The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-15
o0srLY -ADMrNIsTRATI0N.

WASHINGTON, March i4.-The Houss
Committee on Appropriations has beer
engaged this winter In a valiant but seem
ingly hopeless struggle In the Interest Of
the American people. 1t is an open secret
that no commercial enterprise would or
even could be conducted on the lines en-
ployed in the departments In Washington
This House committee has been trying 70
find what thoss lines are, where the weak
places are and how to correct the now
strongly entrenched and admitted evils,
The features Of greatest prominence in
the investigation appear to be employees
whose advanced age impairs their efficiency,
and inequalities In rates Of pay. Speaking
on the latter point on Tuesday Represen-
tative Littauer said.
Forces OF men receiving salaries at 5000. V'OOc
and 81. 200. and even $500 a year, perform exaouy
the same service. We md that a clerk WORKING
al $1,000 viii perform Just the same work that ne
does when In the course OF years he has been pro,
NOTED TO 81. 200, 81, 400 or 81, 800, II the conduct OF
our service could be the same as that which obtains
in the great manufacturing and trading concerns
In the country or the railroads the service OF tne
country could be conducted by three -fourths' OF
the force now employed and at practically HUI
more than half the cost.
The question Of superannuated clerks
has created some- little stir in Washington
As a result Of it's Investigations the COM
mittee reported, and the House Is now con-
sidering, a proposal that
After June 80. 1905, there shall not be employed
In any executive department or other Government
| establishment in tho District OF Columbia, any per
son In the CLASSIFIED service who Is 65 years OF age
and under 6s years OF age at g rate OF annual com.
pensation exceeding 81. 400. OF who iB os years oil
age and under 70 years Of age az a rate OF annual
compensation exceeding 200, or who Is over u
years Of age at a rate Of annual compensation ex'
ceedinR $40: and after June 30. 1918. no person In
the classified service shall be continued In the EN-
ployment of any such executive department oil
other Government establishment who has attained
70 years Of age.
Both Of these features involve e purely
business proposition. Year after year the
country is called Upon to pay large sums
! OF money to clerks who are either super
luous or inef1 oient. Proposals to weed
them out, economic and improve the
service run against political influence in
some cases and general sympathy in others.
1t Ia admitted that the Law is violated fire.
quently and ~iagrantly, but as no penalty
is provided nothing can be done about it.
The committee finds much to blame in the
conduct of heads Of departments and bu-
reaus, but there appears to be at present
no power Of correction.
The Keep Commission started on a vigor-
GUS campaign to unearth just these evils.
Very little has been heard Of it for some
time. The appropriation bill as submitted
by the committee lops of some lob" APP
pointments and equalizes the pay of some
lines Of service. Thus, twenty-five 81 900
clerks and three $500 clerks are dropped in
the Pension Bureau. The Capitol police
have been receiving, for the very same
service, some 5000, some 5000 and some
81 100. The new bill fixes the salary OF
all at 81 ,O2O. The bill carries a call for
S2e, 1874, lsl 80, which is 81 1856 ,572 rs less than
was asked by the department heads. This
is an increase Of nearly 40 per cent. over
| the appropriation Of 1890.
Here is a rich and promising field for the
energies Of exposers and revealers. The
testimony submitted by Secretary Taft,
Secretary Hitchcock. Secretary Bonaparte,
the Commissioners Of Patents, the Commits
! sioner OF Pensions and Librarian Putnam
is interesting and very suggestive.