Evening star., 1920-01-13
Commission FINDS
EMPLOYEES GROUP
PAY IS EQUAL|zED
Similar Salary for Similar
Work Paid the Calculating
Machine Operators.

A group of government employees re-
ceiving practically similar wages for
similar work was the surprising dis
covery made today by the joint con-
gressionRl commission on reclassif1ca-
ton of salaries in the District. SO
pleased We're the commissioners win
the discovery that they made the fig
ures public at once.
Figures for calculating machine
operators look more as statistics 1or
a class ought to look than most of
them we have thus far seen," de-
clared an official engaged on the
work of tabulating the salaries re-
ceived by employees of the govern
ment at the present time: Gross m
egualities in the wages of practical
ly all employees have been discover
ed to date, such as salaries ranging
from s720 to s1.400 for telephone
operators. doins the same work.
Gets n Pleasing Jolt.
The commission got quite a pleasing
jolt today, therefore. when it discovered
that of the 266 employees in the cal
culating machine operating class. part
of the 1912 employees in the Office ap-
piiance operative service. 164 are con-
centrated in the salary class $1,000. but
under $1,320.
.Thirty-four are in the salary class
just above and thirty-three in the salary
class Just below" the chief statistician
pointed out 1.-The salary grades from
S1,10O to under s1,440 thus include 231
of the 266. OF the remaining thirty-fve.
twenty-nine are in the salary class
$1,000, but under $1,100, and six in the
salary class 5000, but less than $1,000
The extreme salary range for the class
as a whole is about $500. and the bulk
of the employees fall within $3.50 of the
average either way"
Finds Unusual Uniformity.
Unusual uniformity was discovered
by the commission in the whole group
of employees in the Office appliance
operative service, one OF the newest
groups of employees in the federal
service. most of the employees having
been in the work only during the
past three years.
Investigation will show that two
factors had contributed to help in
producing this comparative uniform
ity," officials declared. The employ
ment of calculating machine oper-
ators in large numbers is recent
movement, and thus all have been
taken into the service under the
same general economic conditions.
Few entered in period of low
wages. The calculating machine COM
panies. too, have conducted scnools
for operators. and in the war emer-
sency they offered to furnish oper-
ators at a certain salary, thus tend
ing to equalize salaries.
"Is forces such as these can tend to
correct unwarranted salary variation,
it would seem that permanent COM
mission, with classification to work
with, could easily render excellent
service
striking Contrast shown.
Mimeograph operators presented a
striking contrast to this almost model
condition. Instead of being concen-
trated in few salary classes they are
now scattered widely over the tables
prepared by the reclaSSification COM
mission, in every class. from under
S72O to $1,329, but under $1,44O. This
is the old story told in previous tabu-
lations made public by the commission.
The average salary for this group va
ried from $3.50 in the Department of
Commerce to 900 in the Civil Service
Commission.
The total number of office appliance
operators in the government service
April 80, 1919. according to the tenta-
tive classification. was 1,642, and their
aver age salary. exclusive OF bonus
S1.049.
Although this service embraces
twenty-nine different classes, accord
ing to the tabulationS made by the
commission, the classes do not show
at the present time a wide range in
respect to salary rank, at least no
way near the range characterizing
many other services. such as tele-
Dhone operators and translators. for
instance.
Average of Lowest Classes.
The three lowest classes in respect
to average salary are given as junior
automatic addressing machine opera
tors. $500; miscellaneous office appli-
ance operators, 1858, and address plate
cutters, 1896.
At the other extreme are supervisor
of mechanical addressing, $1.470; su-
peryisor of calculating machine opera
tors. S1,5O2, and chief of mechanical
addressing, Sl,S63.
The large classes are given as the
calculating machine operators, 266
employes, with an average salary of
sIiS6: adding machine operators, PIG.
with an average salary of $1,O49;
principal addressing machine opera
tors. i69, with an average salary of
s1-O23. and address plate cutters, 161.
with an average salary of $685..
The Federal Trade Commission, ac-
cording to the tabulations. hit the low
point with one miscellaneous appli-
ance operator. who draws the munif1-
cent sum of $3.50 per annum.