Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-09

bureau gives it's best men leave of absence to
go to foreign countries and do work for other
governments and for private concerns so
that they may make enough money to return
to the United States and do the work of the
American government.
One government bureau, in order to make
it's case clear to the Reconsideration commits
sion, studied the fortunes Of eight of its best
men for a period of years before and after
the war. This study showed that their earn
ing capacity actually rose until about 1914.
1t then began to decline so that they are
now earning less than they did in 1912, so
far as power to buy the necessities of life is
concerned.
Another study has been made of 1000
technical men who have left the government
service. 1t shows that nearly all of them
have at least doubled their incomes, and
many have multiplied them by three
You may find this hard to believe but the
work of the government is done very large
ly by men who are losing money to do it. If
every technical man in government employ
who has been offered better job outside the
government should accept tomorrow, and
leave, the government work would collapse.
There are many instances of men working for
$4,000 or $4,000 a year who have refused
salaries ranging from $4,000 to $4,000 a
year, because they wanted to see through
jobs which they had undertaken, or because
they were deeply interested in their work.
But these motives cannot be relied upon to
hold an organization together, and the gov
ernmcnt organization is rapidly going to
pieces
These facts and instances speak for them
selves. Little amplifcation is needed 1t
should be explained, however, that the gov
ernmGnt organization in Washington con-
sists OF about 100000 individuals, all OF
whom are underpaid. Of these about $500
are technical and professional men. 1t is
with these men, and not with the clerks,
that this article deals. These technical and
professional men are the brains OF the gov
ernment-the clerks are it's arms and legs.
The quality of the service which your gov
eminent renders to you depends largely up
on the quality of the brains with which it
fills its technical, professional and admins
trative positions.
The activities of the government are con-
stantly expanding. 1t now advises and aids
some industries such as agriculture, it oper-
ates others such the railroads and the
national forests and the postal system, over
others it exercises a large degree OF control.
1t is a growing machine which touches the
lives of every one of us. Some of us think
it ought to grow still more, and others think
it's activities ought to be curtalled. But no
one presumably, thinks it ought to col
lanse. Whatever the amount of work it does,
we agree that it should be a good machine.
But it is no longer a good machine, and 1t
is getting worse all the time. There is only
one reason for this The people of the Uni
~
enough money. They not only pay too little
to obtain first-class or even second class
employees. They do not pay enough to retain
the services of anyone permanently Inc
government service has become place to
which men come for little while and then
60 leaving work at loose ends. 1t is place
where youngsters experiment and complete
their educations, and here old men, who no
longer care for change, dozo in their chairs
It no longer offers life career to man of
irSt-rate abilities.
Congress has appointed commission to
look into this state Of affairs, The commits
sion has held hearings and it has heard the
facts. There is every reason to believe that
the commission will recommend extensive
increases in government salaries. There is
not much reason to believe that congress
will act upon its recommendations. Admin
istratve economy" is a plank which will ap-
pear in the platforms of both great political
parties Fair salaries for government EN-
ployes" is plank which will not appear in
cither--2t leaGt, not unless the people can be
convinced that their government machine is
going to rack and ruin, and congress hears
from the EoO~le,