The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-04
THE INsIGNIFICANCE OF FEDERAL
EMPLOYMENT.

IL they should think of it, those who read
newspapers or listen to the drift of CONVEX
ss.tion about public offices would come to
the conclusion that much more attention is
given to positions in the public service than
they are entitled to.
Counting federal offices of every descrip-
ton in Indiana, there are not over $500 po-
sitions in the federal service of which 1900
are postoffices. The compensation of three
fourths of the postmasters is not sufficient
to support family a month In the United
States the whole number of officials, clerks
and employees, from President to floor
scrubber in postoffice is not 100000. More
than half these positions no man having a
family to support in any sort of comfort
could accept. The number of positions in
the civil service in which the compensation
is ST. 600 year and upwards does not exceed
10000. These include railway mail clerks
and city carriers who receive 81 900 a year
or more. Thus it must appear that the
amount Of money paid as compensation to
public employees ard the number of men
who can he employed in them is really in
significant
For arguments sake assume that the
number of positions in the federal govern
ment to which Indiana is entitled by virtue
of population, paying $500 year and up
wards. is 1000 In the last presidential
election 639,5ll votes were poled in the
State. This would be one federal office
worth $500 and upwards to every $40 voters,
or, if the places should be distributed on
the basis of the Republican vote. there
would be one place to every 16l Mckinley
voters. If all the positions in the country
paying $500 year and over should be given
to the party which came into power March
4, not one in $50 of the 100000 men who
voted for Mckinley could be given place.
The patronage in states, counties, and par
ticularly in cities. means q great deal more
even in this State.
Upon the basis of facts and figures it
must appear that altogether too much i'm
portance is given to employment which the
federal government affords, since all the
places affording the smallest compensation
could not give per cent. of the 10000
who voted in the last election a hope of re-
ward in that direction. Thus, it must ap-
pear that parties must look to something
else than what some are pleased to style
1.-THE spoils of Office" to hold them to-
gether.
Since the defeat of Organism thousands
of factories have started up in all parts of
the country, giving full employment to tens
of thousands of men who were idle and
employment to thousands more on half
time New York papers opposed to the Re
publican policy reported last September,
that the number of unemployed men who
would labor had not been so small for
years. The wages of workers in all lines of
industry have been increased 10 per cent.
or more, and they are twenty times as nu-
merous as the government employees from
highest to lowest. The increased compen-
sation of the wage earners of the country
the present month is more than the entire
salary list Of the United States for year.
And yet it might be inferred from the space
given by newspaper kilograms to the an
nouncement of appointments in the civil
service that the government exists for the
sole purpose of employing all its people.