcommittee by Charles I.
Stengle, president of the American
Federation of Government Employees,
1t was disclosed today when the hear
tngs were made public.
1t was also charged that the en-
ployes are being forced to contribute
to the cost of entertaining the super
intendent's guests and that there is
gross discrimination in assignment of
living quarters and in hours of labor.
Some employees are worked as much
as 100 hours week and others as little
as 80 hours when that particular en-
ploye seems to enjoy certain privileges
through certain friendly relations" r"
Stengle told the subcommittee. Rep
resentative Mcmillan, Democrat, of
South Carolina is chairman of the
group.
Congress was asked to investigate
the situation because the poorly paid
employees feel that they are carrying
the load"
Stengle urged that the school should
be placed either under the District
Government, or under the Federal
Bureau of Prisons, in the Justice De-
partment.
Would Transfer Authority.
The House Appropriations Commit
tee, however, in reporting the State,
Justice, Commerce and Labor supply
bill, renewed its recommendation for
transfer Of Jurisdiction over the school
from the Justice Department over to
the District Commissioners. 1t also
urged that the proposal be studied by
the Joint Congressional Committee on
Reorganization.
In view of these recommendations,
the committee slashed $3.50 from the
estimates of the institution, which
were intended to provide three addi-
tional positions, but allowed an item
of 21,54o for needed repairs at the
school.
Jones Is Questioned.
Representative Bacon, Republican,
of New York, questioned Claudius B.
Jones, superintendent of the institu-
ton, who explained that the National
Training School for Girls, which is
un' :. the Board of Public Welfare
takes very few girls from outside the
District, while his school gets so to so
per cent from other parts of the
country. Arguing that the Bladens-
burg road institution should be kept
under the Federal Government, he
conceded there would be many ad-
vantages in placing it under the
proper department.
Bacon said he believes the new
Joint Committee on Reorganization of
Government Activities has the situa-
ton in mind and that the school
may be placed either under the Dis
trlct government, where I think it be-
longs, or under the Bureau of Prisons.
1t is obvious it should not remain as
1t is now"
Chairman Mcmillan promised that
the Reorganization Committee would
be advised Of conditions at the in
stitution
Support of social service students
at the school, Stengle pointed out,
comes from the maintenance fund
set up by the deductions from en-
ployes' pay He asked that the main
tenance cost of the superintendents
Office and activities be separated from
that of employees, where it is now all
inclusive. He read an extract from
the protest of employees:
We are not denying or objecting
to the privilege that the superin-
tendent has of entertaining his friends.
which in many cases is a necessitv.
but we do feel it is unjust to have
the cost charged to our per capita
cost and receive no benefits there
from"
Night watchmen at the institution
@are not allowed their weekly time
OIL in accordance with the provision
made for the day employees" Stengle
declared. They are allowed to take
only two or three nights of annual
leave at q time-that is, their night
OF leave is included in their annual
leave. They are getting one night
Off in time. He also asserted that,
while overtime is reported at 48 hours
per man. so hours can be shown.
Families Kept There.
Regarding alleged discrimination in
living quarters, Stengle said:
Man employees are keeping their
families there, when only the man
Is contributing to the maintenance
fund, and are receiving more benefits
than the regular employees. Some of
them have a suite Of rooms, with a
private bath, when as many as 10
regular employees have the use Of
single rooms with one bath among
them. Some employees are even denied
the use OF ROOM
Both Stengle and members of the
subcommittee spoke Of the Prisons
Bureau under Sanford Bates recently
resigned, as zone of the best directed
activities of the Government"
Stengle asked the subcommittee to
provide funds for 100 to 1875 additional
guards throughout the prison service.
He said a 10-hour day has to be
maintained because an 8-hour work
day has been established for inma tes,
and it takes an hour or two each day
to get them lined up for work and
back in their places. He added that,
with the additional guards, the prison
service can be made more humane
not only for the prisoners but for the
ernnIoves