Evening star., 1919-12-27
ASSERTS SALARIES
Commission WORK
Will Be REWARDED
Jeremiah Connolly Says il
Present Congress Doesn't
Act, Next One Will.

SoS'S OOts9s WV SOSo''
Act, Next One Will.
'If this Congress does not faithfully
perform its duty in respect to your
good efforts. the selection of a Con-
gress that will is in the oaing,' Jere-
Iniah Connolly OF the Post Once De-
partment told the joint congression-
al comm ission Oh reciassiiicatioa o.
salaries in the District, at the he;-r-
ir..-- today given workers in the mis-
= cei'aneoCs clerical service.
Because Mr.. Connolly. who vas
chairman of the miscellaneous clari-
cal service. also is chairman of the
Employees Union, No. 9, his words of
good cheer to the commission. when
he told them ''be not discouraged in
your task" received added signifi-
cance. it was stated.
Received Applause From Clerks.
Mr.. Connolly's admonition to Con-
gress received applause from the
clerks gathered at the hearing, held
at the commissions headquarters at
4 " street and Missouri avenue. Point
ing out that "lnen who hold the ex-
alted positions of lawmakers for the
greatest government on earth should
give pause to the changed conditions
molly. who has been in government
service for thirty eight years, de-
clared that there will be in the
neighborhood of 100 world war vet
Grams in the next Congress. and said.
"if they stand for the buck-paSsing
that has been practiced upon the gov
ernment clerk ever since Congress
man Lattuer engineered through the
Sixtieth Congress salary raises-by
the way, a proper one--for mem berS
y
the same time promised that the
government clerk would be cared for
in the next Congress. then l will be
nearer despair and lacking i'll faith
in my country than I have ever been
in my life.
"But I know that the boys and girls,
too" Mr.. Connolly continued, who
measured up so fully to our eIpecta-
tion., in France and elsewhere are NOT
buck-passers' that they know wha'
service is; how valuable the proper
kind of efficiency is; how to get and
keep it. and that no system is sound
that neelects sociological conditions
and justice.
Mr.. Connolly declared that these
clerks claim the rights to affiliate
with any organization or body OF
men and women who keep the law
and try to keep the Commandments
and the moment that these are VIC
Lated, they will observe their oath OF
office. be faithful to their govern.
nent and obey the will of their God.
Veterans of Many Wars.
Lawmakers, Mr.. Connolly said
SHOULD remember that the servants
If the government in the executive
tepartme nts who have been described
is parasites; loafers, self-seekers ana
.rafters fof. whom there may be too
-t4any)9 are as a clxss yeterans o.
many wars, of the past. and thou
lands of them but qiateiS-- returned
n ,s .nura rot" .Mr. Connolly told
fhes reciarsification commission, to
Claim that the dollar r-a.year men
I the government service into eff1-
cient running order during the Wa wa:
found il dificult to get their
IN the Ground in their big new jobs
until some bright. efficient, nigh;
trained. and thoroughly sei1-reHallt
and sure-footed. clear-headed. me-
thodical logical 1920 to 81 900 year
man. woman, boy or girl. government
trained. was called upon to furnish
! the know how and do-it-no ~.
The brief presented on behalf, OF the
miscel. .aneous clerical. service asked
for range Of salaries IRON sl,oSo ooi' 70
$4,000 year. No preference 10 COL
fege graduates vas recommended III
the matter OF entrance salary. l
Speaks for school Clerks.
supt. 'Ernest.L Thurston of the Dis
trict public schools made n plea to
the commission on behalf OF the .cleri-
cal WORKERS. of the school system
GUS clerical group Mr.. ;Thnrston
said that the forty-eight clerks IN
the schools are seriously underpaid;
Many Of the clerks. ne said. received
as little rs S72o q year salary.
, The co-ordinating committee OF the
Of n
re presenting about 10000 enIploEe
presented a brief to the commission
in which salary scale ranging from
81, 500 to $4,000 year Was. recon-
mended, ,r.
ing propositions:
.riat each group Of service should
reJresent a class of work the develop
nents OF which shall offer a career to
all who become efficient therein. Only
by such an ideal will 1t be possible to
obtain best results along all lines and
to. preyent the. continuance Of the
nresent-day turnover in the civil serv-
iceL : -. - ~ sS
Enorts to Raise standards.
THAT. in determining the qaalifica-
tions for appointment and for promo
ton. due effort be made to raise the
standards. We believe. that all tests
should be the measure of real fitness
ana merit. NC pcIlCNC IHdI Iiic Ii"iI
service should attract and hold high
grade people
That when your comm lsSlon ha s
established a salary for each Of the
classes within each Of the services.
the present personnel be assigned to
the respective classes upon the. basis
of experience, length of service. and
efficiency; that entrants into, the civil
service be started at the initial salary
of. the class for which they have
qualified, with provision for promotion
to higher grades upon the conditions
prescribed by the tests required to
demonstrate eligibility: and that reg
ulations be made whereby Il mobile
transfer from enc department to an
other may be effected.
"That. as far as may be necessary
practicable and equitable. the salary
schedules presented by the several
groups be 50 revised by your COM
mission IS to be made coherent and
i coordinate. We tninl. it unwise to
ioverestimate the Importance OF minute
details if this will endanger the In
teresrs of the thousands whom we
represent.
'That, to facilitate the accounting
work of making up payrolls, the
! amount of each base salary should be
divisible by twenty -four.
That, until the salaries proposed
shall become effective. q suitable
bonus to provide for the increased
and increasing cost of living be pro-
vided.
! Saturday Half-HOlidays.
! THAT the provisions for Saturday
haJf-holiday the year around for thir-