The Washington herald., 1919-12-24
CONGRESS- READY
TO CLEAN HOUSE.
Movement to Reward Merit
And Eliminate Sloths in !
U. S. Offices Gains.

me disposition TO eliminate the
sloths and reward the workers In
government service with a higher
rate Of pay and the establishment Of
q promotion system that would prove
! a greater Incentive to strive for ad-
vancement. seems to receive almos,
universal support at the Capitol both
among Democrats and Republicans.
While a great many Senator's and
Representatives have left the city
over the holidays and of those re-
manning In Washington few could be
found In their offlces-probably being
engaged in Christmas shopping
enough were located to get a fairly
accurate estimate OF the sentiment OF
Congress towards the plan.
IL those remaining in Washington
are representative Of the ones who
have gone home. IL can be safely pre-
dicted that when Congress conyenes
IN January after the recess, the de-
mand for busting the "slackers'' from
the government service will be almost
universal
Commfssion Gets Results.
IF the Joint Congressional Com
mission on Redistribution accom-
plishes no other object" a member
Of Congress said yesterday. "the
knowledge of conditions in the gov
ernment service which It has made
available win pay well for all the
time and money it has expended"
The investigation conducted by the
commission Is credited by this Rep
resentative with having been In a
large way responsible for the preva-
lent demand for higher standards Of
eniciency In government service and
the consequent elimination of those
who cannot hit the ball"
Another appeal for higher stand
ards In the government service was
made yesterday when W. ]. Schu-
triumph. Of the Interior Department,
representing the stenographic, typ
ing, correspondence and secretariaI
workers of all departments. urged
the Commission on Reconsideration
TO set higher educational require
ments for entrance into those serv-
Ices Mr.. Schutrumpf headed a COM
mittee representing 1900 workers
In these services and presented a
brief asking for salary increases.
One of the main causes of pSor
work by typists and sterographefs."
he said, lis undoubtedly due to the
fact that they have not had a good
fundamental training"
@FederaI Training School,
schutrumpf declared that under
the present system the government
service was merely in the nature Of
a training school for thousands of
these workers who entered before
being fully trained. received a sal
airy while gaining experience and
training. and then left for the high
or paying commercial fields.
The Commission was asked by
Mr. Schutrumpf to increase the re-
guirements for a senior typist from
l65 words per minute to IS; for iu
Dior stenographers and typists, SIS
I'd 50. and for under typists and
stenographers, from As to so words.
Debating machine operators in
the government service should be
Considered as a separate class of
workers, Miss Esther Simpson, of
he War Risk Bureau. told the Com
mission. The dictagraph operator
accomplishes more work than the
- enographer. she said. because the
tenographer must wait while her
mployer is interrupted to answer
The telephone OF attend to some
other pressing duty while he is die
fafin1