The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1920-01-05

cause that class represents the real
working ONCE force of the govern
ment. The duties of clerks" are
manifold and in private business
would rank all the way from office
boys to managers. In Washington,
although doing responsible work,
labor that in many instances shades
into the expert" these clerks are
mere cogs In a machine.
Even-Handed Injustice.
Injustice is not confined to the
lower salaried force. 1t apple. as
well to those who through their po-
sitions have their hands on the
throttle, all the way from chief
clerks. dlsbursing agents. chiefs of
divisions up to the head of the de-
partment. Executive positions pay
from $4,000 to $4,000. There Is
just one in each department which
yields the latter. The average for
heads of divisions is S2,25o a year.
Those who holde these places are
usually men and women of ,sluca-
tion and experience who would be
certain to draw twice or three times
as much in similar positions outside
were their capabilities known.
A departmental chief clerk gets
as high as $4,000 but the service is
not overburdened with these. AS
sistant attorneys are to be had for
$4,000. Naturally as these learn the
business they look elsewhere for
jobs and thus there Is a constant
milling going on which does not do
the service any good.
1t is not the intention here to go
into detailed discussion of depart
mental salaries, as the records are
and have been open to all. The nat
statement is made that conditions
are not only a disgrace to the SER
vice, but a positive menace to the
country. 1t is up to Congress to
rectify these conditions. The en-
ployes. individually. neither can nor
will do it. In the mass they are
apathetic to a degree. The reason
for this was sought.
All Hope Abandoned.
The clerical employees take very
little interest in the reclassification
work." explained a chief clerk, "for
the reason that they have given up
hope. They are buried in routine
and mechanically go through tasks.
apparently satisfied with their lot.
They have seen and heard so much
of Investigations that they display
absolute Indifference to the one un-
der way now.
Satisfied as they seem to be there
is discomfort under the surface. 1t
is true that those who have been in
the service a long time are cowed
and resigned but those who have
come in lately are looking for a
way out. Neither class entertains
any hope that Congress- will better
conditions much regardless of what
the Redistribution Commission
should recommend. Were ii not
for volunteers, men and women who
recognize that a change must come.
the grievances would still be rest
ing in the pigeon holes
At End of the Rope.
Stnl there are rumblings to be
heard. At one OF the hearings be-
fore the Rehabilitation Commits
sion the investigator was told by
one of those who presented a brief,
that should Congress disregard the
hoped-for recommendations there
would be such a mass of resigna-
tions that the service would be Sc
riously crippled.
There is no conspiracy in this. "
said the informant. but a refusal
to readjust salaries will mean that
a large percentage of the employees
Will have to seek work elsewhere in
order to live. We have reached the
emf Of our rope. have been in the
service over twenty-five years. My
present salary is $1,000. have
scores of men under me and my po-
sition is really executive. There is
no black mark against my record.
Is that justice?"