The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-08-04


I opposite view from that OF his two
/ chiefs. his sympathies naturally being
more allied with the men in the
/ ranks" Speaking OF the situation. he
said.
/ 7 don't think I am biased. although
] I am clerk myself, and, OF course, at
/ the beginning was near the bottom OF
/ the list. / have studied the conditions.
and looking at the situation from the
/ view Of the clerk as well as from the
/ Government point OF view, / am con-
WINGED the new system is unfair TO the
! civil service men, particularly those in
the lower grades in departments where
pay IS good. ! am sure injustice Is
/ bound 20 result TO many Of them.
! For instance, the Navy Department
I "a constantly taking in bright young.
men as stenographers at navy yards
/ and other points over the country. at
/ boys. many Of whom are given posts
I in isolated communities. at once are
planted down IN a rut, and they have
little hope Of getting out. There is not
/ a large number OF clerks in the navy,
/ as compared 10 some OF the other de-
paTtments. and chances Tor promotion
/ are few. There are many instances
! where these young men have been held
| down In isolated communities for years
/ at $50 or $40 the month, patiently
awaiting an opportunity 10 get up.
Only Need a Chance.
7 have in mind a number Of in
/ stances where the Navy held men down
/ in ruts. and when they finally managed
/ 10 get out even into other depB rtments,
/ they climbed right up and are among
/ he best men in the service today" con
tinued Mr.. Doyle. Here is one in
stance which IS a fair illustration. 4
/ bright young man ga the country. with
college education, was attracted 10 the
navy by advertisements for men in that
/ service. He passed a good examination
as steuOgTapheT but he went into @he
navy at several dollars less the month
than he could have gotten had he
taken the opportunity he had TO enter
/ the Agricultural Department He
thought he would soon work right up
and probably travel on big battlcships
70 good foreign posts. He soon learned
differently. He made good from the
start and was soon recognized by his
immediate chief as a valuable man.
This immediate chief had no better
place 20 give him. and he would nO-
recommend him 20 another division
where there We're better opportunities
for he didn't wish 10 lose good man
Finding he could not get q recommended
ton 20 another place in the department.
he began TO look around outside The
PostOtftCc Department was looking for
good men. but the Navy strenuouslv op-
posed the transfer. and managed 10
hold him out OF the place FOR several
months.
He had been in the service over two
years then. still plugging away at about
eco daily-abOut 70 cents higher than
he began. Under the present law. he
would have been compelled 10 finish his
three years in the Navy before pr0cur-
ing a transfer. But he firally broke
away and began work in the PostOfice
Department at $1,000 per year. That
may sound strange. but it's true.
Helped the Government.
some put up the argument that such
a case was against the Government. as
in favor OF the employe. as he obtain
ed that mitch more money. I hold dit
ferently. It no doubt was 10 the ad-
vantage OF both the Government and
the employe. The Postoffice Department
needed Just such a man. and il woula
not have paid that money II he had no;
been worth il"
Asked what solution Of the situation
might be offered, Mr. Doyle said:
Congress should grade the salaries
IN the different departments so that
man in one should obtain exactly the
same h2ure Tor a given class Of work
that he could in any other. That wouII
greatly reduce the demand for trans
fcrs- Any Way. il would eliminate
money as an object for transferring.
and that has always been one OF rhe
leading reasons.
"Of csarse. a clerk may think he can
work up quicker ia another department.
may like the kind Of work better. or n
is more convenient to his home, or he
may have a number Of friends there
and his present environment may be un.
COngenial. For either reason, he NAV
become sadly dissatisfied. and a dissat-
istied clerk is never worth the money
he is drawing. For the good of the
service, he should be let out or trans.
TERED where he will find his work
agreeable. and deliver the goods"
Keeps Recruits Away.
Mr. Doyle declared that the new law
would result in great difficulty to obtain
recruits TO the service.
Already, under the old system of
easy transfers, men were leaving rather
than stay III Tuts A good man can
nearly always obtain more money with
private concerns or corporations than
he can with the Government and when
he finds promotion uncertain and that
he Will likely spend the remainder OF !
his days IN a rut, to work up in the end |
20 s2001 or 5000 at the most, naturally. /
he wants to break away, and get out
where he can accomplish something ]
The Government has been his school, /
has Maid him while teaching him and