The Washington times., 1916-03-01


Keeping in mind the qualifications required the tests applied
by the civil service persons applying positions it to ask
whether there similarly large body equally equipped and
qualified workers anywhere country among whom compensa
hon would be found to average small
There rather more than 10000 Of Government work.
ers in the District The highest classification assigned in
the compilation 50 As matter Of fact
and Of information the land group so small as to
be negligible.
Broadly speaking may fairly that $500 is the limit to
which aspiration and ambition presume look forward
when the civil service satisfying goal to put at
the end Of a life career?
Would be possible any employment in the whole con
try take 10000 other people similarly educated Of equally high
character qualifications and equipment ages from that at
which and leave the high school up to near the
point Of four and find among them small proportion
who have achieved the eminence Of $500 salary? Would be
possible find another comparable people living similar
expensive circumstances and surroundings among average
compensation is so small? The is obvious.
Compare With Other Services
Take the civil service Of great city country and CON-
pare with those of the executive establishment Wash
ngon Take the accounting service of the railroads. great
industrial and commercial and make like comparison
will be found that only the present the
incentive efforts for advancement
of the few which may taken upward compensation
lower than in fairly comparable businesses outside.
The greatest difficulty with the civil a
that only its careful students and analysts fully
appreciate.
The average young who Washington and takes
civil service position magnes that he has rather good thing
long young teller of bank in small West
Virginia Washington and the civil
S20 He had been earning only $780, and S720 looked
actve He time promoted the 5000 class promptly
went home and married. Then his troubles began. ..
He discovered that 5000 Washington hopeessy
adequate the demands of his responsibilities The prospect
Of promotion decidedly poor for he had learned
civil service people the better aared grade generally don't
resign from the service They hang like grim partly be-
they lose the initiative that would dictate the effort improve
their condition by going outside partly because day by day
dare take the chance change So they get stalled waiting
for the slow of advancement within the service
Our young friend from West Virginia discovered he
had attained the 5000 class that had coming
Washington The bank back home from which
reorganed and its capital increased cashier resigned
another the position which the things
would have the young man who had entered the civil
service Its salary increased S. 5oo and years later
the banks president retired the cashier advanced pres
dency and his salary doubled
Advanced to 81, 900 Salary.
Meanwhile the young who had been line for the prcs
dency of that country bank $50 had been advanced
$1,000 Washington and ahead of him the somewhat dubious
prospect of increase 200 time within the
FIVE years. After THAI it would be still slower.
Thf' young frankly admits that he hasn't
he ought to have Also he has wife and baby The of
living Washington higher every He and his wife spend
week visiting each at the old West Virginia home,
invariably discover apparently living costs
vancng good deal rapidly in Washington than there
In few years West Virginia friend will be young
longer Unless he is the civil rule his
ambition will be to hold his position because
bare living and hope that he day another step
in He feels the majority of people
service establishment in this feel that coming Washington
the mistake that ruined
1t all very we'll for people who know nothing about the civil
that IF the clerks don't like their jobs let them
sign In the first place, good many of them do Particularly
the lower grades where the positions held chiefly young
young still willing take chance 1t getting
year by year difficult keep competent people in the service
The salaries small high and nowadays
generally realized that opportunity for advancement altogether
dubious
So the tendency for the civil service ranks be deserted by
younger and ambitious people, and become cogged with
the older
This complaint has repeatedly been voiced by heads of depart
and divisions particularly the last years. The
younger people will stay the civil service they help
selves the older people will not leave it, .,..