Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-21
Rights Of the Incompetent
Nv DIR. FRANK CRANE.

IT know" said the Methodist bishop,
after the conference. that young Smith
would have done better work in that city
church than old Brown, but Smith is
young and Brown is old, so 1 gave Brown
the appointment Smith time will come;
he can wait
ITO think" exclaimed the wife OF a
pension office clerk at Washington. that
they promoted that young Jones right over
my husbands head, and my husband has
been in the service ten years longer than
he"
why do you keep that incompetent old
woman among your high school teach
ers?" I asked a member of the board Of
education Of certain middle-sized city.
"Oh, couldn't drop her, you know. She
has been teaching thirty years here"
You would naturally suppose that a
workman would be chosen solely on &C
count Of his fitness to do the required
work But If that is your innocent idea
you will be surprised. when you come to
real life. to find how widespread and firm
set Is the conviction that the workman's
position. tenure and pay depend rather
upon his own personal needs and feelings
This is the curse of business. To follow
this system is to fill your ranks of work
men with incompetents.
This is the weakness of ecclesiastical
systems, public schools, government bu-
reaus and all organizations where the
Seniority or reward idea is prevalent
The only rule that is fair to both en-
ployer and employed is to give the job
to the man who can do it best. so doing
you make your business prosper and you
give your workers Self-reSpect.
To place a person in a position merely
because You are sorry for him, or because
he has been with you for a long time, is
to insult him, to make him an object of
-
1t discourages ambition. cripples talent,
and puts premium on mediocrity.
Here IS the weak point in civil service.
1t is doubtless better to give an applicant
place because he stands higher than
others in a competitive examination than
because he has a political pull" but to
keep him in a position or to promote him
for any other reason than efficiency is
destructive Of good results for the bust
ness and Of manhood in the worker.
Here lies also the weakness of the la
Dor union, in that it favors the incompe-
tent man.
The one inalienable right Of man is to
reap the reward of his ability, talent,
skill and thrift.
The world has lived so long under the
poisonous influence of the theory Of the
right to unearned goods, under the unjust
privileges of inheritance and endowment,
that We are all infected with the sickly
dream of holding jobs and drawing
our wages no matter how indifferently
we may do our work
There are two principles one is to pay
a man in proportion as he makes good.
the other is to pay him according to his
notions. his seniority. his influence, or his
membership in organization.
The first is justice, the second seems
humane. but In the long run 1t is always
justice that is most humane.
The worlds workers don't want pity.
nor consideration. nor kindness; what
they want is square deal.
Why should We tell a young man to
| wait, when he can do the thing better
than the old man? The latter may de-
| serve a pension, if so. give it to him. But
| the inalenable right of youth is oppor-
| tunity; the deepest wrong is to rob him
Of that.
The plague of the earth has always been
| the alleged rights of the incompetent.
| The burden of earth is the sinecure. Kip
| lingS verse is sound to the core:
| Creations CRY goes up
From age to cheated age,
| "Give the men who do the work
For which they get the wage.