Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-14
Reducing the Working Force.

that complaints will be placed before them
by a number of discontented officeholders.
Reducing the Working Force.
Not only have the salaries of many of the
old employees been reduced, but the new
commission has adopted the expedient of
cutting down the working force as a means
of curtailing expenses. A number Of clerks
who found employment under the old ad-
ministration have been dismissed outright
and several offices considered useless have
been abolished. New officers have been ap-
pointed to take the place of those In charge
under the Walker regime, with the result
that the present executive force Is almost
an entirely new set of officials. The busi-
ness methods in vogue last year have been
replaced by system similar to that under
which the work OF the bureau OF lnSuia1
affairs is carried on.
These changes have been in progress
since Mr.. Shonts was selected to succeed
Rear Admiral John G. Walker, U. S. N, re-
tired, as chairman Of the commission. Inc
affairs Of the commission were then In
more or less disordered state 1t was found
that the former commissioner had used q
rather lavish hand in fixing the salaries OF
clerks and minor officials, and one of the
first tasks undertaken by Chairman Shonts
was a readjustment of the payroll
To supervise the reorganization of the
Office, Col. Clarence r. Edwards, chief OF
the bureau of nsular affairs, was chosen,
and he was transferred to the commission
as chief of the executive division, together
with w. Leon Pepperman, former chlef
clerk of. the bureau of insular affairs, who
was made assistant chief Of the executive
division Col. Edwards had already had
wide experience IN this line of work, having
been at the head of campaign of re-
trenchment as chief of the bureau of snsu-
lar affairs.
Pruning Of Wages.
The fruits of these changes have been
general pruning Of wages among clerks and
suboff1 cials of the commission. How extern
sive the reductions have been is shown
when It becomes known that employees who
formerly received yearly salaries of $1,000
are now getting 81 500: those who got $1,000
are receiving s1,60O, and so on dowa--the
entire list. Recently number of women
clerks in the purchasing division had their
salaries cut from $500 yearly to S74O.
Admiral A. S. Kenny. U. S. N, retired,
held the position of treasurer of the COM
mission under the former administration at
a yearly salary of 81 800. Deputy Treas
n. S. Faucet received So 900, and an
assistant to the deputy was paid 81 500. In
their place the commission now has James
G. Jester, whose salary is So 900. and who
alone does the work lately performed by
his three predecessors. The offices of dep
uty treasurer and assistant to the deputy
have been abolished. and several clerks
have been laid off for lack Of work. Thus
the expenses of the division have been cur
tailed about $4,000 annually.
Increaser Cost of Work.
While the policy of the new commission
ers has been strikingly in favor of diminish
ing the running expenses, the work as 1t is
now carried on costs the government about
ha
high salaried officials have been appointed
to the executive staff of the commission.
and number of new under employees have
been taken on. The salary paid David W.
Ross, superintendent of the purchasing divi-
sion, is $4,000. while the Office of executive
secretary created at the direction of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. carries with 1t yearly re-
muneration of a similar amount.
New Employees Favored.
Col Edwards was asked today for a
statement in regard to the general cut
ting of salaries. He said that this action
was in line with the program of the COM
mission TO curtan expenses, and had been
done in the course OF reorganizing the
methods Of the Office.
Col. Edwards Explanation.
''It is no reflection on the ability of the
persons whose salaries have been cut" he
said, 'and while we feel sorry for them
II was found necessary to revise the pay
roll arranged by the former commission. 1t
is the purpose of the commission to make
our labors like a smoothly running ma
chine and to get at this result We had to
begin by arranging a wage scale which ac-
cords with the value of the services of each
part of the machine.
I'VE have also found IL necessary to work
some of the force at night in order to per-
form the duties demanded of us satisfac-
torily. Naturally there have been some
complaints against this. and though we
don't like to work our employees too hard.
we nevertheless have TO do what is re-
quired of The statutes require that
when a chief of division cannot complete
his In he off hou hn