Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-07-26
ARTICLE NO. 10.

'''' ''''N'IS Va IlulitN'iN pltS illt
whoie or any part of his time to the work
or the government, whether that govern.
ment be OF the nation, Of the state, OF
the city. of the country town, or of tho
village, is government worker, and a
member Of the public service.
Public service employees ron1mercially
speaking, are those who work for the
government as they would labor for a
mercantile house, depending upon their
salaries for a livelihood. Their number is
legion, and they grade from the street
cleaner to the Presidents privato-secrc-
tary
AT the close Of this article is n table in
which Is conveniently arranged the sal
ares paid to substantially every class OF
worker In the public service.
By those unfamiliar in the premises
nc government clerk, or other employee.
IS often supposed to enjoy what our bows
designate as SNAP" and to he overpaid
Tor his service. This impression is some
what founded on fact. but there is more
apparent than real reason for It's pre-
valence. a few government cmplovccs
nave an easy time II one considers the
small amount of clerical work which thcv
do and their limited number of working
hours. 1t Is also true that there are n
hummer OF government clerks, hut a much
smaller percentage than is usually ad-
mitted, who could not actually earn the
salary paid them If they received but ten
per cent Of their present wages
r,,. e'''"'''eIt t'Pl"Nee' as ne
,e,o, ,,,,ot, pau, ana Is nn'h Of
~ paul although tho govern
,u,,t +, ''V' o'' an average i"r the
,,,oroa,,,,, , ,""n o"'S 'he ordinary
''''o "o"Se' II the government diI
gay d "''ie more thah Is paid by bus
~ ''h"'is "ill'iltS u could not obtain
, Una" '''e invest order of clerical
NJ .'e'd"Se me government position
'is minimum OF opportunity, not
'.l,''u''S the "e'l-ostahlished and
generally executed Civil Service rules. uu-
''V P'"'''''ois are made, or
~, poS'u 10 he maze
80, -. inc government emf
P'E'' Il VI the routine sort. with little
''oh' ana 1t seldom gives opportunity
''' me eNer'Ise or any talent save the
i'"-''ee oI ialthiulnoss and accuracy He
part oi great machine. and only a
~ an 'Ud'V'duaI. he Is not iudS-
''""'' nor can ne reach this condition.
'" most cases, another can take his place
~ "I'iheh' notice The machine Of
ne ~ part IS hnt huge grind of
''EIa diS''p'he, ana tn" motion is ever
.'"S "'o"ot'h"us' Even of h. docs his
~ ''H''t expect TO be much more
'''" an 'HS'Shihcant factor. one of
go "lI"F or similar factors.
Win a number OF govern
i'P,'NeeS' representing every de-
p"ls''-e'' III Pu"i'c SERVED" thoroughly
'i'cS me mat NOR" than nine terths
o"i s"Nerh'neht clerks. who have held
49, P'7''''HS '"i more than half n dozen
ma 'AeS entered tho govern
-, 49, 'P' anu ''"t more 'han half
,,a.,,i M .eH'"S "ou'h resign their
'i'' experience were sutfi-
give mem fa!r opportunity of
'"i'''"s "ork IN mercantile establish
o'u'"a'E government employee,
mas one advantage over the
w commerce; for under the pres
"''Nice system, he is likely to
'''' P'S''''h permanently. If he re-
'o''i'''ent ana faithful. he is rea-
''' '""' oi systematic promotion,
H UP - d o"nntolY defined point.
a,,,,,,,n, the h'Eh"r salarod gov
p'S''lo'' although nominally
,.s,,a.. ~ '"o "'o'P'ed rules of pro-
,,o,,a'o az 'io1u""tlF manipulated by
,botr ,,,...t.''' !" P'""'al pun, and
'"Vi "ruihpehts are not certain Of their
,o-ras a. my are iIkeIy to he trans
'o OF thrown out altogether.
Inc hoy with ambition. competent Ia
u" moro IMAM clerical work, should
h''P away from the government service.
"e boy VINO Is methodical. faithful. with
some clerical capacity and with little
""'"'''Uh, IS p'rhaps. better off in the en-
'''N "i INC government than he would he