The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1920-01-05
Low PAY HURTS
CHART SURVEY
designations Viewed With
Alarm by Official Of
Geodetic Service.
MENACE TONAvIGATION
Workers Here
In Field Personnel
Quit Jobs.

Serious danger to the continu-
aNce of the proper functioning of
the Coast and Geodetic Survey serv-
ice. on account of great number
OF designations of highly trained
and developed employees, is causing
considerable alarm to officials of
that service.
designations by and large from
the ranks of the Washington per-
sonnet, as well as the field person
mel of several thousands in the
service, presents a menace, accord
ing to Col. E. Lester Jones, super
intendent. that in its mildest form
would take two years to correct.
given that the Congressional Com
mission for Redistribution would
Immediately grant salary increases
to compete with outside employ
ment.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey
losses are especially marked now In
the personnel of it's commissioned
officers, OF draughtsmen, computers,
and clerks. These employees. accord
ing to Col. Jones, are being attract
ed elsewhere by more tempting SAL
aries that generally double the sal
airy they get in the government
service. and often more.
Glaring Example Cited.
One of the most glaring examples
J Is the inability of the service to
hold a school for navigators and
geodesists on Capitol Hill where for
merly thirty-nine ira; led and. upGn
qualification. were accorded the rela-
tive rank of ensign in the navy. at a
salary of 81, 100 a year, is cited. This
school is now closed with no ap-
plicants even for the training.
By the nature Of the work FER
formed by the service, the loss of its
Washington personne! is particularly
ominous to American navigation. The
draughtsmen, resigning. leave none to
chart the depths and dangers Of water
courses navigated by American ship
ping. Likewise the computers and
clerks who have been trained to the
work and who cannot be replaced inn
mediately by others at salaries so
low that they would not even attract
the inexperienced with no technical
training.
mo sooner than we train our en-
ployes than they are offered more
elsewhere" said Col. Jones. I'VE can
offer them no more. for We are bound
hand and foot by the statutory sal.
aries that govern our employment
Hence they leave US and we are
powerless to function"
The inadequate personnel which re-
mains in the service are onlS watt
ing in the hope that relief WIZ be
Forthcoming by favorable action Of the
Congressional Commission. II this is
not given. there is No telling what
will happen to the structure, says
Col. Jones.
Sees Determination.
One feature that appears as a dis
elimination against this service,
says Col. Jones. lies in the fact that
commissioned officers do not draw
the allowances for heat. light and
Communication as do their like ranks
in the army and navy.
At the present time several ships
Of the service are unable to nayi-
gate on account of being under
manned, he said.
IN many instances the salaries
being paid employees of the service
are the same as they were 104 years
ago. While the work is in many
instances hazardous, when charting
the unexplored seas and river passes
these men get no visible reward
As to the magnitude of the work
performed by this service, in 1915
the output of charts by the survey
was 100000. Today it is 100000,
this figure showing an increase of
so per cent over last year.