Evening star., 1921-05-25
COMMITTEES HEAR
OF lLL-PAID WORK
CONTINUED from First Page.)

ments. and the just schedules establish
eo could be perfected and perpetuated
oy giving to the employees the right
10 appeal to the committee at any time
IN the future for an adjustment of their
classification.
Discussing the Smoot-woods bill,
MI Saal characterized it as being en-
tirely deficient in any provision what
fe Ill service.
the field service" he said. and by
is terms is specifically limited in
operation to the departmental service
in the District of CoIur hia In view
OF the fact that the leaders in Con-
gress have explicitly stated that a
continuance of the So-called bonus
Of $40 beyond the mex. fiscal year
is unth.nkable. the adoption of the
Smoot bill would be no less than a
calamity for the fed service as it
would leave them stranded without
either bonus or reclassi firation.
Their condition is perhaps more
urgent than the departmental serv-
ice, for it has never been sail of the
heid service that they were o"er-
manned. nor have their wages during
the period Of the war kept pace with
the increased cost of living which
IN New York has been exceptionally
severe.
Other New York witnesses followed
J a.
pearing for Federal Employees Union
No. 4. and especially for the customs
service at New York. and W. J. Coyne.
imml grant Inspector. president of the
ELS Island branch of the Federal
Employees Union. No. 4.
Mr.. NIele stated that for more than
sixty years there has been no general
ming of salaries with reference to
The work performed in the customs
service. and that in many cases the
*.
no relation whatever to the work they
are doing
There are laborers who are classi-
fed he said. who are prevented
from receiving any increase in salary
by an ancient act of Congress which
S2.3@ per day. LaborerS in the navy
yard just across the East river are re-
ceivInS S3.S4 per day. and on the west
coast of the United States laborers in
the navy yard are receiving $40 per
day. Our charwonen are still work
ing at $3.50 per annum. while char
women in the navy yard across the
East river are receiving s2.96 per
diem. which will figure out about $500
per annum."
In indorsirg the Sterling hlbach
bill Mr. Viele said the employees he
represents desire representation be-
fore the CLASSIFYING agency.
Pay in Immigration Service.
Mr.. Coyne directed the committees
attention to the low salaries paid in
the immigration service. This serv-
ice. he stated has grown UP in
kind of haphaZard way and during
the last ten Years has been "prac-
tically starved to death because of
lack OF necessary appropriations to
carry on: the exclusion laws"
The witness characterized this
policy as "penurious." ar. said it
had cost :he governr of the
United states and individual
states many millions . .ollars in the
care of insane aliens and those of
other classes who have become pub
Tic charges from other causes.
"lt is a sad fact" said Mr.. Coyne.
that the appropriations for regu-
lating immigration for this year is
nearly half million dollars less than
il was fifteen years ago, although
the personnel of the service is nearly
three times as great and the classes
excluded by law have been increased
about 100 per cent. This starvation
policy is also aggravated by the fact
that the service is NOR than self
sustaining. inasmuch as the head tax
collected from the arriving aliens is
usually more than sufficient to pay
the cost of the service"
All of these facts. the witness con-
tended. show the vital necessity for
a
service, and the entire personne! OF
the service he said, is heartily in
favor of such classification as is
contemplated by the Sterling-Lehl-
bach bill.
sterling Lehibnch in Favor.
The Sterling bill is pre-
ferred by the majority OF government
workers over any other classification
measure pending in Congress II testi-
mony given at yesterdays morning
and afternoon sessions Of the Joint
committee is any criterion OF senti-
ment in the federal service.
Both Fred Telford.. civil service
engineer. and DR.. John r. Mohler.
chief Of the bureau of animal industry
OF the Department OF Agriculture. the
only witnesses to testify yesterday
morning. indorsed this Dill. II received
further Endorsement from representa-
tives of skilled and unskilled workers
at the afternoon hearing.
The Smoot-Woods bill was objected
to in several particulars by Mr. Tel
ford, his principal criticism being that
it placed an undue emphasis upon Ger
tain kinds of work. AS an example
Of this, he stated. civil service exam
iners had been singled out for par
ticuiar mention. whereas other gov
ernment examining work Is passed
over in the Smoot-Woods measure
win tHe DTlelGSl mention.
Some Skilled Workers Sighted.
The witness said he could not un-
derstand why the accounting work OF
the income tax bureau should be spe-
Gifted in this bill in detail and certain
kinds of engraving work mentioned
by grades when large number Of
other skilled workers in the service
are given only meager mention. Skill
ed laborers, he stated, are passed
over With a mention OF only three
lines.
Discussing the question of promo
tions. Mr.. Telford said any measure
which provides IL range of pay for
promotion on the basis of efficiency
ratings is deficient Z il does not give
to the agency administering the law
a guide as to how that range of pay
shall be applied. Otherwise. he point
ed out. there would he opportunity
for favoritism in promotions.
DIR. Mohler testified briefly, urging
change in the suggested rating for
lay inspectors in the bureau Of animal
industry contained in the report of
the congressional oint commission on
rcclassifcation. Unless this rating is
revised, he said. about l.S00 inspectors
VIII receive less pay under a classi-
hed system than they are receiving
at present
Testimony showing that the present
compensation Of lay inspectors is in
adequate was given by several wit
nesses at the afternoon hearing. A. H.
Stevens, Thomas e. Ryan and Richard
Nash members Of the inspection serv-
ice. gave the committee detailed in
formation to the arduous duties
performed by the inspectors. especial
ly IN the meat division. Some of these
men, ii was disclosed. receive but
$3.50 per annum. The witnesses
tat haf hi al