Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-24
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Its Possibilities and Drawbacks to a
Young Man.

What do 1 think of the civil branch OF
the government as a career for young
men"' repeated a veteran departmental
official who has worked his way to his
present position from the lowest grade of
clerkshp, to a Star man this morning.
That is a good question to be answered
fairly from three points of view Consider
ing the number of applications for posi-
lions through the civil service. ana. dur
ing the existence of the spells system
through influence. the civil branch Of the
government service would appear to be
very much in favor.
First, taking the affirmative, the gov
eminent pays higher salaries for certain
grades of clerical labor than in ordinary
business life, say, in the general offices
of railroad or an express company. but
not the higher salaries to be obtained in
these offices, and TO which all employees
therein may reasonably aspire In the gov
eminent service the maximum grade Of
ordinary clerkship is 81 800. with a few
positions in some of the departments. 1t is
generally accepted, however, except in the
few instances noted, that when a clerk
gets into the 81 800 grade his limit has
been reached as regards pay. and It Is to
that grade to which all government clerks
so expectantly look. These $.SO places
are comparatively few, and the 81 600 grade
is considered a good niche in which TO lie
after years of service. Some departments
contain more of these higher grades than
others, while in the War Department the
places above the 81 200 grade are limited
and are reached only after many years of
continuous service. You will usually find
old and experienced clerks In the two high
er grades mentioned, and they have earned
their promotion by years of long service
and the possession of a good general Rnowl-
edge of their work, except in the instances
of favoritism. Therefore, the great bulk
of government clerks lodge in the 81, 400
and lower grades. there are twenty 81, 000
places provided for in the general depart
mental appropriation bills as against one
$500 or three 81 600 places for an offhand
but plain example.
The pay is certain, and. If clerk minds
his or her own business and attends to his
or her duties faithfully, the position Is
practically for life. But now comes the
unpleasant part of it all. AS old age over
takes the clerk he may look forward to
three inevitable things, first, reduction in
salary, perhaps gradual, perhaps sudden,
but certain second dismissal for physical
incapacity or other causes, and third, res
ignation to escape either of the first two
contingencies. In the naval and army
branches of the United States government
service these contingencies do not exist in
the sense used here, and those who serve
the government in these two branches may
look forward to retirement, or pension in
effect with good pay in their declining
years In the service of other great ma
tons the civil employees are not turned out
into the street when they have given up
the best years of their life to their coun-
try as old horses are turned out into a
lot to die, but retire on short, but usually
sufficient pay to carry them comfortably
to their graves.
Second, such is the career to which
young man may look forward to when he
enters the civil branch of the government.
maximum earning capacity of S1,S00 per
annum does not strike me as being much
of career for young man to contem-
plate with burning fervor. If he has good
education. ambition and a reasonable
amount of ability Were there more fire.
quent opportunities to rise to the higher
grades of officials there would be an in
centive to stimulated action and an
augmented desire to reach out into the
future which does not exist, for ones am
bition must necessarily subside to an APP
probable degree when the 1880 grade is
attained The higher grades, with the few
exceptions noted, are filed mostly from the
outside. If it Were possible. for example.
to reach from the ranks the grade of an
assistant secretary, then real ability would
count if an equitable system or promotion
were in force which is not the case. Yet
these last named places pay only from 81
600 to 5000 a year, and be is a poor sales
man who cannot make this sum on the
road. Chiefs Of divisions receive pay from
50 600 TO $500, but these places are also
comparatively few. Many are filled by
men who have risen from the ranks, while
there are others who received original ap-
pointmentS thereto ana SICK VI course,
upon a change of administration 30 per
cent of these chiefs would go down the
reduction scale, out entirely, and there
would be corresponding sweeping scale
of reductions among the clerks of the fol-
lowers of the formerly dominant party who
held the higher grades, and the advance
ment of the other fellows OF the opposite
and the triumphant party.
Third, to young men l always say, If
YOU wish short hours, combining and exact
ing. but not killing work, and if your
ambition does not soar above probable IN
come of 81 400 a possible income of 81 800
or 81 500 and an improbable income of
few hundreds above the last named grade,
the government service is for you if you
can get in it, otherwise, go into bust
ness or a profession in which there are
possibilities depending only upon your own
obi ~