St. Tammany farmer., 1906-08-25
HOLDS 4! OUT LITTLE. ri 1 E

HOLDS OUT LITTLE.
GOVERNMENT SERVICE NOT
CALLING TO BE DESIRED.
Salaries Small and Promotion Slow.
Work Units Men for Business
Life in the World.
I'm debate at the capitol concern
ing the employees of the civil branch.
of the government stress was laid
upon the eagerness with which these
positions are sought by the public at
large; that they were positions en-
failing no work, and they were upon
the whole referred to in uncompli-s
mentary terms, remarked Z veteran
employe of the treasury department
''It is to be regretted that these
structures upon our civil employees
cannot be replied to at length and in
detail, but permitting q general denial
to suffice, allow me 70 call attention
to this act: It was thought to Pc re-
2markable because there are 80 many
for government positions.
Men who have a knowledge OF the
employment of ether men know that
these applications are about in pro-
portion to the number of vacancies TO
be filed, and that this same rule
holds true as to railroads and the
employees In other callings. Thus, it
is an acknowledged fact that where
one railroad man is killed or dis
charged there are so ready to step.
into his shoes. An advertisement for
help in certain trades and businesses
will bring hundreds Of responses.
And rs to the desirability OF gov,
sernment clerical work as . life occu-i
patton let me say that although men
seek these positions, IL is q calling
which should be the very last for any
young man to enter#who has - ambi-f
tions higher than Q graded salary. To
those who feel that comfortable Hv-
ing will answer their life demands 1t
is a good occupation to go into In the
lower grades and to work up to the
higher on due course Of promotion.
In most occupations the financial
limit of human attainments is not cir
cumscribed, above the purely clerical
level, but in the government civil SER
vice about $1,000 year is the aver
age limit to the yearly income. per-
haps it is even less than this, and l
would not be surprised that it is. The
positions paying $500 can almost be
counted on the two hands in most of
the departments. There is a little
more liberality in the $1,000 grade, a
shade more in the $1,400 grade, but
the great bulk, the thousands and
thousands of clerks and employees are
in the 5000 and $1,000 grades, or
lower. "a
"As compared with farmland labor
this is liberal pay, but in many of the
trades and manual ~callings tits not.
In ordinary course of promotion to
the average clerk it takes many years
to get up to the $1,000 grade, where
he fingers for many years more, and
often stops there for good, as the
small number of places in the three
next succeeding grades of necessity
limits their filing. When the aver
age clerk reaches the $1,400 grade
the percentage of a promotion to the
two very limited upper grades Is in
proportion to their number very
small in proportion to the great high
bank of the thousands Of lower grades
behind them. .s4ss,y--.s-s..-
"The whole character of the gov
ernment work has changed within
recent years. It is now very exact
ing and confining with a great deal
to do; the day of the government
snap passed several years ago.
There is now constant strain and
pressure, under which the work is
put out The rules are very rigid,
and every day are becoming more
so. Some officials lie awake nights
planning ways to cut down the cubic
breathing space Of their forces. Every
year spent in government service
makes man the more unified to 60
out into other pursuits, for the reason
that the knowledge. and it Is know
ledge that he acquires while In o1ice,
IL as "a rule worthless in other cali
ings. / repeat that 1t is not AN occu-
patton with possibilities beyond mere
ly fair or good wages depending upon
whether one is in the upper or lower
grades" E.sss .z{=.5