Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-26
new GRADES IN DEPARTMENTS
ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED BY
THE KEEP COMMISSION.
Discussion Of the Benefits and Dis
advantages Of the Proposed Plan.
Classification Difficult.

|
THE report OF the Keep commission. il
which. 1t is claimed. an average increas,
Of about 10 per cent in the salaries Of the
clerks in the departments viii be sug
gested, is awaited with decided interes
on the part Of all concerned remarked 6
Treasury Department clerk
THE proposed increase in salaries viii
be welcomed by all who will be benefited
thereby. but the proposed segregation o.
clerks into the various new grades sug
gested will work a revolution in the per
sonnet Of the clerical force. and estab
fish new arrangement IN the conduct o.
departmental affairs in general the out
come of which can be determined only BY
trial.
IAN enumeration of the various new
grades suggested shows that an attemp
has been made to classify the work II
the departments according to it's charac
ter, as judged by the commission. and II
in a measure along lines obtaining in the
navy. for example, where the government
employee enjoys pay according TO rank ane
services performed.
This would be all well enough were Il
possible for employees in the civil arm o.
the government to pass examinations an(
show qualifications for the various ad
vancing grades. as In the army and navy
but since the fitness of employees in thu
civil branch TO enjoy the advanced grades
both as to salary and assignment is to b.
decided arbitrarily by the chiefs Of divis
ions and those in power above them, thu
opportunity for preferential treatment
favoritism and Advancement on the one
hand and ill-wll and reduction on the
other Is too apparent to require extended
comment.
Difficulties Of Classification.
Though it cannot be doubted that ths
system. or rather lack Of system, existing
in the civil branch in the matter of pro
motions Is faulty and entirely too de.
pendent upon the personal favor or dis
favor in which individual clerks stand
with their chiefs, the suggested grades OF
classification are 50 sweeping In scope
that the opportunity for a manifestation
Of personal feeling from chief toward
clerk will be very greatly enhanced.
Elm the second Cleveland adrninistra-
ton an attempt to classify the work into
various grades, along similar lines as Is
now suggested. was made in several of the
departments, and was abandoned for q
number of reasons, the principal of which
were the difficulty experienced in making
an equitable classification and the ma
grant abuse of discretionary power shown
In favoring some clerks and sighting
others.
"If ii were possible to classify the work
of the civil branch into various distinctive
grades to fit the multitudinous divisions
and bureaus and the several departments
promotion by grade of work. and not by
grade Of salary, would be all right. O1
course the object of the commissions ef-
forts is to accomplish this desideratum
and If it is accomplished there will be
transformation scenes in the different de.
partments, when the shifts are made and
the new salaries are being drawn which
will be little short of spectacular.
ut is not difficult to classify work in
the mechanical bureaus Of the government
where the various grades Of work bring
into play the different occupat tons and
trades but the clerical work in the de-
partments may be said to be sui generis
and an entirely different matter for ad-
justment
Features of the Change.
Still the object in view may be said
from the standpoint from which 1 am
speaking-the clerical side of ito have
it's advantages. One OF It's greatest dis
advantages. however, will be that IT will
permit chiefs Of divisions to keep clerks
in the lower grades. when they may be SO
disposed and 1t will be found that many
will be SO disposed. for indefinite periods,
and will give the clerks no opportunity to
get into the n1gner grades ana COnSe-
quently enjoy the higher salary.
This will mean that these clerks who
may consider themselves unjustly retained
in the lower grades of work and accorded
no opportunity to participate In the high
err, will bring congressional and other in
f1uence to bear to obtain an elevation in
grade Of work. and the rule which now
obtains as to the exercise of influence to
secure promotion in salary will be found
not to apply when 1t comes to the ques-
ton as to the ability of a clerk to do GER
tain work. and is kept out Of 1t for such
cause as may exist in each individual
case.
This fact. therefore, will be found to
open the now more or less closed door
against outside influence. as the question
which will be raised will be an unjust dis
elimination as to the character OF work
on the part OF the chief as against the
clerk. This would then become a proper
matter for higher determination, whereas.
as 1t stands now, an attempt to secure an
advance in grade of salary by outside in
fuence Is properly frowned upon. as the
clerk with the longest Influential pole
would knock off the persimmons. ire
spective Of his or her ability to do the
work required.
Whatever the ultimate outcome may
be. 1t is evident that there Is a disposition
to sift and shake down into what are des-
ignated as grades all of the work in the
civil arm of the governments service, and
time and experience alone will Show
whether the proposed plans will prove an
improvement upon the present rules In
force in the expediting OF the govern
ment's business and paying the workers
more equitably therefor"