Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-14
AFTER THE CLERKS.
Mr.. Dockery's Commission Making
Thorough Inquiry.
SALARIES ON A BUSINESS BASIS
Some Reductions Which It is
Said Will Be Recommended.
4 FIGHT IN CON RESS.

The congressional joint departmental
commission which will meet the 9th of
this month, as announced in The Star yes
terday, Will take up for active considera-
ton questions coming under these heads,
viz: Efficiency Of clerical force. work of divi-
sions and salaries of clerks. These sub
jects will embrace a wide field of action
and 1t Is expected that the outcome will
be some radical recommendations Of
changes to be made, which recommenda-
tions will take form in the shape Of pro-
visions In the legislative appropriation bill.
The questions of work Of divisions and
salaries are expected to furnish good mate
rial for action. The business experts em-
ployed by the commission are now making
examinations of various departments for
the purpose of ascertaining where consoli-
dations of divisions can be made with bene-
mt to the public business and to weed out
or combine divisions whose duties are light.
AS to salaries, a closer scrutiny will be
necessary. 1t will be endeavored to ascer-
tain the duties of each clerk, and whether
his duties and responsibilities are COM
mensurate with his salary. For instance.
II clerk Is performing light duties and
drawing big salary, If he is being paid
81 200 per year for work that a person EN-
ployed at $500 could do, the commission
wants to know it, and 1t is safe to say that
when discovered the discrepancy will be
changed.
Mr.. DOckery Talks.
Congressman Dockery who is chairman
and one of the prime spirits of the commits
sion, in speaking upon this point. said to
a Star reporter today:
I'VE want to have the government pay
Its salaries In the same manner that
private business firm does. II you should
apply to a banker for position and value
your services at 81, 200 per year, he would not
take you II the duties of the position were
such as could be filled by a man whom
he could get for 5000. Your services might
be worth 81, 200 to another man who wanted
duties performed whose responsibilities
rendered such a salary commensurate. but
to that banker 1t is $500 place, and he
Is going to NIL IL with a $500 man and not
pay more. Now that Is just what the gov
ernment ought to do.
OF course. it may be that way already
said Mr. Dockery, with fine irony in his
tone 1t may be that In each department
the high salaried clerks perform the great
est amount of work. but"-and here he
paused, while the but" seemed to open the
door to wide range of possibilities Then
he added: But we want to know of a
surety IL such Is the fact and IT, perchance,
1t should not be fact, then 1t may be pos
sible to remedy it,
Some Reductions Recommended.
1t is claimed that examinations thus far
made by the experts show that there can be
many reductions made In salaries, cutting
off high salaries now paid clerks for the
performance of mere mechanical duties and
employing others for such work. who would
be glad to do 1t at a salary better appor-
toned TO the degree of labor. 1t is also
said that many Instances have already been
found where whole divisions can be consoli-
dated or abolished.
1t is said that the sixth auditors office
furnishes pNamDlp
of dispensing and consolidating divisions.
ana that in the asserting division, where
clerks have to assert and arrange money
orders of the Post Office Department,
changes can be made in salaries. 1t is re-
ported that the experts have already re-
commended dispensing with the services of
forty-one clerks in the sixth auditors office
five clerks in the finance division of
the third assistant postmaster generals
office, five clerks In the office of the super
intendent of the money order system, and
two chiefs of division in the sixth auditors
office, resulting in yearly saving of Sl35,
00U in salaries.
There is no doubt, however 1t is thought
the carrying into effect of these recommen-
dations Will meet with vigorous opposition
on the floor of the House, for there Is al
ways strong sentiment against reducing the
clerical force of any of the departments.
and the dropping of such a considerable
number, 1t is believed, cannot be effected
without a fight.
The Experts at Work.
The experts who have been employed
by the joint commission are ]. w. Rein
hart, c. w. Haskins and E. w. Sells. Mr..
Reinhart is president of the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa F'e Railroad Company and
Is said to be man of executive ability
whose experiences in managing the affairs
of great railroad is expected to stand
him in good stead in the present case. He
gives, however, only a general supervision
to the work of his colleagues. Mr.. Has
kins is auditor and public accountant.
He has been at the head of the accounting
departments of large corporations, includ-
ing the Nicaragua Canal Construction Co.,
the Augusta Iron Co., the Charleston Ter
minal Railway Co. and others. Mr.. Sells
Is also an accountant, having been auditor
of the Colorado Midland Railway Co. and
connected with the Oregon Railway and
Navigation Company and other corpora
tions.
Chairman Dockery said today that the
commission may make fifty sixty sepa-
rate reports before it finishes it's work.
The members find that the work grows
upon them, and that new fields are opened
up day by day and new suggestions OBJ
tained Mr.. Dockery said that the commits
sion is by no means smelling committee
going around looking for possible mares
nests but it Is organized solely for busi-
ness purposes. The members have received
anonymous communications from many
persons ventilating petty matters of depart
mental life, but attention is paid to
them. The commission is not clearing
house for personal grievances and feuds,
and no notice will be taken of alleged scan
dals discovered through anonymous COM
munications. If any one knows of clear
and avows them the commission, Mr.. Dock
cry says will look into them, but it has
no time for trivial grievances.
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