Porter Protest

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The effort of the University to provide greater employment for students in the form of Student Porter work is commendable, but the system as presently operated appears to have several defects.

There appears to be a sizeable, if not general dissatisfaction with the standard of cleaning service now provided. The majority of students, however, are unwilling for obvious reasons to complain either to the Porter or to the Captain. Since inspections do not seem to be an effective check, the remedy seems to be some change in the current practice of permitting the Student Porter to be on the job for less than the full ten hours per week and to be paid for ten hours.

The present system seems to operate in a way which is unfair to the consicentious Porter and to the residents. Those Porters doing a good job are being paid at the rate of $.80 per hour; those who are working less than full time, are being paid at a higher rate. Residents of the dorms are arbitrarily being singled out for good or bad cleaning service. It might be noted that it is well known that most maids did not devote their full time to cleaning, but since most Porters have the incentive to save time for studying, they are inclined to cut corners.

Some may think it in poor taste for students to criticize the Student Porters who attempt to earn a higher wage at the expense of those who need not work, but it should be noted that many students who do not hold Student Porter jobs hold other part-time jobs for which they must work a full hour for an hour's pay. The present wage scale may be too low, but the remedy is not an indiscriminate adjustment which becomes a tax on the integrity of the student employee. "Economist"   Name Witheld by Request