Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-12

grades I'm the pay scale for If he cannot
go forward he' goes out long before he
has reached the age az which he finds II
impossible to start afresh in new
occupation.
There Is no reason why the English
system would not be adaptable to Aneri-
can conditions. With perhaps modiiica-
tons in the civil service requirements,
Uncle Sam could do his public service
work more economically, more efficiently.
and, above all, more humanely, if he
were to adopt almost without change tn
British plan of transacting the public
i
Compa risons between the British and
to institute, for the rea-
British son that government
AI conditions vary consid-
erably in the two cOun-
tries. Nevertheless, there are several
points of sufficient similarity 10 permit
a clear view of the relative state of the
two classes of public service workers. 1t
may be stated broadly that as regards
the pay the average English clerk gets
more money than his American cousin.
which means more than the actual cash
difference, inasmuch as the buying power
American currency equivalent. approx
mately five dollars. Not only is the Eng
lish government employe better paid, but
he has the benefit Of retirement system
which assures him of living competence
after his years of service, without any
cost to himself He Is assured also of
actual promotion enabling him to rise
from a fair minimum to generous maxi
mum of pay within his class of employ
ment. He is guaranteed permanence of
Tenure nandinR ia ic n
no degree dependent upon political influ-
ence for the retention of his place. He
has an annual leave which varies from
two to six weeks. according to the scale
of his position, and Is furthermore COM
forted by the assurance that in case Of
illness he will be retained on the pay roll
at full pay for one year. His hours are.
generally speaking, shorter than those Of
the average clerk in the United States
and his Office surroundings are, as a
whole. much better.
Taking everything together, pay. pen
sion. conditions Of work. hours, privileges
and responsibility. the British government
clerk is far better off than those who
work for Uncle Sam.
The British clerk. however. is not much
considered in London. Rarely is he the
subject OF discussion. Numerically.
Washingtons pub!ic-service inhabitants
merous as London's. there being in the
British capital only about 1900 civilian
employees Of the government. whereas in
Washington the number is about &c, 600.
1t is important to bear this difference in
mind in considering the question Of COM
parison. Washington's government clerk
quota OF people Is a relatively large per-
centage Of the total population. while
London's Is mere drop in the bucket:
Washington's is nearly ten per cent OF
the total population, London's is one-tenth
of one per cent. Consequently, when the
inquiring visitor to the British capital be-
Gins to show an interest in the clerical
class some surprise is manifested that
these people should be an object Of any
interest whatever. 1t was my experience
in London that word about the size Of
the United States government machine
and the number of the federal workers
sions of amazement. A city Of govern
ment employees is beyond the British COM
prehension.
A government job in Great Britain is
one OF the most desired and desirable
Of places. In the first place,
Places in it is practically life posi-
49,, ton. Ministries may change
UenA4o every few years, but, ex-
cept for those officials who are imme-
diately at the top Of the scale. no changes
result In the public service. This is the
consequence Of civil service merit sys-
tenn which has been in force for many
years. Indeed the memory of living
men runs not to the contrary There may
be nepotism here and there, and there
may be favoritism, and occasionally the
existing government is charged by its
critics with making places for its par
tisans or filling vacanies with its friends,
but 1t is nevertheless true that as re-
CARDS probably 30 per cent Of the govern
ment positions under the grade of cabinet
minister and the immediate assistants
appointments are made upon merit alone.
To the average citizen in England a
government place Is one OF the most in
dependent of possibilities The range OF
pay In the government service is SO high
that these positions are pecuniarfly pref
cradle to almost anything to be had In
the commercial world. The result Is an
Industrious competition for every vacancy,
seriously in conducting the examinations
which are had from time to time to fill
new places and those made vacant 10y
retirement or death These examinations
are widely advertised throughout the
United Kingdom and are held at different
places in circumstances to give the freest
possible opportunity to all eligible to
compete. AS will be later shown. how
ever. the standards are SO high and the
pressure for place on the part of spe-
cially qualified men is so great that the
number disappointed vastly exceeds that
of those appointed. Despite the slender
est chance of getting a position the civil
service examinations are taken. by large
numbers, whatever the position and the
requirements.
The pressure for place is especially
great in the lower ranges of the civil
service. Whenever boys or women or
girls are required. as In the postal serv-
ice an announcement of an examination
brings them by hundreds to all the APP
pointed examination points. This is be-
cause the conditions of government work
are SO much better than those obtaining
in private employment that there are al
ways hundreds seeking every possible