Evening star., 1919-12-17
SEEK $3.50 $8,10O
AS LOW SCALEF0R
5000 U. S. EXPERTS
Technical and professional
Men Tell of Vast "Turn
Over" Due to Low Pay.

| Inadequate compensation and GER
tain unsatisfactory employment con-
ditions were given as fundamental
rea sons for a tremendous turn over,
| in many cases as high as 100 per cent,
! in the personnel Of the technical sci
entific and professional services OF
the government here by committee
which represented the more than
5000 workers at hearing before the
Joint congressional commission on re-
| ella ssification of salaries today.
In asking for minimum salary
scale ranging from Sl,32O to $S,I0O a
year the steering committee or the
three services, composed of o. c. Mer-
rill of the forest service. w. T. Baw-
| den of the bureau of education. and
w. d. Collins of the bureau of chem
istry. pointed to serious conditions IN
the government as the result of the
big labor turn over.
Says Standard Not Maintained.
'It requires no critical examination
of existing conditions in the federal
government service to disclose the
fact that the adequate standards OF
personnel and of performance is not
being maintained" declared Mr.. Mer-
rill. who acted as spokesman. He as
serted that the situation is becoming
worse instead of better. and that a
nrands of war has become still fur
ther depleted since the cessation of
hostilites.
This depletion is proceeding at q
constantly increasing rate. until 1t
is only a matter of months before it
will be humanity impossible for the
experienced personnel remaining to
perform adequately the duties devolv-
ing upon them" Mr. Merrill stated.
James r. Angel of the National Re-
CO hoo cd III In.
stating that unless the government
is in position to attract -he best
scientists the national welfare must
inevitably suffer.
Mr.. Merrill Cites Example.
Chairman Merrill of the steering
committee continued:
while a certain percentage of
turnover in an organization is not
harmful and may even be desirable,
an annual turnover OF 25. so or even
100 per cent and more which is oc-
curing at the present time in the
federal government service is dis
ruptive of7the organizations, reduces
increases its cost. Details of turn
over will be presented by the indi-
vidual services. 1t is sufficient here
merely to cite examples.
''Since July 1. 1918. the forest serv-
ice has lost over 700 employees. or 2S
460 of it's technical personnel. The
coast and geodetic survey in the same
period lost 33 per cent of its tech
nical force. The bureau of stand
ards lost 1873 per cent Of it's per-
manent staff in the District of Co.
lumbia in 1915-1916, q per cent in
1916-1917, 4S.6 per cent in 1917-191S
and SOL per cent in 191S-1919, total
of $40 designations in four years out
Of an average FORGE of 535. The sep
arationS from the combined technical
staffs in Washington and Pittsburgh
aggregated 1.400 in the four years out
Of an average personnel Of 473, max
ing an average annual turnover of
S5 per cent, with a maximum in the
fiscal year 191S-1919 of 145 per cent.
..Studies made by the coast and geo.
detic survey in relation to it's COM
missioned personnel show that the
aggregate cost during the fiscal year
ending July !. 1920. Of usfng expert
enced man GSf straining new em-
ployes, of lost time due to personnel
changes and-of 1essened efficiency due
to inexperience is likely to be more
than 25 per cent in excess of the total
annual pay roll for such personnel"
Elaborate tables presented to the
commission by Mr.: Merrill showed
that individuals have resigned from
the government service to get 154
per cent increase in salary on the
that OHC tiious
$4,000 in the government, resigned
to ACCEPT a position on the outside
at $I1.6e-, and that this mans present
salary IS $14,667 a year.
'If the flood of resi- ssnations from
the government service is to be stop
ped, anG If the service is to be main
tained on a standard commensurate
with the importance of the WORK to
be performed, there must be a.iadical
read ,usfment in the presan. salary
scale fer the technical. scientific and
professional services-a readJustment
which will recognize tho commercial
value of the services performed and
realize the fatal blundcr Of attempt
ing to do the business Of the gov
ernment on a compensation bass
wh.ch private business abandoned
years ago.
After a very careful investigation
thu advisory committees OF the tech
nica!, SC c,ent'fic and professional serv-
ices submit the following scale as
rerI esenting, in their judgment. the
lowest amounts under which 1t will
be practicable to recruit and retain
in :nc government service n properly
qus lified personnel in any class OF its
technical, professional or scientific
work"
Scale as Proposed.
The proposed scale is as follows:
Rank. Title. Minimum. Ma ximum.
Professional
1. Senior ............ $500 ID.
2. ............ 5,40O N,920