The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-10
OLD, BUT BY NO MEANS USELESS
REPORT on AGED CLERKS IN
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENTS.
Oniy Ten Out OF 1929 Rated as ACCOM-.
plishlng Nothing Vast Majority Fairly
Emclent-Hundreds OF Men Past 20
Who Can.DO a Good Days Work.

WASHINGTON, June 9.-Under instruc-
tons from President Roosevelt, the United
States Civil Service Commission has CON-
piled statistics relative to old age In the
Federal departmental service. The Presi-
dents action was the outcome Of the recent
! discussion in Congress- over the proposal
to drop from the rolls all clerks more than
/ 10. and to reduce the pay of others regarded
a. superannuated.
In order to got accurate data on the
subject the President directed the COM
mission to obtain from all the departments
the fullest Information as to employ ees
65 wears of age and more, the quantity and
the quality of the work performed'y them,
the method of entering the service, salary,
and whether in each case the employee
vas a war veteran or not.
The whole number Of employees in the
derartment. at Washington is about %, 700,
while those who are AT least G5 number
1926. OF this number only l27, or less than
8 Der cent, entered tho service through
examination, and as A Of these entered
through the section Of the Revised Statutes
| giving pre- erence to veterans injured in
the service. there are left s3. or only 3 per
! cent. who were appointed through strictly
competitive examination,
As to the character Of work performed
hv these old fellows it is shown that 70
! veterans and 81 civilians arc engaged in
| work of an executive character; SO veterans
| and 90 civilians in prof e~ssional, technical
| or scientific work; 1873 veterans and 800
| civilians in clerical duties; 90 veterans and
12l civilians in work Of a mechanical nature,
22s veterans and 90 civilians in work of n
snh-clerical character, and l6 veterans and
40 civilians are employed as unskilled
laborers,
The showing on efficiency is the feature OF
the report. 1t tends to mitigate the inn
preston that the Governments work .
suf aring severely at the hands of aged n
competents.
Efficiency was determined by quantity
marked in tenths, with ten-tenths to repre-
sent the amount performed by a thoroughly
competent clerk, and by quality. graded
as poor, fair, average, good and excellent.
The work of 90 old employees is rated as
Door, of PSI as fair, of 229 as average, of 8S2
ga good and of s74 as excellent.
As to the amount Of work performed,
10 are rated as accomplishing nothing, 2 az
doing one-tenth Of the amount required;
s, -tenths; @, three-tenths; 20, four-tent.ls;
l24, fve-tenths; 1871, six-tenths; 230, seven
| teaths; 357, eight-tenths; 275, nine-tenths,
while 42l are given rs performing ten
tenths, or all Of the work to bs expected of
| the most efficient employee.
When combinations are made Of quantity
and quality Of work performed it is found
! that 27O employees accomplish all the work
assigned them in an excellent manner 222
! do work Of a good grade and eight-tenths
p! of the amount required, and 80 on through
all the different combinations Of quantity
and quality. 1t will be seen that the old
| clerks are by no means all useless.
The commission has drawn other inter-
estine deductions. Thus it IL found that
| there are o4s employees between the ages
| of e5 and 70; that they perform 81. per cent.
of the proper amount Of work; that they
draw an average salary Of 81, 1853, and that
the "a lary adjusted to tho work performed
would be 81 ,024.
Similarly, the employees from 10 to rs
number 1876, perform 7s.4 per cent. Of their
work, receive 1920 and earn 1856; while
those over rs number 2IS, perform I'll per
cent. Of their work, draw SLIGO and earn
$S4l.
The total salaries OF all eS and over
amount to sl.s1s. 6so.5o. We're these sal