Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-20
BOOST FOR CLERKS
Secretary Meyer Advocates
Higher Pay for Employees.
LOW SALARIES A DETRIMENT
Navy Department Loses Valued Men
by Stingy Policy.
NO CLASS MORE DESERVING
Increased Compensation and Retire
ment With Reasonable Pension
Favored in Annual Report.
LOW SALARIES A DETRIMENT
NO CLASS MORE DESERVING

ment takes strong ground in hts annua
report in favor of increased pay for tn
government clerk and for age retire
ment. Dealing with his own department
he shows that while salaries advances
In all private employment, the govern
ment salaries have actually decreased
with a result that the Navy Department
Is losing many competent employees
While the naval establishment has in
creased ia per cent in twelve years. tn
clerical force has increased only 3S pc
cent. The Navy Department ranks low
est in compensation among the govern
ment departments
The reports will show that the SEIZED
ule for pay for the clerks has actual!
been revised downward since 1853, and i
is declared that if Congress is not ready
to make a general increase 1t should a
least equalize salaries.
Secretary Meyer declares there is nc
class of employees more deserving of in
creased compensation and retirement with
reasonable pay than the employees of the
government, who cannot accumulate
much. and aside from all sentimental con-
siderations, civil service retirement by the
government would be along the lines OF
sound business management.
Substance Of Report.
Secretary Meyers report will say:
The civilian clerical and technical force
of the Navy Department has not received
the recognition that the increased activi-
ties Of the service and conditions in other
executive departments and in private en-
ploy warrant.
by reason of opportunities for more
desirable private employment and better
chances for advancement In other depart
mentS of the government in which the
scale of salaries for similar service ap-
pears to be appreciably higher, the loss
of competent employees by reason of resig-
nation and transfer has been source OF
embarrassment to the department and has
seriously affected the stability of the
force.
The total number of officers and en-
listed men authorized for the Navy and
Marine Corps has increased from % ,S62 in
1899 to 6OO14 in 1911. an increase of ia
per cent. In the same period the classified
civilian force in the department proper
at Washington has increased from JO7 to
700, an increase of IS per cent
The census bureau prepared a state
ment, as of date July 1, 1907, giving sta
tistics of employees in the executive civil
service of the United States. Compar-
ing the civilian force of the departments
proper in Washington, the navy ranked
lowest as to average rate of cOmpenSa-
ton, the Department of Agriculture not
being included, as the figures for that
department were based on the total num-
Der of employees in and outside of Wash
ington.
Conditions Unimproved.
1.-The conditions, SO far as the Navy
Department is concerned, have not been
mo faYi haf he cfo ont
referred to was prepared. Eliminating
the technical, messenger, Iabor1ng and
watch force, the discrepancy between the
Navy Department and the other execu-
tive departments is still more pronounced
Concrete examples can be cited of posi-.
tons Involving duties of high character
where the discrepancy is unusually large
A provision of law in the legislative act
approved June %. 1906. prevents the
tive department to another until such
emplOSe has had at least three years
service This provision has worked to the
advantage Of the Navy Department. sc
far as employees in the lower grades are
concerned. but the loss by transfer is still
felt and is due, In large measure, tC
the universal impression that the chances
for advancement in the Navy Department
are much less than in other departments
Of the government, owing to the low rate
Of compensation for positions requiring q
high order of clerical or technical ability
During the past few years great stres:
has been laid, by heads of department:
and others, upon the fact that the sched
ule Of salaries for clerical employees ir
the executive departments in Washington
has not been revised since the passage
of the act of April %, 1854. AS matter
of fact, the schedule of 1854 has been re.
vised-downward. OF the employees en-
gagged in clerical and technical work in
the departments in Washington, approx
mately % per cent now receive less than
81 200 per annum, the minimum salary
prescribed for clerical services in the act
of 1854, and in the Navy Department this
percentage is 33.
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