Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-13
CALLS FOR FOUR GRADES
Committee on Civil Service Reform
Gives Reasons for Changes.
PRESENT SYSTEM ANTIQUATED
Salaries Fixed in Measure Would
Mean Total Increase Of About
8 Per Cent.

| The House committee on reform in the
civil service has favorably reported a
bill. in accordance with the Keep COM
mission to reclassify civil service en-
| ployes OF the government.
! The bill reclassifies the civil service as
follows:
Supervisory Grade.-Chief clerks of di-
vision and other employees who perform
supervisory. executive and administrative
duties to be specifically estimated for.
Salaries. $4,000 and over.
Clerical Grades.-'1. Senior clerks-Em-
ployes who are assigned to work largely
supervisory, requiring the highest or
der Of clerical ability, involving much
original thought. consideration and in
vestigation. Salaries, $500, $3.50,
| 81, $50
"2. Clerks-Employes who are assigned
to work more or less routine, involving
responsibility. special ability and original
thought, consideration and investiga-
ton. Salaries. S1,74O. s1.6aO. s1.5Oo.
"3 Junior clerks-Employes who are as
signed to work of routine character, re-
quiring but little original thought or con-
sideration. but requiring Judgment, re-
sponsibility and special skill. Salaries,
81. $50. 1890. s1.260, 1,20O.
81. Under clerks-Employes who are as
signed to work of a simple or routine
character, requiring care, accuracy and
skill. Salaries, s1.OSO, $1.O20. $780, $500.
Subclerical Grades-'1. Employees whose
duties are not clerical or mechanical, but
require some special skill, or involve per-
sonal responsibility, as messengers, watch
men, skilled laborers. Salaries, $40, $3.50,
500. $500.
''22. Employees engaged in rough and un-
skilled work. as laborers generally. Sal
aries. $780, 5000.
"3. Employees who enter the service at
an early age and are engaged in light
work, as messenger boys. Salaries, $3.50,
$420 $500 and $500.
~ Employees whose work occupies
only part of the time each day, as char
women and janitors. Salaries, $3.50. $500,
and $240.
professional, scientific and technical
trades and miscellaneous employees;
'''The number and variety of destgna-
tions of such employees shall be as small
as practical BILE, and the duties assigned to
them shall be connned. as far as possible,
within the lines indicated by their titles,
or for which they may have passed ex-
aminations Their salaries shall be fixed
at the rates stated in this schedule, which
are appropriate to the value of their serv-
ices.
Hereafter when appropriation acts,
in providing for clerks in the several
bureaus. offices and divisions, shall
state the number of senior clerks,
clerks. junior clerks and under clerks
to be- allowed to each. without Speci-
flying the several rates of salaries, the
proper appointing officers shall, the
first time appropriation is made in this
manner distribute the clerks of each
bureau, office or division at the rates
of salaries prescribed in said schedule,
in such numbers and proportion as not
Ito exceed the total amount allowed for
salaries for the fiscal year to said bu
reau. Office or division; and thereafter
when employees of the clerical grades
are provided for without specification
of salaries. the amount of salaries to
be allowed to the several bureaus,
Offices or divisions shall be determined
by the aggregate amount OF annual
salaries of the employees thereof at the
rates of said salaries on the first day
of October, modified by such additions
or reductions of force as may be pro-
vided for: but on the first day of Janu-
ary and the first day of July of every
year those clerks who have shown a
satisfactory degree of efficiency in their
work shall be advanced to the next
higher rates of salary within their sew
eral grades above those which they
have been receiving for one year or
more; and the additional amounts nee
essary to cover the cost of said semi
annual advancements of clerks shall
be appropriated In general terms: Pro-
vided, that nothing herein shall pro-
hibit the promotion or reduction OF
grade to another at any time when
vacancies occur in the numbers pro-
vided for any grade.
Present Classification Old.
In it's report the committee says:
1T is almost sixty years since the pres
ent classification of the clerical force OF
the government was established. and for
a great many years it has been obvious
that the classification which might prop
eriy meet the needs of the small service
,hen is untitled to the vast service OF
today.
by the acts of Congress of 1853. and
, 1854 the clerks were divided into four
classes, according to the salaries to be
paid but without immediate reference
to the character of work to be per
formed. Salaries were fixed at $1,2OO.
ST. 4C0. SIfG and 81 500, and clerks were
designated as clerks of the first, second,
third and fourth classes. according to
which of these salaries they were paid
That classification is still the only one
in tcnce in the clerical service, with
the ;ception that many positions which
are practically clerkships have been ere
ated at less than those salaries.
"A recla ssificatiCn has frequently been
proposed, and the subject was finally
given a most thorough investigation and
study by the sO-called Keep commission,
| the committee on department methods,
which reported TO President Theodore
Roosevelt on January 4, 1907, a reclassi-
| fcation plan. This bill ernbodies the rec
| concentrations of the Keep commission.
The purpose of the reclassification is
| to establish uniform system throughout
the departmental service. whereby sal
aries will be based solely on the charac-
| ter of work performed by each clerk.
The present condition has grown up
with the rapid increase in the number of
clerks in all the departments. When the
! old classification was established about
| 700 clerks were affected. The heads of
| the departments were personally aware
| OF the relative m -rit., of all their clerks,
aid could see that the clerks were put in
| the proper classes. There are now about
/ Is. 600 clerks In .ne departmental service
! in Washington.
Seniority Plays Important Part.
| "W..ile it Is true that In some bureaus