Evening star., 1920-01-03
DR.. RYAN PRAISES
EMPLOYEES OF U. S.

Statement Clarifies Bureau of
Education Members Posi-
ton as to "Incompetents."
Dr. w. Carson Ryan. jr, of the bu-
reau of education and former presl-
DENT of the Federal Employees Union,
No . has sent a statement to The
Star making clear his position as re-
CARDS the discussion over the elimina-
tion of alleged inefficient employees
from the government service. DR..
RYAN believes that there is less in
competency among government en-
ployes than outside.
DIR. Ryan's Statement.
"I notice that my name is mention
ed in Wednesdays Star in connection
with the discussion over elimination
of alleged inefficient employees from
the government service" DR.. Ryan
stated.
Let me make clear at the outset
that what I said at the hearings be-
fore the reclassification commission
on December 9 referred specifically
to retirement 1 said that of Congress
really meant business in this taik
about reducing the number of en-
ployes it could pass the retirement
bill at once and thereby let out pc
tween 5000 and 7,0OO-this being the
of the Joint conference on re-
tirement.
TT is true that in answer to ques-
ton from Mr.. Cooper of the COM
mission, as to whether believed there
were incompetents other than super
annuates in the government service, L
ioI no lln6OlIntedlv
but that this problem would have TO
be solved more slowly. by adoption of
higher standards, minimum wage and
other measures. l did not object to
The Stars account, because, though L
realized it might be misunderstood. 1t
did preserve the retirement connec-
tion in part, and also because ! did
not want to find fault. l considered
that The Star representative at the
hearings had acted in good falth, ana
/ appreciate. as ] think we all 90, tne
valuable service The Star has render
ed in covering the reclassificatlon
work so thoroughly. But the para
graph in Wednesdays issue, in winch
my name was used does not ma~e
clear that what l said had reference
specifically to retirement.
Standard Higher Than Outside.
CAS- to the general question of sup
posed incompetency in the govern
ment service. efficiency is OF course
a relative matter and individuals are
likely to Judge entirely on the basis
of their own limited experiences. MY
own judgment is necessarily quallhed
in the same way, but must say. aIteT
having worked in both private ana
public employ, and had rather un-
usual opportunity to observe govern
mcnt employment. ] am firmly con-
vinced that there is less incompe-
tency among government employees
than outside. chiefly because there
are fewer family deadweights and
that still characterize, private
employ except in the most
business concerns.
There are a few real incompetents in
service, of course, out
side of those. who, having been falth-
full and efficient workers in the past,
are now incapable by reason of age.
but they are mainly the result OF
other days when the civil service was
not as well safeguarded as now. ana
the percentage is very small IN the
regular government establishments,
certainly not over or 3 per cent,
should say.
Civil Service Relaxed in War.
ut should be said also that during
the war civil service standards We're
relaxed somewhat for certain kinds of
service. and it is generally recog-
nized that some incompetents got in
as a result of these lowered standards.
1t would not be unfair to ask the en-
ployes who came in by means of sub
standard examinations to take a new
examination to prove their right to
statuS-aSsuming, of
that there is genuine need for
them.
"As to the efficiency attitude of the
local employees organization. 1T should
be noted that far from being new
feature, the efficiency principle has
since the start. 1t was written into
the constitution of the Washington
local at the very beginning and was
by the National Federation.
in the advisory committee
on wage policy it was the three en-
ployes' representatives who took the
lead in asserting that better wages
were to be regarded as efficiency
wages intended to attract and retain
the efficient and eliminate the less
This attitude has charac-
terized all the hearings before the
commission. If any
thing. the employees have been more
nsistent even than the administra-
ton officials on the Importance of
high standards as prerequisite to /
adequate pay.
TT is not my function in this con-
unions. but 1 believe any competent
observer will find that their policy is
to secure fair consideration for any
who feels that he has been
against. but not to
shelter the incompetents. Its atti
tude may be seen in the fact that it is
not opposing reductions Of force when
these are in the interest of the gov
service. only insisting that
decent warning shall be given, that
the most competent shall be retained,
that the spirit of the civil service
regulations shall be complied with.
and that congressional influence, real
or claimed, shall not be allowed to
affect the situation.
Workers Should BE Encouraged.
There is one element that is usual
ly forgotten in a discussion of this
sort refer to the stimulating erect
of decent salaries and working con-
ditions in increasing the actual out
put Of work, whether in outside IN
dustry or in the government. On the
whole, the government gets more for
it's money from it's employees than pri-
vate business does-some public opin-
ion to the contrary. Notwithstanding.
"It would get higher service than
il does, and much higher than private
business gets, If it would once open
the door Of hope to the employees I'm
derpayment is very real eVli IN
the government service today; it ap-
actual starvation in some
cases: it compels the employees to do
outside work at night and to put the