Arizona silver belt., 1906-12-02
PAY OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

In Globe and Arizona the following editorial from the Washington Post will be of interest, especially so as 1t is so difficult to secure postofiiee em- ployees at the poor price paid for the work by Uncle sam:
 Everybody in the United States, with the exception of the bureau of labor, knows that the price of living has in creased. The official report of the bu- reau of labor is supposed to furnish au thentic statistics of the cost of living, and other government bureaus, presum- ably, are expected to accept these fig ures. Yet certain increases have been allowed in the postofiice department on the ground, expressly stated, that the old rate of pay was inadequate to meet the increased cost of living. On every hand reports are made of increased wages to men engaged in railroading and industrial employment.
 The United States government, as a matter of economy as well as justice, should proceed to raise the wages of its employees in the executive departments. It has been years since the salary roll was adjusted. The salaries paid are in ridiculous disparity to the quality and quantity of the work performed. The only recognition bestowed by the gov ernment upon its faithful employees during the past few years has been an increase in the hours of labor. This move, taken in haste and without the proper investigation, was soon found to be unwise. It was contrary to the spirit of the times, which demands de- cent treatment of the worker The government gained nothing from its attempt to gouge its employees, while increasing the sense of injustice under which they worked.
 If the task of revising the salary list were as difficult as that of revising tine tariff, there might be an excuse for postponing an act of justice to govern ment employees. If business were to be upset, or if an extra session of congress were necessary, or if it were impossible to readjust salaries on basis equitable to all concerned, or if the additional pay would threaten to bankrupt the treasury, the question might be post poned. But the treasury is stuffed tni. the salary question can be settled ny congress in a paragraph, the subject is entirely free of complication, and tfe justice of the proposition is undeniab'e The Post is earnestly of the belief, after studying the matter at close range, th?I the work of the government would he increased in volume and improved i'll quality by reasonable increase of sal. ary to the workers. Governmen: em ployees are forced to the conclusion that injustice and exaction are the con trolling principles of congress in deal ing with them. We do not believe that the people of the United States arc de sirous that their employees in the eS eeutive departments should be paid less than they justly earn. In this respect congress has not reflected the sttitud' of the people, which is always on ,hC side of justice and fair play. If tht matter could be squarely set before tho people, the wages of government em ployees would be raised immediately tc a point somewhere near a parisv wit. the wages paid by private employers Sometimes, however, the people are niiS informed by politicians who sry t. make records for economy at the ex pense of justice.
 At the approaching session of con gress it would be a good thing if tLi' question were handled by statesmen n stead of politicians, with a vieV tc dealing justly with the employees. ai the government