Washington sentinel., 1854-01-12
O. M m lunitate0.
For the Sentinel
PAY OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

i For the Sentinel.
FAY OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS.
GENTLEMEN: As you have very kindly in
! serted one or more articles, intended to show
the necessity of increasing the pay of most of
the employees of the government at Washing
ton, trust you will allow me brief space, in
which to lay before your readers, and especial
y the members of Congress, very few
thoughts and facts on the same subject.
The bill usually denominated !. Hunters
BUR which was passed by the last Congress,
and which went into operation on the first July
1853, instead of benefiting, as it was no doubt
the purpose of Mr. Hunter to do, majority of
the clerks and others employed in the several
departments and bureaus here, did really infiict
very serious injury upon them Up the 30th
June lastthere were no clerks, as am informed
who received less than one thousand dollars
per annum. The greater number, under the
operation of the plan of relief, adopted by the
last Congress, OF adding per centum upon
the thon existing salaries, were receiving pay
as follows: $l,540, 81 ,440, 81 200, and SO on !;
| but, on the first July last, these salaries were
reduced as follows: $500, $1,000, and 5000.
| By this reduction, and the classification which
| the law required, goody number of those who
had been receiving $l,540 were cut down to
$1,000; another set, who had been receiving
l,44O, were cut down to either 81, 200 or 5000;
A teU only-a cery .teio went up to 81 800
SO 1t will be perceived that the great body Of
| the clerical force suffered serious injury from
| the law in question; an amount of injury of
which none can form a Just conception, who are
not surrounded by a family, pressing their daily
gants upon their attention! Only think Of it.
Here are some hundreds of gentlemen, with
families wives and children, Just entering up-
on new year, many of them without the
means to provide even comfortable dinner for
| a single day-much less the conveniences and
cor forts which every day demands. These
persons, too, not spendthrifts, not dissipated,
not given to much wine," or whiskey-for
wine, ! suppose, they never taste, unless per-
chance as part Of the hospitality of some more
| fortunate friend or neighbor. The rigors of the
season. pressing upon them, demanding an
creased expenditures, or absolute suffering,
while their means have been cut down, Topped
| OF, by operation of law and their duties actu-
ally increased the while! Six hundred and
| forty dollars taken off in some instances, five
| hundred and forty dollars in others, and three
hundred dollars in others, while everything they
| have to purchase has been steadily and con-
stantly increasing in prce-house rent in
cluded Is it wonderful, that such men should
clamor for relief2 Rather, would it not be
more wonderful if they should remain quiet?
IL IS not my purpose, or any part Of my plan,
| to complain of the manner in which the class.
| hcation Of the clerks has been effected. Gen
tlemen at the heads of departments and bureaus
have no doubt, done as others similarity stu
| ated would have done. So that, while the effect
may be deeply regretted by many, because
most serious and ruinous in their cases, yet, as
complaints can effect nothing, they are passed
by, and the cry for relief is uttered in the ear
l. Df GOnU.aSs whara fha cd, "a
is uttered in tone of confidence, and in
spirit OF perseverance which expects relief, and
will not be silenced without it.
Congress is earnestly entreated to turn to
| this question, but few moments of their time,
and at least restore matters to the position they
occupied on the 30th June 1853 And let this
act of restoration reach back to the lst July
last.
But why SO many grades in clerkships here?
Why should any man be required he
cannot help himself-to work at desk for nine
hundred dollars year, or even twelve hundred
dollars? Is there any good reason why any
man who discharges the duty of clerk at any
desk in this city should receive less than
enough to support family in some comfort?
And will any man, who knows anything about
the matter undertake to affirm that this can
be done on less than fifteen hundred dollars a
year? should think not. Then let there be
but t,co grades--ffteen hundred and eighteen
hundred dollars, except chief clerks of depart
ments, who may receive two thousand or
twenty-five hundred dollars for aught care.
And again can any man assign any salts.
factory reason why the salaries of the heads of
departments should be increased two thousand
dollars year, while the pay of the clerks un-
der them has been actually reduced2 And
can any one show good cause why Auditors
and Comptrollers should receive three thousand
dollars per annum, and the assistants Of the
Postmaster General be kept at twenty-five
hundred dollars? All this is wrong-decidedly |
and unequivocally wrong, and Congress should |
know it and remedy it.
/ trust Messrs Editors, that the Committee
Of Retrenchment, who have this subject before
them, and whose honorable chairman know
entertains correct views on the subject, will |
act with speed and promptness in devising
some plan for the present relief so urgently
demanded, as well as for the future control Of
the departments in respect to salaries.
ALPHA.