The Washington times., 1919-10-25
Should Provide Decent Living"


Should Provide
..The United states Government is
rich enough to at least provide its
employees with a decent living" said
one authority today. II do not be-
Iieve that our Government intends
otherwise. II is out OF proportion
with every standard OF respectable
living that a Federal worker, with a
family OF Ave should be compelled to
work for less than s2.262.47 a year"
This minimum was get by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics as the re-
suits of a special investigation in
this city for the Congressional joint
commission on reclassification of sal
aries.
The final recommendations of the
commission to Congress will be based
primarily on this standard of living
conditions and the factor OF salaries
paid in private Industry for similar
work done in the Government The
commission has not yet accepted the
living budget Of the Bureau OF Labor
Statistics Before doing so the COM
mission will make an investigation
Of it's own and compare II with the
bureaus figures.
Seae Think Figure Tee High.
When the budget of the bureau was
presented to the advisory committee
or wage policies several members of
the commission took exceptions to the
figure of s2,262.47 as being too high.
The Bureau OF Labor Statistics
maintains that while this figure Is
subject to revision IL will most GER
tainly be revised upward rather than
down.
The National Federation of Federal
Employees today urged that the bu-
rsAu's report is actually an irreduci-
bile minimum The federation cites
such items In the budget as an allow
snce OF quart and one-Quarter Of
mil kper day for three children, one
and one-half pairs of shoes per year
for the father of the family. and one
winter suit each per year for father
aad mother. The Employee Union
points to other Items In the budget
a. similarly meager in quantity.
DffneuftSes Beset Task.
The report of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, which Is the FIRST of
series, which win play q leading role
in the revision OF the salaries of 1o7,-
oeo Government employees in Wash
ington, impresses the difficulty In
arriving at . proper standard and the
flexibility Of the many issues enter
ing into it
In arguing for the acceptance by
the commission of q minimum level
such as prepared by the bureau, those
in authority declare that the commits
sion certainly will not consider what
Is termed the spauper or poverty
level" which represents roughly
standard of living just above whe.e
families receive aid from charity or
where they run into serious debt.
II Is also declared that "the mini
mum OF subsistence lever would also
be out OF question as applicable 10
Government workers, since this Is
based essentially on mere animal ex-
istence. and allows little or nothing
for the needs Of men as social crea-
lures.
Means Mere Thaa Existence.
The minimum of health and comfort
level, such as Is considered in the
5uset Of the bureau, certainly must
De seriously weighed. it is declared
This represents a slightly higher level
than that OF subsistence. providing
not only for the material needs of
food, shelter. and body covering, but
also for certain comforts such as
clothing sufficient for bodily comfort
and to maintain the wearer's instinct
Of self-respect and decency; some in
surance against the more important
misfortunes-deAth, disability and
; firs-good education for the children,
some amusement, and some expendl-
lures for self-development
IL Is such a standard which II is
hoped that the future salaries of all
Government clerks will be based
upon. and from present high levels of
living IL Is emphasized such
standard is now below par and Is
one which must be raised IL the Gov
ernment Is to regard its employees
from the standpoint of efficiency AMI
the consideration to which they are
and most highly organized Govern
ment in the world.
25 Collect Wage Data.
The commission announced this
morning that twenty-five agents had
been sent out into the field to gather
wage data They will collect facts
within an area bordered on the south
by Richmond, on the north by Boston,
On the west by Pittsburgh and on the
east by New York. Several investi-
gators also will probably be sent into
The Middle West
The hearings before the commits
sions OF the various groups Of workers
-Fin begin within the next several
Jays. Among the first to be heard
gill be the library group. the skilled
md printing trades and hremen and
policemen
The commission last night issued a
statement declaring that the budget
prepared by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics had. ben given premature