Evening star., 1915-06-13
THE MAIN STREET OF AsuNc1oN.

old age and disa bi1ity retirement pay is
provided, while in the civil service
there is no retirement pay whatever
Still. as Mr.. McGinty points out, op-
portunity-that is, the broader oppor
tunity of life-is actually more limited
in the military than in the civil service.
Tell me- said the interviewer one
day recently to a high officer of the
government a man who has survived
through many administrations in
Washington and who has studied all
aspects of Uncle Sans la Dor problems
tell me of a typical instance of civil
service employe who, in his career,
demonstrates that there is future in
the service for the right sort of man.
"McGinty of the interstate commerce
conI1isston." was the instant reply.
He is typical Of the new civil service,
for you know, the civil service today is
vastly different from the civil service
of twenty. even ten years ago. Nc
Ginty. without political assistance.
purely on his own merits. has worked
his way up through the grades to his
present permanent position. Moreover
he is handling the employment problem
OF the growing interstate commerce
commission. See him. He can tell you
more than any one I happen to think
of off hand, although there are a num-
Der who have mounted high"
Hence the journey to Mr. McGi inty' 8
Office
Yes" said this youthful appearing
secretary
last batch of papers he had been sign
ing and had retired to another room,
when the days business was done.
cigars were drawing well and Mr. Nc
Giinty had hung his long legs in char
acteristic attitude over the arm of his
chair "yes'-refiec iectively-'there is op-
portunity in the civil service of the
government. But II all depends on the
man. lust exactly as it does in business
life outside of the government.
Uncle Sam he went on. ''is a curious
employer. He has his little eccentrici-
ties Just as many other employers have
theirs. Our uncle's eccentricity is in
the character Of his pay schedule. For
the very high positions. those apart
from the permanent civil service. he
pays less than private business pays,
while for ordinary clerical labor he
pays rather more. AS a concrete In
stance, here is the mem bership of the
interstate commerce commission. seven
gentlemen, appointed by the president
for fixed terms, charged with tremen-
dous regulative power over the trans
portation business of the country. Each
of them draws $4,000 year this
amount concededly is very much less
than men of such ability would COM
mand in private practice. They serve
money rewards. The carrier corpora
tions with which they deal pay execu-
tives vastly more than the commits
sioners receive.
Proceeding down the official scale in
the activities of this commission, we
find attorneys. examiners and other
civil service employees, whose salaries
range from $3.50 up to $4,000 per an
num- There are some $50 of these
They are all able men, of whom about
forty are learned lawyers. who are
sent out to take testimony masters
in chancery and prepare ca ses for sub
mission to the commission. 1t seems
to be the rule that none of these sha II
receive more than the secretary re-
ceives. $1,000, his salary being fixed
by law, but J regard that unfortu-
nate. and hope such limitation will be
removed. Character and value OF
service, not the salary Of some one
else. should be the guide in fixing rates
of compensation
These positions are hlled. wherever