Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
DEPARTMENT CLERKS HERE
AND In GREAT BRITAIN
v Ill.

II.
Tho object Of the government 1, to
them. Not merely to keep them In
the service, but to keep them In the
places where they are known to be quail
fed. The government would prefer put
ting new men into higher vacancies than
to promote the clerks experienced In the
lower grades. because 1t knows that to
promote the latter would tend to disor-
ganize their grades by making practically
all the workers In them disconnected.
Il
In shutting the doors of opportunity to
ment effects concentration
Closed Of efficiency. It offers to
~. its civil service workers
ooo1s' we'll paid. permanent
career that leads nowhere. But 1t
more than compensates them Tor
this deprivation by guaranteeing them
a retirement annuity II they re-
main In service long enough. 1t would
Of course, be unfair to the workers IN the
ranks to keep them within the water
tight compartments" and at the same
time grant them no approximation an
nuities. The United States follows prac-
tice almost as unjust as that would be-
1t guarantees no promotion. gives every
employe access to every higher position
that he can grasp. but virtually warns
him that he stays in the service at ms
peril in that he can expect nothing what
ever when he has become so advanced IN
years as to be Of no further use.
In the course of my visits to the gov
eminent offices in London l was impress
ed particularly by the evidences of what
may be called an institutional prlde on
the part Of the subordinate workers. The
men or the civil service are proud to De
part of the great English governmental
machine Their commissions represent
virtually the kings stamp or approval
upon their scholarship and efficiency. To
be an employe Of the government is to be
known in the world as a man of conse-
quence. In their little communities these
clerks are regarded with respect by those
who are not in the civil service, not mere
ly because they are drawing larger IN
comes but because they are units in the
imperial mechanism. One hears no COM
plants about slow promotions or about
the influence of politicians exerted In be-
half Of other clerks. There is no running
into appropriation bills raising salaries
or making places for individuals. The
administrative force goes ahead about Its
business. for the heads of the admins
trative force rule parliament, and such a
thing as lobbying is beyond the concept
Of the individual clerk or any group.
The retirement system costs England
for this current fiscal year In round num-
bers about three and
Retirement quarter million dol
lars. Not a penny OF
AuVcst1AoAI. that amount Is con-
tributed by the clerks or officials. 1t Is the
money of the taxpayers spent for the pur-
pose of keeping the government service in
good condition, preventing the conges-
ton of the offices with superannuated
workers, permitting regular promotions
and drawing into the service constantly
fresh supply Of vigorous new material
That sum is an investment in good work
manship, and the taxpayers get the bene-
fit in a return of f1rst-class service.
Figures have been cited in this series to
shows that England pays it's civil en-
nloyes on the average better than does the
United States. The higher officials, the
men of great responsibilities upon whose
shoulders rest weighty affairs, are paid
twice and three times as much as the
United States doles out to its chief work
ers The permanent staff of the higher
grade in the various departments Is paid
as we'll as the large industrial corpora
lions in this country pay their heads OF
the United States pays its officials Of cor
responding rank. The clerks of the lower
grades in England get about as much
as do those Of the same rank In the
United States, which in terms Of the
lower cost of living in England means
actually higher salary
Thus the retirement guarantee enjoyed
by the British clerk. which holds him
him feel part of a permanent organ
ization.s and leads him to devote himself
exclusively to his task, does not lessen
his income. The British government
of it's civil worker in the form Of salary
increment in order to take 1t out of the
other as a contribution to the superan-
nuation fund
British civil worker I may cite the re-
mark of one Of the higher
British clerks of the British service
to whom l explained that
Au0a' there was no retirement sys-
tenn in vogue in this country, but that 1t
was proposed to establish one on the
basis of compulsory contributions by the
clerks. He was amazed, both at the lack
of any provision for the superannuated
clerks and at the suggestion that the civil
workers should give up any part of their
incomes in order to assure the govern
ment of an efficient, stable force.
THAT would never do here" he said.
THAT is quite contrary to the theory
upon which England pays its civil serv-
ants an annuity upon their retirement.
Our government wishes to hold it's men
for life and it knows that it could not do SO
If it did not assure them of living in
come after they have spent all their
working years in it's service"
pvlkQ cI, f0yr1
because it is British will not stand the
test of even a cursory examination of
conditions in the government offices in
London. If the object of the American
government is to organize it's force to the
end of doing its work we'll 1t can very
profitably copy the best features Of the