The Washington times., 1920-12-18
us. ECONOMY
COSTLY TOD.C.
Local Government Threatened
With Loss Of Valued Employees
BY Penurious Policy.

salaries Of the statutory employees
Of the District government Is prac-
ticing false economy:
This Is the opinion OF business
men Of tho city and government or
ficials. They point out that some OF
the heads Of the city government
bureaus are men skilled and trained
in their line Of work. and could com
mand a better salary on the outside.
FEAR TO LEAVE JOBS.
They remain in the District serv-
Ice for many reasons. II was pointed
A. cut but the principal one Is that they
, have served the District so long that
they are in q sort OF q rut and do
! not dsre to venture outside Of the
service
However. Il is pointed out that the
! small salary IL making many Of them
l dissatisfied with their position and
would leave tho District service any
: tir,e that an offer was made them
from the outside.
These offers. IL Is said. will be made
as coon - tho business men become
acquainted with their worth. and
many OF tho officials friends are now
extolling their virtues to outside con-
eerus.
DISTRICT WILL LOSE
In several cases II II said. the Dis
trict will DO q heavy loser II these
officials leave tho service and 1t will
cost the Government more money to
replace these men than to pay them
tho increased salary.
One instance Ia pointed out In the
case of Conrad Syme. former corpora
ton counsel. He was receiving a
salary Of $4,000 as corporation counsel
and $1,000 additional as counsel for
the Public Utilities Commission. He
served notice on the Commissioners
that he was going to leave the Dis
trict service. At that time. there was
pending before the Commission and in
the courts several suits against the
rulings of the Utilities Commission.
Mr.. Syme was familiar with the
cases having handled them from the
start, and the Commissioners asked
him to stay. He agreed to, but only
to finish the big cases which were
before the commission. When he
saw that tho utility suits were to
be long drawn out and that he would
be hold In the District service for several
years, he went to the Commissioners
and said that he would leave. And
he left.
GIVEN 5000 FEE.
The Public Utilities Commission
was hard pressed to get an attorney
to handle tho utility cases, who was
familiar with them. The utility com
panies had employed the best counsel
in the city to night the decisions ana
the commission was in sore straits
as to what course to pursue. 1t
went to Mr.. Syme and asked him to
handle the cases for them. He agreed
10 do this and fee Of $4,000 year
! was agreed upon by Mr.. Syme and
the Commissioners.
II a small salary increase had been
granted Mr.. Syme. 1t is pointed out
he would still be in the District
service and handling the utility cases
in addition to the regular work or
the corporation counsels office. As
it is, the District Is now paying Cor
poration Counsel Stephens $500 and
Mr.. Syme $1,000 a year, making
total OF $4,000,
One Of Mr.. Syme's assistants when
he WAS in office was r. J. Whitford.
He was being paid a salary Of $1,000.
His work was OF such high order
that It attracted ttention OF the
courts and the business interests OF
the District. The Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company. which is
now petitioping the Public Utilities
Commission for higher fares. and
which has intimated that 1t will ask
an increase in electric light rates
soon, on account OF not being able to
make ends meet and pay nominal
dividend to it's stockholders, saw the
wisdom of retaining the services OF
Mr.. Whitford, and he is now on their
payroll. at $500 year.
SIGNS WITH CORPORATION.
rhe same company pays its chief
eurKeon $4,000 year while the Dis
trict government pays its health Of
ncer 81, 900 q year to look out for the
health Of the residents OF Washing.
ton. Or. Fowler is considered one
of the best health officers in the
country. He is not only a skilled
physician. but an administrator Of
great ability.
Daniel ]. Donovan. auditor OF the
District, is receiving $4,000 a year.
His predecessor is obtaining a GALAXY
~ $4,000 from the Shipping Board,
TO which place he went from the Dis
trict Building. Donovan was in
charge OF the draft boards of the
District during the war and did etfl-
cient work. He has been an employee
Of the District for many yearG. and is
thoroughly converssnt with the work
inss OF the District government.
william P. Richards, assessor for
the District Is another official whose
raise in salary was turned down by
the Appropriations Committee. He
IS now receiving $500 a year. Mr..
Richards is an authority on real os-
tate in Washington and Is freely con-
suited BY buyers of real estate and
real estate brokers. with his knowl-
odge OF real estate in the District and
his prominence, II is said by business
men that he could make three or four
times his present salary in the real
estate business in Washington.
mn nnAI mn r n MN Ynr