Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-10-24
U. S. EMPLOYS 513,S54.
Vast Army of Workers Draw Salaries
from the Government,


from the Government.
The United States government has
the greatest employment bureau In
the world in the civil service commits
sion.
The commission takes care of the
employment of all of the 3S4.0SS per-
sons who work for the executive
branch of the government in various
ways. OF this number 222,27S hold
office as a result of competitive ex-
aminations held by the commission,
and their tenure Is not subject to the
whim of statesman or a politician.
This army of 3S4.OS does not in
clude all of the persons who serve
the government. This number has to
do with the executive employees. In
addition there are 2.115 employees Of
the senate and the house, and 4S4 men
and women who serve in the congress
sional library. Then there are 4,390
employees of the judiciary, including
judges. attorneys and marshals, and
their clerical assistants and messen-
gers. referees in bankruptcy, and Uni
ted States commissioners.
Then the army has S0.521 officers
and enlisted men: the navy, 40,S32.
To these must be added 1,415 consuls.
interpreters, secretaries and clerks In
the diplomatic and consular service.
The result is a grand army of Federal
employees numbering 513,S54 per-
sons.
This employment bureau has been
running 2S years. beginning under
President Garfield. During his term
Garfield classified or made Subject to
competitive examination 1873 posi-,
tions. President Cleveland in his
first term added to this number 27,-
$50. President Harrison extended
the competitive civil service to A.
92S additional places. In his second
term President Cleveland added ST.
$50 more to the number, and his sue
cessor President Mckinley, further
extended the operations of the civi.
service law so as to include an addi-
tional $3.50.
President Roosevelts term in the
White House saw the list of classified
positions swelled by 1925, and to
date President Taft has added 4,116,
making the total Of places made COM
petitive by presidential order to date,
124.032
The disproportionate increase in
the number of government employees
over the increase in population" said
an official of the civil service COM
"is not at all an indication
of extravaganza or wasteful methods.
1t is rather the necessary result of
governmental entrance to new fields
of activity undreamed Of before the
civil war The wonderful growth of
the department of agriculture, which
was not created until 1862, Is just one
explanation of the vast increase in
appropriations and expenditures for
clerical assistants"
This army of government clerks,
minor officials and laborers coming
under the civil service COM
and which numbers 3S4,0SS,
Is divided into several classes. First,
and by far the most important, is
that of the 222.27S employees who
are in the competitive class. OF la
there are 64.S92. OF excepted and
places there are So
cO2: and there are 9,525 positions
fili,3 directly by the president, the
poStmasters and diplomats. To this
must be added 2S,191 labor
ers, who are listed as the digging
force on the isthmus." These canal
are all executive employ
ees of the United States, but no civil
service test of fitness is required of
them.
1t is said by some statistical sharps
that this army of 513,S45 Federal
does not include all per-
sons who are attached to the Federal
pay rolls. They say $4,000 clerks in
fourth -class postoffices are not given
i'm the official figures of the commits
sion, which holds that these clerks are
not government employees. as they are
paid by the fourth-c postmasters.
Regarding them as Federal employees
would bring the grand total of Federal
servants to 577.S54.
The commission today has jurisdic-
tion over more than half of all those
who can in any way be classed as
Federal employees, and over two
thirds of those working in the execu-
tive branch of the government. Its
work is increasing daily. The COM
mission lends its assistance to those
branches of the Federal service which
hold independent examinations for
The consular service. un-
der the state department, is one in
stance Ce.-Washington Post.
"Mayhrllc, have you heard
the latest? Prof. Wombat says that
we send out psychic waves" How
nice | shall have mine marcelled -