Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-09

w machinery Of government in Wash
ingtOn is literally on the verge of
collapse bee ause the United States will not
pay the men who work for it enough to live
on, much less, enough to compete in the
brain market with other governments, with
business and with universities
The forest service since July 1, 1918, has
lost 700 men, which is fourth of its perma-
nent force. Of these men 400 are trained
technical experts, who are hard to replace,
and require several years to attain their full
est usefulness in job
The bureau of standards is said to have
lost / 400 men in four years, and nearly all
of these technical men-the brains of the
institution
The bureau of markets in the department
of agriculture, which is doing valuable work
for the farmers, is losing its men as fast as
it trains them. Business wants them and
gives them double the salaries the govern
ment pays. This and other government bu-
reaus are now nothing but kindergartens for
business.
The income tax division of the internal
revenue bureau is another branch that can
not hold it's really valuable men, That is a
| fact for which many OF us suffer. One big
concern reports that it has not yet cotton it's
| 1917 income tax account Strengthened out.
| The reason is that each man in the division
who has started on the work has resigned
his position to accept a better one before he
finished the job, and his successor has had to
start all over again.
The forest products laboratory at Madi-
son, Wis, which solved the problem OF
kin-drying airplane spruce and which is do
ing work of the highest industrial value, has
force of 67 men. One-fourth of these have
accepted positions at greatly increased sal
aries Another fourth are considering similar
offers. Unless it is enabled to pay better sal
aries within six months, the forest products
laboratory will practically cease to work.
Recently the government of British India
tn 1obOratOpV n Stu0v the
remarkable work it is doing. When he went
back to India he took two of the laboratory's
best men with him. One of them had been
drawing a salary Of $4,000 from the United
States government. The Indian government
gave him 81 1900 and his transportation to
Dehra Dun in the Himalaya mountains. The
other man got a prOportionate raise.
Another young man in the forest service
became an expert in eastern hardWoodS He
bore the title of forest examiner. He was
thirty-three years old. His salary was ST.
500 a year. The American Walnut Growers
association offered him $4,000 to become
its secretary. He became.
The government of South Africa recently
took another valuable young man away
from the forest service at more than double
the salary he getting from the United
States government. Not only are other gov
ernments and business quitting the American
civil service, but even the faculties OF Amer
lean universities, additionally underpad, are
taking technical men away from Tie 6oF-
eminent.
One government hospital has forty-iVe
positions on it's staff of medical men. Twenty
one of them are vacant. Young medical stu
dents drawing salaries of $1,000 year arc
performing major operations in this hospital
This indicates that perhaps the wounded SOL
diers who complain that they are not being
well taken care of, have some truth on their
side.
The bureau of public roads has about
100000, 900 to spend this year. 1t used to
/ be run by a man named Logan Waller Page
He drew the magnificent salary Of $4,000
but he was a rich man and a good engineer
Salary was no object to him. When he died
and it came to filling his position the salary
was raised to $4,000. Yet the highway com
missioners in many states draw salaries OF
SIC, 900, and they have not 1.-THE of respon-
sibiIity that rests upon the head OF the bu-
reau of PUBLIC roads.
Another technical bureau of the govern
ment is taking desperate measures to hold its
staff together 1t is against the law Tor
man connected with a government bureau 10
do any other work in the United States. ms