Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-18
HOPING FOR A RAISE
CLERKS TRUST THAT THE PRO-
POSED INCREASE WILL COME.

with the discouragng report that it
cost the average person s. more to live
during the month of November than it did
during the month of October, the PROPOSE
ton to raise the pay of the government
clerical force in Washington comes as a
cheering sequel" said veteran treasury
clerk to a Star reporter.
THE present scale of clerical salaries in
the executive departments in this city has
been in force so long that none of US can
recall when it was first placed in opera
tion-several decades ago, at least, and
more likely a couple of genera tons
'The antiquity of the act goes back in
corresponding ratio to the increase in the
cost of living, and government employees
feel this increased cost as well as those
engaged in other pursuits. In an official
report from the Post Office Department
mention was recently made that some of
the salaries paid those in this branch of
the service were small and out of all pro-
portion to the services rendered, and that
the standard of wages in this branch was
fixed thirty and forty years ago
The same statement holds true as to
the pay in the navy and army, but the
army OF clerks in this city should not be
overlooked in the general proposition of
a general increase all along the line. The
increase in pay of 10 per cent to the en-
ployes of the Washington navy yard is the
hrst local governmental recognition of the
increased pay movement, which has now
become so widespread in this country.
An increase of 20 per cent in the pay
of the clerical governmental force in this
city would not be out of reason, though
as great body the clerks would be glad
to receive the regulation 10 per cent The
government force all over the country is
not a Well-paid class of workers as is
equal. No better Illustration of this fact
could be afforded than in a recent trial in
one of the United States courts in New
YORK. The opposing counsel in a govern
arguments a fee as large as the yearly
salary of the judge who tried the case
An increase of 10 per cent means an in
crease of only 500 per thousand. 1 have
never seen an estimate of the average SAL
airy of the clerks in the departments, but
it cannot be nearly as large as an outsider
would suppose. There are thousands in
the $500 and less grade, and still many
more thousands in the 81 900 grade Some
of the departments, especially the War and
Navy departments, are filled with these
low-grade salaries, hence the anxiety and
the efforts on the part of the clerks in
these two departments to seek transfer to
other departments where there is more OPP
portunity for promotion.
In fact, so great are the efforts of the
clerks in these two departments in particu-
lar to get off the rolls thereof to the rolls
of the other departments that all sorts of
rules and restrictions have been made to
prevent these transfers. Of course this is
a condition of affairs which should not be
allowed to exist, and there ought to be
more uniformity in the establishing of the
different grades of clerks in all of the vari-
Gus departments to the end that there
would be inducements for experienced
clerks to remain once they entered a de-
partment. This inequality of salaries
could be adjusted by Congress, for there is
no just reason why clerks in one depart
ment should be paid $3.50, $40 and 5000 for
performing about the same grade of work
for which the government pays $1,000,
81 200 and 81 400 in other departments.
Compared with the aggregate number
of clerks in the various departments those
who receive 81, 400 and over, very small
and clerks a great rule nowadays reach
those grades only after long years of wait
ing and continuous service. In the happy
go-lucky days of yore when outsider
could be taken into the departments and
given a 81 800 position despite his ignor-
ance of the work, things were different.
Now when a clerk reaches that grade he
is an expert at the particular work at
which he is engaged, am had he applied
the same attention and years to outside.
pursuits he might command much higher
remuneration.
"All through the departments the general
theme of conversation now is the hoped
for increase, and the clerks trusting
that the congressional lightning will get
busy and strike right quick"