Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-20

civil service a place where an employe can
53t what he is worth win promotion on his
norits, and do the kind of work he is best
lifted to do.
The present civil service system does not
confer any of these boons AS a result, the
ERIN government job has come to be asso-
ciated in many minds with red tape, the rut
and low salaries To a great extent the
ISOLATION is justified. And with the govern
ment civil service becoming constantly big
ger thing, the necessity for giving the govern
ment JOB better reputation is pressing.
The work has been started by the appoint
-14t OF commission Of six members, who
i 30 mako report on the Redistribution
&c l~1GTeds OF thousands of government
~~'C-0r in Washington. This is important
within itself, and it is probably the beginning
of reform which will affect the entire civil
service of the United States.
An appropriation bill passed hurriedly by
the last congress created this commission.
1t consists of three senators, appointed by
the vice president, and three ex-congressmen
appointed by the speaker of the house. The
members chosen were Senators Jones of New
Mexico, Spencer of Missouri, Henderson of
Nevada and ex-Representative Heating of Col
oradO, Cooper of Wisconsin and Hamlin of
Missouri.
The commission started out auspiciously by
taking the government employees into it's con-
f1dence. The Federal Union of Federal En-
plOyes has been recognized by the new COM
mission The government workers have been
consulted, the plan explained to them, and
committees appointed in each bureau to help
with the work.
The commission is working to establish
policy by which government service will no
longer mean life sentence at one job.
eve want the United States civil service
to furnish a desirable career for ambitious
young men and women" said Mr.. Heating,
secretary of the commission. "Well defined
paths must be provided to lead from the hum
blest positions in the service to the places
of power and emolument."
The first step the commission took was to
find out the exact number of employees with
which it had to deal The most recent fig
ures show 1O4,137 employees in forty-three
departments, Independent bureaus, and COM
missions in Washington.
''This figure said Mr.. Heating, "repre
sents the greatest payroll of single enter
prise in any city in the world. Taking 800
as the average monthly salary of the govern
ment worker-and the figure is probably
good deal higher-over $10,000,000 is paid
out monthly by the government to these en-
ployes."
The next step is to obtain information as
to salaries and positions Experts on rec1as-
sifcation have come from Cleveland, Chicago,
New York, and Ottawa to help the govern
ment and information to salaries and
methods in private industry and commerce
has been obtained for purposes of COM
parison
To get facts first hand from the employees,
printed uuestionnaires will be sent to each
one in a few days. The QUESTIONABLE will
inquire the employees salary, working hours,
whether he has any subordinates and their
| work and salaries, years of government serv-
| ice, entrance pay, and other facts about his
service. On the back of the form is space
| where the employe is to write an account
| of the work actually performed by him, and
another space where his immediate superior
| TO To u &c of hn mn
! his opinion as to the qualifications appli-
! cants for this position should possess.
| These missionaries, when called in, will
| be turned over to reclassification experts to
| be sorted. Then notices will be sent out That
4 certain class of emplOyes-stenographe for
| instance-are to be classified. At that time
any stenographers who wish to appear be-
fore the commission will be granted hear
tngs. aor ..e',-- y.. ~
In general, reclassfcation will not1be made
for each case individually. salary sched-
u1e will be fixed for stenographers for eX-
ample, and each stenographer will be placed
according to the record shown by the ques-
tionnaire, with the testimony of the hear
ings, if any, also considered.
| In this process, some salaries will be
raised, and some will be lowered. Special
| effort will be made to see that every gov
| eminent worker has a living wage. The
Federal Union of Federal Employees states
| that probably $4,000 government employees
are paid less than living wage. This state
| ment it supports by saying that large pro-
portion of the workers have to do outside
| work, are in debt or have to put their chill
Iren to work. An instance of this is the
| case of a charwoman in government service
| Who draws 1912 a year for the hardest sort
| # manual labor.
Some of the Redistribution experts are in
! favor of gradual reduction Of the salaries
attached to certain of the higher paid posi-
tons. The method suggested is that per-
! sons holding the positions continue at their
present salaries, but that their successors to
the offices enter at the lower rate
The need for Standardization Of govern
ment salaries is obvious. Of several chem
lists who take examination for appointment,
one will be appointed to the department OF
| agriculture at 81 200. another to the depart
ment of interior at $1,400, and another to
! commerce at $1,000 This absurd system
| or lack of it, is due partly to the fact that
! maintenance of different departments is pro-
vided for by different appropriation acts
Even clerks in the same bureau received
widely varying salaries for the same work.
| and without reference to ability.
How high in official rank the revision OF
| salaries will go the commission refuses TO
! predict 1t is admitted that the cabinet Off
GERS may be mentioned in it's recommends
tions This would mean, of course, raise"
! for the secretaries.
The commissions work, it should be clear
| ly understood, is not to authorize any changes
| in the present system. 1t was instructed by
| congress to study the situation. work out I'M
| provements, and turn in a repC.t on the Sec
ond Monday in 1920. Using t. at report as
| basis, congress will 1egislate.
The commission and the Union of Federal
| Employees believe that this Redistribution OF
district employees must inevitably lead to re-
clio Of +ho cd fold service