New Britain herald., 1918-12-14

are either vacant or filled by tem- porary employees.
 An even more acute condition IS said to exist with respect to the cler- ical force of the bureau. Quoting from the report: There are A clerks in the bureau. The statutory salaries of 21 are as follows: Six at $72O per annum, 10 at $500 per annum and five at s1,O00 per annum. The result was that during the fiscal year no less than P persons occupied five of the statu- tory places at s720 per annum and 33 persons occupied the 10 statutory places for clerks at $500 per anni'm- The general average has been that these positions have been held ny clerks somewhat less than three months, there being many intervals when candidates could not be found willing to accept such salarles The bare facts are that while the goNern- ment has really paid from it's salary rolls a minimum price for clerical help, it has lost a large amount of time of highly skilled technical en- ployes who have instructed during one year each of these so incumbents of
  result has been a financial loss far in excess of proper salaries that would retain a permanent force of experi- enced cle1ks.''
 Brief mention is made of the need Of a new building to house the Wash ington office of the bureau, although it is conceded that with the immense burden of expense that the govern l, ,>Iy i iS fn insist upon a further expansion of ex- penditures to construct new build ing for the coast and geodetic survey. Military Activities.
 The bureau has taken a prominent part in military activities during tho present war. Two hundred and forty members, or 30 per cent. of the entire m embership of the bureau, have gone into the army or the navy in one ca pacity or another In commissioned officers in the army, the bureau IS represented by one colonel, one major three captains, 19 first lieutenants and eight second lieutenants. In the Navy there are five lieutenant commanders, 25 lieutenants and 16 junior lieu tenants Nearly all of these are commissioned officers in the coast and geodetc survey and were transferred to the War depart ment or the Navy department by ex- ecutive order as authorized by legis- lation enacted shortly after the com- mencement of the war. In it's civil capacity the bureau has contributed materially to the assistance of the Navy department and the War depart ment. It has supplied both military branches, the Shipping board the Merchant Marine, etc., with charts of the waters of the United States and possessions, numbering nearly a quar- ter of a million per year. In it's in- strument shop, the bureau has made and repaired many special instru- ments for the Navy departm ent and the War department.
 Extra Pay Ordered.
 ! Recent enabling legislation for the bureau has contributed greatly to the advancement of it's work One item authorizes the payment of not to eS- ceed $1 a day as extra compensation i to employees of the different stations l of the lighthouse service while ob- serving tides and currents. Light ships are peculiarly we'll situated in tpoSitIOllS NV JlcES It lS ueSlIdDl6 tO COl- lect tide and current data, but as such observations are not part of the duties of the bureau of lighthouses, in the past they could not justly be imposed on the light keepers of that bureau without some additional compensa- tion, and the appropriations for the l coast and geodetic survey could not : be expended to recompense them fol such additional duties without this authorization From the results o1 data collected by the 1ightships it is expected that predictions can be made which will be of direct benefit to navi- gators and go far toward saving many 1 vessels from loss through inadequate 1 knowledge of the direction anC strength of ocean currents.
 i Other legislation authorizes the ! purchase of supplies or procurement ! of services without the necessity o
 formal bids where the amount does not exceed $50. Instances are saic to be mum erous in the past where the necessity of securing competitive bid
 for small items has materially de
 layed the progress of field work anC such required procedure has actually cost the government more than tn, value of the article purchased.
 Have your dollars ready.--advt