Evening star., 1901-08-09
INCREASE OF WORK
Auditor for the Navy Finds Salaries
of Clerks Inadequate.
ACCOUNTS AND CLAIMS SETTLED
Wants Temporary Employees Po-
sitions Made Permanent.
TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

Mr.. W. w. Brown, the auditor for the
Navy Department, has submitted his an
nual report for the fiscal year ended June
30 to Secretary Gage Auditor Brown says
that the continued accesslons to the navy
and to the marine corps, and the large
number of vessels in commission, with
consequent additional expenditures, have
greatly increased the volume of work in
his office. This has been disposed Of with
diligence and promptness
During the fiscal year ending June 80.
1901, there were settled 6,695 accounts and
claims. During the same period there were
examined 159,65S vouchers, as against 147.-
1876 the previous year. while the amounts
allowed were $74,649, 1922, as against $751;
971, ,OO0.73 for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1900. This shows an increase of more
than per cent in vouchers examined over
last year, and 50 per cent over the fiscal
year 1899, and an increase of allowances
over last year of 267S 115. 40.
The decrease in the number OF claims
settled is attributable to the fact that In 1910
there were over 5000 two months extra
pay" claims settled, incident to the Spanish
war. compelling the detail of five clerks
from other divisions to expedite their set
tlement. These clerks, since the decrease
of the pressure on the claims division,
have been returned to the accounting di-
visions, where their services are necessary.
Nearly twice the number of prize claims
were settled this year as there were last
The distributive lists of twenty-five prizes
have been prepared, in which fifty vessels
Of the navy participated.
Clerks Not Well Paid.
Auditor Brown has this to say of the
salaries of clerks in his office:
I'm total of fifty-nine clerks this office
has but two at 81 800, while the auditor
for the State Department has twelve in a
total force of fifty-four, and the auditor
for the Treasury Department has seven
teen in total force of sixty-six. I do not
ask for so large proportion Of clerks OF
that grade. though the work of the office
would seem to Justify 1t. but each OF the
three chiefs of division should have an as
sistant at 81 800, and the three principal
revising clerks of the office should also re-
ceive that compensation. In the lower
grades are clerks who perform duties of
the most valuable and responsible charac-
ter. such as would elsewhere be compen-
sated with $1,GO0 or $1.SOO per annum, who
have been long time In their present
grades and still have no visible prospect OF
promotion. The low salaries at the enter
ing grades and the prospect of slow ad-
vancement make it difficult to secure the
proper class Of employees or to keep them
when they have found out how they are
situated"
Tables are submitted to show the ine-
quality of salaries in the various auditors
Offices According tc these tables the aver
age annual salary Of clerks in the Office OF
the various auditors is as follows:
Auditor for Treasury Department, 81 AL !;
auditor State Department, 81 ,43S: auditor
Interior Department, 1889; auditor War
Department, $1.37s; auditor Navy Depart
Commenting on these figures, Mr.. Brown
says:
To Equa1fze Salaries.
'The tables submitted show that the reg
ular force Of this ofyice received an aver
age salary of $151 less than the best paid
$40 less than the poorest paid, and 500
less than the average paid in the other
four auditors offices, and that the tempo
rary force Of this Office receives an average
salary of 1854 less than is paid to the tenn
porary force Of the auditor for the War De-
partment. If the Office is classified as indi-
Gated in the two columns Of the preceding
table, headed Auditor for the Navy De-
partment If equalized, the regular force
will receive almost exactly the average
salary paid in the other four auditors Of
fees named. and the temporary force will
receive somewhat less.
There is nothing in the nature Of the
business Of this Office to justify the dis
elimination in the matter of salaries that
has been pointed out. On the contrary. I
doubt If there Is in the whole range of the
auditing work Of this department body Of
laws and regulations SO difficult of con-
struction and application as those relating
to the navy, with which this Office has to
deal.
FnvOrs Permanent Force.
II renew my recommendation OF last
year In relation to the temporary roll, that
the temporary force be made permanent
and incorporated with the regular force
Since the temporary force was authorized
more than two years ago, large aumber
of persons have been on the roll, but by a
process Of elimination of undesirable clerks
the present force of nineteen has survived
and constitutes q decided element of
strength in the Office. They are in the
main young, intelligent, quick and indus
trious, and have become well instructed in
their duties. This force would be still
stronger If several of the most desirable
temporary clerks had not secured transfers
to offices where they were wanted because
of their capacity, and where they desired
to go for the better compensation they.
could secure. The continued enlargement
of the navy precludes the possibility Of
this office ever doing it's work with fewer
clerks than it's present combined force Of
regular and temporary employees. and it
will improve the efficiency of the office to
place them all on the permanent roll''