The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-12
Aims at EFFICIENCY.

AAl1lc dI GluClCuCy.
The predominating features of the
Commissions report, which was made
In the form of a bill, are equaliza-
ton of salaries and efficiency of en-
ployes. aiming at more sound, bust
ness-like and effective Government
working force. while costing niore
money. the arG meat is that IL viii
be economy ne end.
One outsts ing fact noted ~ she
report Is thu tho much discussed
minimum of l.Ine budRet8. com
piled by the Bureau OF LABOR Stats
tics. have been ignored almost COM
pletely. These budgets, which set an
irreducible minimum of 81 800 for
single person. and 5000 for a family
OF hve, while in a sense absorbed in
the Commissions recommendations.
have not been accepted as a basis for
fixing salaries.
Duties Sole Basis of Pay.
Many of the minimum salary sched-
ules for the various classes Of en-
ployes approach very nearly this
single standard OF living, yet a num-
Der of them fail below. There is no
evidence that the question of depend
ency influenced the Commission in ar
irving at salary recommendations.
Conclusions were reached solely upon
the basis of duties and responsible
tiles of employees, with the cost OF
living and comparative salaries paid
in outside employment bearing some
weight.
No minimum salary for Government
employees as whole is set, a varying
minimum being applied to each of the
LAO salary graduations recommend
ed. The lowest salary fixed is 500
per year. that of junior messenger
From this sum the range extends up
ward to about $4,000.
5000 Not classified.
The compassion did not recommend
salaries for about 5000 employees,
including principally senior scientists.
technical employees, librarians and
others. where it was found that in
dividual Investigations were neces-
sary to more definitely determine
their status.
OF all Federal employees whose
salaries were studied, teachers. police.
men, firemen and library employees ap-
pear to fare best by the recommen-
dations of the Redistribution COM
mission. These employees, who have
long felt the pinch Of the rising cost
OF living, and whose forces have been
threatened with Generalization be-
cause Of meagre salaries. are given
attractive advances.
Teachers Not Affected.
According to the recommendation
OF the commission, school teachers
remain as they arc at present under
the jurisdiction ot the Board OF Edu-
cation. There was some effort
brought to bear upon the commission
to have teachers. like other Federal
employees and municipal employees in
other cities, placed under civil serv-
ice. The teachers are given a special
section in the commissions bill.
Manual workers and the lower paid
employees are likewise recon mended
for large pay increases. Judging
from the relative increases recon-
mended. the commission was of the
opinion that the better paid employee.
i'm spite of greater responsibilities,
was better able to meet the present
living demands than the lower paid
one. and therefore was not in need OF
so large n raise.
The commission provides for pc
~iodic efficiency increases at one-year
intervals. Such Increases are to be
500 or multiplcs thereof. The periods
vary from one TO ten II IL NNrFtStN
that efficiency ratings alone shsfl de-
Or 1inn whether an employee merits
such regular advances in salary.
Inefficient Must Go.
on the other hand, the bill of the
commission IL emphatic in dcmoting
or even dismissing tho inefficient
crrnloyC.
Through efficiency increases 1t -
hoped to correct what has been de-
Jared a lonE-eNistinE injustice In the
Govern ncnt service. that Of failing to
properly reward ability and faithful
moss BY this scheme OF efficiency in
creascs. an cmploye is certain to at
tain some recognition In the way OF
additional compensation until he has
reached the maximum Of his grade,
" hcn hc comes In line for n promo
ton to position requiring higher re-
sponsibilities
II Is believed that testimony
hrourh' before the commission show
ing some employees have been IN tn
povorn went service for 80 long a
thirty-Hve' years without receiving
cont increase Nv salary gave h'rih to
tho idea OF periodic efficiency in
cSasoA r.