Evening star., 1919-12-29
j. S. CLERKS PAY
RAISED z CENTS
FROM 1928 TO 1876
Examiners Give Average Fig-
ures in Argument for
Increases.
LEFT AT THE POSI-"
PLEA TO CLASSIFIERS
Law Service Complains That Its
Salary Scale Is Too Low to
Retain Experts.

Average salaries of the government
clerical force increased from $1,137.2S
in 1923 to S1.13S in 1916. an increase of
II cents. according to figures pre-
sented to the joint congressional COM
mission on reciassification of salaries
IN the District today by the govern
inent examiners.
While the pay of congressman has
been Increased more than 700 per
cent since 1888, and the pay of JUS
tees of the Supreme Court more than
50" per cent, examiners in the gov
ernment service today feei that they
are left at the post u. j. BiIler of
the pension Office told the commits
sion at-the hearing
Some of the examiners in the older
bureaus are still working at approxi-
mateiy the same wage received by
their predecessors for similar or less
complicated work back in 1888, or
brief presented by Mr. Biller on be-
half of the examiners.
Little Change shown.
No examiner in the pension bureau
was paid less than 5000 in 1888. and
there was then a salary range up to
and including $780," declared the
brief. The minimum wage of the ex-
aminer group in the pension bureau
is still 5000, just what it was in 1898,
and of the PA employees now in the
group only nineteen receive a great
er wage than the maximum paid their
predecessors in 1888.
To use a race-track phrase, this
group has been left at the post Since
iS33 the pay of congressman has been
increased more than 200 per cent: the
pay of justices of the Supreme Court
more than 800 per cent. and the pay
of United States district judges more
than 800 per cent, and in some in
stances 600 per cent.
'In 1922 the minimum pay possible
for an examiner in the pension bureau
was the same as that paid to the Unit
I'd States district judge of Vermont.
In 1Ss3 the average pay of all the ex-
aminers in this same bureau was
greater than that of congressman. al
though such famous men as Webster.
Hayne. Benton, COrwin, Polk. Tyler.
Dallas. Marcy. Edward Everett and
.fohn Quincy Adams were then mem
--bers of the House or Senate. In 1922
the pay of a principal . xaminer in the
pension bureau was greater than the
average pay of the United States dis
trict judges. In 1898 the axerage pay
of These judges exceeded that ofThe
principal examiner by less than $500,
while up to 1874 the margin in favor
of the former was less than $500.
TT should be clearly understood
that it is not contended that the pay
of judges and congressman is too
O1Sn- IneSe Oiucla1S DOlQ important
md dignified positions in our great
government, and are probably paid
less than they should be. What is
held to be true is that the examiner
group in some of the bureaus has been
neglected and forgotten for almost a
century,
Administrative Salaries.
Average per cent increases in pay
of high administrative officials from
10 tn ia
scented the commission. were as fol-
lows:
Cabinet members-10O per cent.
Departmental chief cierks-1O0
Der cent.
Chiefs of bureauS-4V per cent
(estimated).
Chief clerks of bureaus-24 per
cent (estimated).
Members of Congress from 1929 to
1881. including John Quincy Adams,
AIR. Miller declared. received S1.04S
per year. or s2.o96 for the two years,
the first session being 11o days At
sS q day and the second session being
81 days at sS per day.
Average salaries of the clerical
force We're given as follows:
1923, of all departments as
listed in National Calendar. :. S1,131.2s
1888, of all departments as
listed in National Calendar. 1.114-55
q :
number of employees taken
on the Post Office Depart
ment)
1928. of pension bureau (then
a division in War Depart
nenD 1,146.s7
1888. of pension bureau (then
q Division in War Depart
men) 1.1S6.0
division in the Treasury. :. 1.1s467
Of all emnlDVeS within
the retirement group, all de-
partments I,iSsVo
KesponsibIe Positions.
"Great financial responsibility is
vested in the examiner-upon his
findings depends the payment of mill
lions, even billions, of dollars" de-
cIared the brief "ln the pension bu-
reau alone, since 1865. and chiefly
within the last thirty years examiners
have collected the evidence and pass
ed tentative judgment on claims IL
which the government has paid over
1--WE billions of dollars. and will prob
ahly pay two billions more. Within
the same period the land office has
1.assed title to land the value ol
which represents billions in the ag-
cyregate. All other units OF the group
rranssct business in which large sums
of money or important issues are in
voIyed. In fact, il is almost impossi
l,ie to consider the work of this
.roup without thinking in millions
and billions.
There never was q time when the
/ L--oyernment so needed trained Iega
Shelpers. and yet the exodus of lawyers
from the service is severely handi
camping the departments today, de
clared a brief presented by the Law
service to the reclasSification commits
sion this afternoon by j. W. Witten OF
1he Interior Department. Wilbur
Ia Roe, jr, OF the Interstate Com
Tuerce Commission and Rudolph L
Colze of the Treasury Department:
The lawyers asked the following
scale of salaries:
chief counsel. $500 and up; counsel
1890 to S7,1ZO: senior attorney, 1853
fo $500; attorney, $1,000 to Si.5O0
assistant attorney, $1,000 to $4,SS0
iunior attorney, $500 to S2.2S0; Law
assistant, $1,000 TO s1,sS0.
COmpared-With Living Cost.
II was declared that the increase!
,sEed are less than the so per CEN
Increase in the cost of living sine.
re1s announced by the government
n was deciar red that turn over o
more than 100 per cent had occurred
5n the legal staff of the alien property
custodian office within the past two
sears: that the Department of Jus.
ice within the last few months hat
renty attorneys. receiving from 81.
on0 to $4,000 year, go to outside
9ositions ranging from $1,000 to SIS.
CONTINUED on Second FageJ