The Washington herald., 1920-10-24
Governmental Economy and Justice.

w the ballast of bonus request, the depart
mental appropriation bill is soon to be
launched the murky and troubled waters of
Congress Unless this Legislative craft is radically
altered, it would better for it to founder IN
committee than to reach port safely.
National economy demands much, but it does
not demand the sacrifice of the ha,siy earned pro-
motions of government workers. already poorly re-
warded for their work The average earnings of the
oo36o Federal employees In the District for the year
1919 estimated at SI,32o according to the pres-
dent of the Civil Service Commission. In the face
of these cold and depressing little figures the pres
ent attempt to achieve economy bears disturbing
likeness to parsimony.
Nor is this economy" efficient even as bust
ness proposition, forgetting that the government
should set ethical standards for private employers
The turnover in the government service is enor-
nous. Scientific and technical men and clerks en-
ter private employment in a steady stream They
cannot support their families at American stand
ards on the pay their government7employer gives
them. This disproportionate turnover means, of
course, waste motion and unnecessarily large per-
sonnet 1t means the loss of valuable and tried
workers 1t means that the skimped government
salaries are not bringing in adequate return to
the nation the relative outlay.
A favorite pastime of magazine writers is the
concoction of lengthy space-lling expostons of the
supposedly roSeate and unroubled existence of gov
eminent employees in Washington-the exposition
generally consisting for the most part of epigrams
matte and easily-read statements whose smooth flow
is untroubled by any great admxture of dull facts
The facile writers never picture the harried clerk
figuring out budget that will satisfy the landlord
and the grocer and permit him also to indulge in
the luxury of triennial overcoat- Nor do they
portray the joys of raising fine RooseveItian fam
ly on government salary.
Here in Washington, the fact remains is the
headquarters OF great body of faithful nonpoliti-
cal workers who have quietly gone about their
work, year In and year out, and produced such
achievements the stamping out of the boil weevil
the practical eradication of yellow fever from the
Southern States and the introduction of the navel
orange into this country. The safety devices
evolved by the Bureau of Mines have resulted in
the saving of thousands of lives in the past few
years Members of an organization, government or
otherwise, that has done such things as these,
cannot rightly be deprived Of merited promotions.
The answer would be an almost complete loss of
morale.
Congress can legislate special appropriation
bill that will relieve the present close-pared es-
mates. Or it can pass the much-needed reclassif-
cation bill aiming to eft the salary to the Job"
The very least that do will be to continue the
present bonus. 1t is impossible for government
workers to exist the present base salaries, many
OF which fixed a half century ago. Congress
cannot, with regard to endurable employment con-
dtons pass the present estimates they stand Nor
the government afford treat its workers with
less consideration than it forces private employers
to treat theirs.