Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-27
Macveagh's Committee al
Work in Treasury.
BEGINS ITS ROUNDS AGAIN
But, Never Fear, It's All Very Con.
sentative.
FEW SALARY CHANGES, MAYBE
Money Should Follow Job, and Not
the Individual, Is the
Suggestion.

Secretary MacVeagh's personnel and re-
organization committee. composed Of AS
sistant Secretaries Norton, Hilles and
Reynolds, has resumed work, after the
summer vacation, upon the data gathered
some months ago concerning the person
mel Of the Treasury Department. So Tar
there has been no shaking-up and no def
mite decision to make one.
The committee is proceeding slowly and
conservatively. with no set purpose as to
discharges reductions. etc. Assistant
Secretary Norton, the head of the COM
mittee. is also at work upon the esti-
mates for the department, which he will
have ready for Secretary MacVeagh as
early az possible. Mr.. Norton went all
over the Treasury Department today with
Chief Clerk Ludlow, visiting practically
every Office.
The committee has gone down to sys-
tematic consideration Of the personnel OF
each bureau, consulting with the heads OF
bureaus and offices as to the men and
women under them. This is the outgrowth
of the reports that have been gathered
from heads OF bureaus and from clerks
and employees themselves. In some In
stances the committee Is going into the
cases of individual clerks with the object
of passing upon these cases at some fu-
ture time 1t is recognized by the men,
bers of the committee that 1t will be
almost impossible to make discharges OF
employees simply to cut down expenses
The work of the Treasury grows each
Congress. and there can be no cutting
down of employees merely to reduce ex-
penditures. Whatever dismissals are
eventually made, and action in this d.
rection may be some time on, Will come
as a result Of ineff1ciency and bad records
by employees. Reductions and promotions
will be for the same reasons.
Believe Redistribution Imperative.
The committee has found that there
Is no doubt that a Redistribution OF
hundreds of clerks should be made.
Many men and women drawing salaries
like $500 should be reduced, and these
salaries given to more competent en-
ployes. 1t is quite probable that there
will be a good deal of this some time
in the future, but accomplished with as
little noise as possible.
The committee Is leaning toward the
view that salaries should not follow IN
dividuals. but the jobs in the depart
ment. Classification in the future,
of positions and work than heretofore.
A certain sort of work should secure
for the man or woman doing 1t so much
money, etc. In this way two men Will
not be working alongside each other
doing identically the same work. one
getting $500 and another $1,000. 1t
is this lack Of classification. it is stat
ed. that causes discomfort and dissatfs-
faction. Promotions would then be to-
ward certain positions, with their sal
aries, and not to men or women merely
for the sake of advancement.
Much Of the work of the committee,
however, is tentative at this time; all
important questions are to be thrashed
out and passed upon at future meet
fngs. In the meantime consultation and
conference with heads of bureaus and
divisions as to the employees under
them will go on, and the committee will
soon know the history and abilities OF
every man or woman in the depart
ment