The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-06-21
EXPERTS TOPASS
ON j. s. SALARIES
Joint Conference on RecIassifi.
cation Lays Problems Be-
fore Economists.

University heads, economists, and
Industrial experts will be asked 70
study the report on reclsssineation
in Washington. with a view to hsy-
Ing recommendations for making
Government service a teld OF greater
usefulness.
The Joint Conference on Reclsssih-
cation. made up OF representatives. OF
all departments OF Government work
here, has addressed letters to these
classes. with the request that study
be made OF the report.
Weekly meetings OF the Joint con-
ference will be held every Friday
night. In the past the meetings were
on Saturday nights.
On Wednesday night or this week,
the Treasury and Interior Depa rt-
ments will meet 10 select key per
sons and perfect the decentralization
organization in those departments
All meetings will be at tn. heAdauar-
ters or the Federation OF Federal En-
pioyes, 1923 New York avenue.
DUTIES OF KEY PERSONS
IL is expected that during the nrst
week OF July the organization Of
key persons" for the entire Washing
ton service will have been completed
The Join; Conference today issued
statement setting forth the dutires
Of key persons
Briefly, key persons merely rep
resent a natural and logical extern
sion OF the joint conference" says
the statement. THE object of the
conference Is to keep alive interest
in the reclsssification.
1T is evident that no small COM
mittee, such as the conference Itself,
could personally come in contact with
all or any large number OF the en-
ployes. To accomplish this. there
must be auxiliary workers. such as
those who will be chosen as key
persons
Through them the joint conference
will be enabled to keep in touch with
the great mass OF employees. and get
into their hands such literature as II
may, from time to time. have pre-
pared. Through them, likewise, the
joint conference will be enabled 10
ascertain the attitude OF employees to-
ward particular features OF the re-
classification, with a view to harmon
izing opinion, clearing up misunder-
ItSelI OF the
constructive criticism that Is certain
TO be brought forth when large num-
bers Of persons become really inter
ested in matter that vitality affects
their future welfare.
on TRIAL OF INEQUALITIES.
AS a result OF this organization
there will also undoubtedly be brought
to light specific instances OF inequali-
ties that will furnish the most con-
vincinS arguments In favor of reclas-
sihcation. As sample of this sort
has recently come to the attention of
the conference, in the cases Of certain
employees appointed to perform sim
pie clerical work under an appropria-
ton for field services that provides
for compensation OF 1886 per month
for the lowest grade or employe
therein.
These newly appointed persons
were placed on duty in building in
proximity 10 other employees OF the
Government, of longer service. who
were engaged on clerical work OF a
similar or more difficult character.
The result'of this was that clerks OF
several years service saw new en-
ployes. some of them with no expert
ence whatever, being engaged at sal
aries in excess OF what they them
selves were receiving after their
years Of experience. That this
caused dissatisfaction il is needless to
state"