Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-21
INCREASED PAY IN VIEW
Preparation of Estimates for Positions
in the Departments.
MATTER TO GO TO CONGRESS
Why the CleI ks Should Receive More
mating Advance Is Proposed.

An earnest and well-considered effort Is
to be made at the next session of Congress
to secure the enactment Of legislation look
ing to the revision and readjustment Of
the grades and salaries of employees In
the executive branches of the government
The effort Is to have the support of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who will cooperate earn
estly with me mbers Of Congress and Of
ficials of the administration to bri e about
the needed reform.
Committee on Grades and Salaries.
The President himself has taken the
first step toward better salaries and better
conditions In the government service for
capable and efficient employees by issuing
an executive order directing that COM
mittee on grades and salaries be formed
as speedily as practicable to consider the
whole subject. The committee is to con-
sist of one member from each of the eXecu-
tive departments and independent eStaD-
lshments of the government. to be named
by the heads of the departments.
The President directs that this committee
Shall prepare clear and consistent tables of
estimates for positions and salaries in con-
formity with the schedule and recommended
lions of the committee on department meth
DDS of January 4. 1907. Officials will Coop
crate with this committee in arranging sad
estimates for presentation to Congress. in
convenient form for comparison with the
estimates prepared in the usual way re-
quired by law
aries of government employees has been
made since 1853. Since that time. as the
country has developed and the needs Of the
government have called for larger force
tional positions. from time to time, have
been created. new bureaus and divisions
have been formed and new methods adopted
| until. at the present time. the departmental
H., In ole, oil
and professional. technical and scientific po-
sitions approximately 1900 persons. There
are now single bureaus which have more
employees than the entire departmental
service In 1853. There are today division
chiefs who are required to pass upon ques-
tons of greater complexity and Involving
greater responsibility than were the bureau
chiefs of fifty years ago.
Valuable Employees Lost
The conditions which the government has
encountered In the last decade. but the
more particularly in the past five years,
are very serious. Hundreds of the most
valuable employees of the government have
relinquished voluntarily their positions to
accept others in private employ, because
not only they can make more money, but
because their opportunities for future Rd-
vancement are better in civil life than in
| the government service. This is particu-
| larly true of technical and scientific posi-
|
| edge and training are necessary.
1t Is the design of the President and 1t
| will be the purpose of the committee to be
| formed by his order to readjust the
grades and salaries in the government serv-
| Ice as to insure the retention of capable
| employees and afford them such opportunt-
| ties for advancement In position and in
crease in salary as will make the service OF
the government attractive
A Discriminating Increase.
There will be no horizontal increase in
salaries, by which both efficient and ineffi-
cient employees would be benefited, but the
schedule will be arranged so as to place
nremium on ability and efficiency. The plan
also will contemplate a system Of more rapid
! nromotions than exists at present, although
the increases in salaries which accompany
the promotions will not be so large as they
are now. Some discretionary authority, too'
will be lodged with the heads Of depart
| ments as to the salaries to be PAID 1or W0Ik
| of special value requiring peculiar ABILITY
and training
| Reasons for Increase.
II ia pointed out that since 1890 the course
| of wages in all occupations has been up
| ward This increase has amounted ac'
| cording to statistics. to approximately ~
per cent In general occupations In civil
life. The wage of the government employe
| has not increased.
| On the other hand, the cost OF living mas
increased very materially. The bureau OF
labor has demonstrated by statistics thai
the cost of food was III per cent higher
In 1895 than 1t was in 1896. The expense
| of living In this city increased A per cent
| between 1908 and 1906. The cost of neces
sary articles has been steadily upward and
the limit evidently yet has not been
| reached.
| In the opinion of the President and his
| advisers the time has arrived to do some
| thing substantial for the government en-
| ploye and it will be done If he can bring II
| about