Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-14
HIGH GLASS FINANcIERING
low a Government Bureau Chief OBJ
tanned the Salary for an
Extra Clerk

The tables adopted by the govern
ment on July l, 1904, for determining
the salaries of its various employees are
fearfully and wonderfully made, is the
view Of many clerks who received pro-
motion In the latter part of the month OF
February, says the Washington Star
For instead Of receiving more pay on
the last day of the month, they actually
received less than If they had not been
promoted at all. The anomaly is &C
counted for in this way:
A $1,000 clerk serving for the full
month of February would receive one
twelfth Of 81, 600, or 1888; but if pro-
NOTED on February % to $1,000, he
would then receive twenty-seven-thir-
tieths of 1888 ($12O) and one-thirtieth
of $3.50 ($5), or total Of $125 for the
entire month. He would thus lose 1888
by being promoted.
The possibilities of the thing are best
illustrated by recent occurrence in
one Of the government bureaus, where
the clerks are paid from lump appro-
priation. The official in charge found
that he needed the services of an addi-
tional clerk for the month of February
He thereupon made application to the
head of his department for authority to
employ one at the rate of 5000 per an
mum. That official, upon investigation.
found that the state of the appropriation
would not warrant such an expenditure,
and so advised his subordinate. The
latter, however, was not discouraged,
and set about to find way to get
around the obstacle He did it in this
way:
On the first day of February he ap-
pointed Buster Brown at a salary of
1900 He waited until near the end of
The month before he set the machin-
cry in operation to raise the $50 re-
luired to pay Buster his salary, and
this is the way it was done.
He selected from the roster Of clerks
in his Office one clerk in each grade to
be promoted to the next higher grade on
the last day of the month, the promo
tons to be for only one day. Thus, VIII.
lie Virgins, a 81, 500 clerk, was promoted
to 81 800, and he forfeited $3.50 for the
privilege. John Jones was advanced
from $1,4O0 to $1,000 and 1t cost him
1923. Reggie Reynolds was elevated to
$1.400 from $1,000, and he had to stand
his landlady off to the tune Of $611 on
his board bill. Birdie Buckeyes was
popular in the bureau and she went up
from $1,000 to $1,000 but BRIDES pin
money was shy just IS the next month
rs a consequence. Chollie Chugwater
lost S472 by going from 5000 to $1,000,
and Carrie Nation forfeited collateral
to the amount of $3.50 when she found
that she had accepted an advance from
SS40 to 5000. Billy Bright discovered
that his jump from $3.50 to $S40 had de-
pleted his bank account to the amount Of
SALT and Hank Hankinson found that
his good fortune in being promoted from
$720 to $3.50 had netted him a loss of
$3.50. The last of the unfortunates was
George Washington, the messenger,
who paid $3.50 for a gold brick in the
shape of a promotion from $500 to 1920.
This made nine promotions in the
bureau, but still the amount saved was
only SAL. 39, or 81. 81 less than the amount
required to pay Buster his salary of $50.
How was that S261 to be raised?
Nothing easier. Buster himself was
promoted to $500, and thereby received
only $46S3, or $9.17 less than he would
have received had he remained in the
$500 class for that one day, and the Off
cial in charge of the bureau had Sc cents
left over for necessary incidental
items"
Ten promotions were made and the
services Of an additional clerk for one
month were gained and the government
came out Sc cents ahead Of the game by
means Of the salary tables authorized by
for use Of the government de-
partments.