New-York tribune., 1919-01-10
Made Survey Of Salaries
Department of Labor Learned
Facts Regarding Employees

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.--In recent
discussions in Congress of requests
for increase of pay for government
employees schedules showing discrcp-
ancies between the salaries of Fed
cral and private employees were pre-
sented, and through them the fact was
revealed that the Department of Labor
had made comprehensive survey Of
conditions in the District Of Columbia
This survey was made through the
investigation and inspection service of
the department, one of the most i'm
portant and necessarily least known
divisions of the big labor bureau. Since
the establishment of the service last
summer with Ethelbert Stewart at its
head many Investigations have been
made, and among them one of the most
interesting was the salary survey of the
District of Columbia, which was under
taken at the request Of President
Wilson.
The President asked the Secretary of
Labor to find out whether the scale Of
government wages, especially in certain
lines OF work, caused the difficulty
often experienced by the government
IN competing with private employers.
The Secretary authorized the lnvesti-
cation and Inspection Service to make
the survey. With the co6peration Of
the chief clerks Of all the departments
and the District of Columbia Commits
sloners a thorough and comprehensive
comparison OF salaries was made.
The wage survey was limited largely
to mechanics, experts II certain lines
of work, and unskilod laborers 1t was
discovered that in some cases the gov
crnment wage scale fell below the non
union scale, and moro often it was be-
low the union scale. As comparison
could not be made where government
clerks and employees occupying posi-
tons requiring spec a. knowledge or
training were concerned the increased
cost of living was considered and ad-
vances of salaries were recommended.
One of the reasons FOR the survey
was to compare the salaries paid in
various departm 1t was found that
for the same lines of work salaries
varied widely. Thus some departments
were able to obtain experts and we'll
trained employees, while other branches
had serious difficulties.
A chart was prepared showing aver
ages for all departments, with District
employees considered separately. In
computing the cost of living the In
vestigation and Inspection Service con-
cerned itself chiefly with food prices,
using the monthly lists and COMPARE
sons Of the Bureau Of Labor Statistics
An idea of the divergence of govern
ment pay for similar work is to be OBJ
tanned from the fact that a carpente
employed by the Post Office Depart
ment is paid $1,400, while in other
departments he receives $1,000 The
Department Of Commerce and the De-
partment of the Interior pay but 5000,
while the Treasury goes as low as S72O.
Electricians receive from $720 to $1,50O,
special knowledge or training being re-
quircd for the higher-paid men, When
the survey was made the food admins
tration paid $1.S0O for one elevator
conductor and $1,620 for two, while
others received 5000 and $72O. Among
the other departments the scale ranges
from 81 200 to $3.50
Through this survey effort to stand
ardize salaries will be facilitated. It's
value in determining need of advance
IN compensation is great, for it shows
just whore increase of pay has failed
to keep up with rise in cost of living