New-York tribune., 1921-08-29
Federal Workers
Support Harding's
Plea to toCo-operate
Convention of National Fed
Grafton Expected to Adopt
Program for ''More Busi-
ness in the Covernment''
From The Tribuncs Washington, Bureau

From The Tribunc's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28.-Coopera-
ton Of Federal employees with Presi-
dent Harding to put more business IN
the government" and to "put more
heart into the Civil Service will be
the aim Of the annual convention of
government employees, to be held at
New Orleans, September Il t. l6.
Several hundred delegates from o46
groups Of government workers. o,gan
lzed as the National Federation of
Federal Employees, with branches in
every state and territory and repre-
scnting every government service. will
meet to promote the program of read
lustment which has been launched bv
President Harding and General Dawes.
at the recent meeting of the execu-
tive committee of the federation with
PRESIDENT Harding, in response to the
ofter of the reprcse entatives of the gov
eminent workers to cooperate in pub-
lie service, the President responded
warmly, saying that work for the
government is opportunity for service
all of US together"
Preceding the regular sessions Of the
convention, there will be a two-day
meeting of the executive council, Sen.
tember 10 and II, at which ways ana
means will be discussed for carving
out the platform of the organization.
which declares for a triple alliance Of
budget, reorganization and rcclassifi-
cation of the Civil Service as the
means to efficiency. Recommendations
will then be laid before the convention
by the executive council.
Reclassification Sought
The convention will concern itself
primarily with ways and means to
obtain legislation for a complete re-
classification Of the United States
civil srvice on a strictly merit basis,
with modern employment standards
After four years of continuous educa-
tional effort the Federation has brought
about widespread public recognition
and demand for such legislation as
matter Of good business no less than
Of justice to government employees.
This demand is voiced in the Lehlbach-
Sterling bills for reclassihcation Of the
entire Federal service, which are now
under consideration by the committees
on Civil Service in the Senate and
House of Representatives
Investigation by the Congressional
joint commission on rcclassifcation of
the civil service places the blame for
governmental inetiiciency primarily on
Congress for it's failure to make
civil service working conditions at
tractive or even bearable to the en-
ployees. In relation to the Federal
service, in which, under normal condi
tons, 100000 men and women are en-
ployed, these are some Of the prevail
ing conditions reported by the com
mission:
Findings of Commission
About $4,000 men and women en-
ploycd by the government at less than
living wage.
As many as ten or twelve different
rates of pay for the same work.
Scientists and highly trained work
ers of many callings paid less than
common labor.
Hundreds of positions vacant be-
cause of salaries too low to tempt quail
fled applicants.
Little future for employees appoint
ed on merit because all of the best
positions are filled by political ap-
pontecs.
A 40 per cent turnover in the gov
eminent service, at q cost of millions
of dollars to the government.