The Washington times., 1907-01-26
Times Reader Would
Regulate Salaries on
Point of Service.
Graduating Scale Starting
at Five Years and End
ing at Twenty.
Should Discriminate Be-
tween Experienced and
inexperienced Clerks.

To the Editor 10 The Washington Times.
The agitation for increasing the pay
Of Government clerks having assumed
such proportions as Ia call for some ac-
ton either hy this or the succeeding
Congress. Is attracting widespread inter
est throughout the service. Especially
are the clerks In the Executive Depart
ments in this city, where the cost of iiv-
ing has greatly increased in the past
ten years, deeply concerned in the out
come,
The Washington Times i'm IT'S con-
slant advocacy of higher pay for de-
g9rtment employees ia Washington, has
done and is doing yeOmau service. The
favorable attitude of the President for
the relief Of the underpaid employees Of
the Government will have the effect of
lending healthy zeal 10 the cause.
Now that Senators and Representatives
have voted themselves higher salaries.
would il not he in keeping with th-
eenerous spirit Of the times 10 provide
Ior The clerks II il is deemed mad
vlsatie- On account OF The. great eN-
pense attached 20 the undertaking. 10
Increase the salaries of the civil en-
ployes OF the entire service. provision
should at least be made for tie en-
pioyes who are stationed at Washington.
Suggests Entrance Plan.
\ plan suggests itself, in view OF the
decreased entrance salaries Ia the past
eight years in many bureaus or inc Exc
cutive Departments. that would seem
20 De superior and more equitable 70 the
provisions of the Davis bill. For in
icient. industrious. and reliable. enters
the service ~ $50 and fails 10 receive
promotion because OF the lack Of va
cancies IN the higher grades. after q
performance OF duty Tor seven or eight
years In that time he has received
splendid training and becomes useful.
Under the provisions of the Davis bin
a young man entering that bureau with
out any previous experience ia clerical
work. would be entitled 10 the same
mcrease as the clerk who had devoted
eight years 10 making himself proficient
with his prescribed duties.
Would Reward the Faithful.
Would il not be wiser. and certainly
a well-merited reward for faithful con-
tinuOus service 10 graduate the clerks
Thing else being equal, by providing an
increase In pay OF 10 per cent after FIVE
years service: - per cent after ten
years; % per cent after fifteen years,
and 40 per cent after twenty years
which should be the limit
II the plan. after fair trial. does not
appear 20 be feasible. il can easily be
modified or discontinued. but i'm the
case OF army and naval officers il has
worked admirably. OF course. this plan
will be attacked by those coming into
the service, and by those whose tenure
is under ave years; but in all fairness
some discrimination in pay should be
made between the experience and in
experienced clerks, In this connection
however. the entrance salary should he
made uniform, the variations now pre-
Nalllng IN different bureaus Of the sault.
department causing a disgruntled feel
ing among clerks which should be avoid
ed, II good work and harmony are 10 be
maintained The minimum conlDensa-
ZION upon entering the department
should be S.OO0.
Would Reduce the Deficient.
If for any cause a clerk after having
served twenty years. becomes deficient
in his work he can be reduced and the
coTresp onding Increase according 10 The
length OF his service. This would be an
incentive FOR capable men To remain i'm
Government employ and strive to keen
lhelr work up 10 the standard required
by the department
II Is assumed that The plan of in
creased pay Is an experiment, bat one
NAleh should be regarded as permanent
~ established should the prosperity of
the country continue. and the cost az
high status. 'o'''
As an illustration OF how ineouitshIa
ana unfair are the salaries raid - Cbjaf
y Ii'.,s - , OF ne various bureaus or the
4-Necuufe Departments. q glance ~
lerlled data VIII clearly demODsrrsfs.
1llhoush lhey are practically on tie
same roofing, the character of rht.i5,
duties IN all respects similar, IL Is amsz-
ing 70 notice the wide divergence in
This list OF salaries. CHEZ clerks ~
departments are eliminated for tho re.
son that they receive about Ths same
compensation.
Salaries Of Department Clerks.
In the Treasury Department. there are
two bureau chief clerks who receive
J2.OO each per anuUm; eleven az g. 5la
each; one a. S3,00os one at $3.50. and me
at S8,600.
In the WaV Department there IS one
bureau chief clerk who receives 81 SGl
per annumi eight at S2O1J each. one an
go. and one "a s.. 4u1
In the Navy Department There are
ten bureau chief clerks who receive
s. ooe each per annum.
Ia the Department % the Interior
there are two bureau chief clerks y no
receive 5000 each per anuum; two IN
Se,250 each, and two at S250I each.
Ia the POStOftice Department there is
one bureau ChICr clerk who receives
81. 500 per annUm; three Gt Se,OO0 each.
one al $50 and four at s. go each.
In the Department OF Justice there
IS one bureau chief clerk who receives
S2.00 per annum, and one at ESQ
In the Department Of Commerce and
labor there are three bureau chief
clerks who receive s2.00j each per am
mum; one at $40; one at 500 and
three al XS.00e each,
Why not pat these salaries on a uni-
form basis throughout she Executive
Departments. A compensation of $500
per anuum Tor each bureau chief clerk
would augment Il feeling Of equality on
the part g the lower paid class of these
higher salaTied clerks sayoring of bene-
nj alike 10 the Government and 10 the
Aaiciai. TINES READER.