New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-09-17

union. composed OF 1900 employees
of the government. this union is par
ticularly interested In the plan for
a system Of training Of government
clerks.
Members Of the big local. which has
eight votes at the national convention.
the biggest representation In he
United States. back the proposal Of
the Reconsideration commission for a
training school for government work
ers.
They point to the fact that some
forms Of such a training school al
ready are In operation in several gov
eminent bureaus here. The Washing
ton city post Office has a modified
training school for new postal clerks
and carriers. I'm which the raw mate
rial Is given preliminary instruction
before being allowed actually to take
up the work of clerk or carrier.
Would Help Workers and Government.
Ii Is pointed out that a system OF
training for higher positions in the
federal service not only would be adj
vantageous to the workers themselves
hut would he equally advantageous to
Uncle Sam. Such training would be
part and parcel of the Reconsideration
scheme which the national federation
of federal employees Is backing on n
nationwide basis. 1t would enable the
employees, II is declared. to fit them
selves for advancement. instead of be-
ing brought face to face with a ''blank
wall" This 'blank wall" is one of
the commonest things in the expert
ence of progressive government work.
ers, and IL is hard to become well &C,
quainted with such an employee and
not soon have him speak of the blank
wall" which he faces.
Many very capable government
workers have been facing that blank
wall" beyond which there il no adj
yancement, for many years. They are
highly capable and feel that theF have
ability, but there is no way for them
to get away from the "wall." In re-
cent months many of them have looked
over the wall" at the high salaries Of
fcred in outside industries, and many
have jumped owe the wall" at last.
leaving the government service just
when they were getting to be most use
full to II. 1t is In this respect, it Is
pointed out. that Uncle Sam is the
greatest loser. Because his civil serv-
Ice offers N training for advance
ment, the service loses many of its
hest men just when they become adj
mirnhly equipped-by government
trainlng-to become most serviceable
10 the government.
Tariff Seems Out Of Politics.
Has the tariff been taken out of
politics2 BY M act of congress
signed September s. 1916, the Uni
ted States tariff commission was ere.
ated. II Is composed of six MEN,
bers, appointed by the president by
and with the advice and consent of
the senate, and not more than three
of the commissioners shall be mem.
bers of the same political party. II
was the desire OF congress to provide
for a commission that would he as
free as possible from political inllu.
ence.
1t will soon be four years since the
commission vas created. During these
years IL has done IN enormous amount
of work. II IL today one of the bus.
lest branches of the federal govern.
ment. II congress should he called In
extra session next week 10 revise the
tariff, It would find the commission
ready to supply il with accurate in.
formation on practically every branch
Of this Intricate subject. Surveys
and reports on more than 1000 items
In the existing tariff law have been
made by the commission. Some OF
the reports have been printed, but
the bulk OF the information is in
manuscript form.
The present congress has shown q
disposition To accept. without ques.
ton. the information supplied II by
the commission. During the recent
session the ways and means commit.
tee of The house of representatives,
In preparing several so-called 'pop.
gun" tariff bills. depended entirely un
the commission for guidance.
Considered a Fixture.
Congress. as a whole, now looks or
the tariff commission as n fixture. Al
the recent session an ample appro.
,,riasinn for .arrvfny nu ,ha u.,rt, -,
the commission was made.
The law creating the commission
provides that the commission shat
prosecute any inquiry necessary to its
duties In any part of the United
States. or In any foreign country.
Only recently the commission sent one
OF its Investigators into Germany. with
instructions to make u general survey
of industrial conditions there.
Three other investigators. who were
selected because of their expert quail.
~fications, for the study of particular
industries. have been sent To Great
Britain. They were directed TO give
chief consideration to certain Of the
metal and textile industries. bur they
will also devote attention 10 general
industrial conditions.
Two other investigators have been
sent 10 Japan. The commission has
published a comprehensive survey of
~Japanese trade during the war. and II
plans To supplement this repcrt with
a study Of the tariff system and indus
~ IA a. TT
notice of the concern in sorne quar-.
tiers of the United States ~ he pres
emf time with regard to Japanese com
petition.