Evening star., 1921-06-02
COMMITTEES RUSH
CLASS|FY|N WORK
Hearings win End. Saturday
and Legislation Will Be J,
Sought Promptly.

Sought Promptly.
: In the belief Congress will see the
wisdom of passing a law at this ses-
sion to standardize government work
and raise the pay of government en-
ployes. the Senate and House civil
service committees today threw their
joint classification hearing into high
gear, with the object of getting a
before Congress at
the eariist moment possible. 1t was
Indicated q bill would be ready for
Introduction in the Senate and tho
House possibly within two weeks.
Hearings which have been in
progress before the joint committee
for two weeks in all probability will
end by Saturday. Senator Sterling.
who has presided at all the sessions.
said today the joint committee would
begin executive sessions Immediately
upon the conclusion of the hearings
and would rush the work with the OBJ
ject of acquainting Congress as soon
government departments, in order that
remedial legislation may be had at
this session.
Senator Ii Optimistic.
Senator Sterling is optimistic over
the outlook. Testimony given dur
ing the hearings has impressed upon
of both committees that
government workers are grossly
and that a situation OBJ
tains in the departments which puts
premium upon ineficiency. They
believe that they can present to Con-
gress facts developed In the course
necessity Of immediate action to
remedy the conditions complained of.
Additional light was thrown on the
question of inefficiency in the de-
partments resulting from the inad-
equate compensation given employees
ing, Wilbur ]. Carr. director of the
consular bureau Of the State Depart
ment. He said the government is
suffering from the present salary
schedules, which are much lower than
they should be; that the personnel
is experiencing a heavy
turnover by reason of the dissatisfac-
tion with the salaries paid, and that
the government is losing money
every year because 1t does not pay
enough to employ sufficiently capable
workers.
Mr.. Carr cited that.the average pay
of stenographers employed In his Of
fee is $1,000 per annum, whereas In
private employment stenographers In
Washington make as high as $1,000.
Law officers in the State Department
are poorly paid and could treble
explained that love of the public
service and attraction of Washington
as q city in which to live primarily
are responsible for many efficient en-
ployes continuing in the service when
they could go outside and make much
larger salaries.
DiRerenees In Pay.
The witness referred to the dispar-
ity in the wages paid in different de-
partments for similar work. With
respect to a classification law. Mr..
Carr expressed the view 1t should be
so framed as mainly to establish prin-
ciples for the guidance Of classifi-
cation agency, rather than to enumer-
ate divisions to which employees would
be allocated under set rules
Mr.. Carr thought that the classify
ing agency held within certain limi-
tations to be established by Congress
could more effectively standardize and
develop the government service than
could a law governing the situation
in such detail as to render practffxby
an elastic administration
of the personnel.
1t was the opinion of the witness
also. that an efficiency system should
be established. and there should be
an outside body having a representa-
tive of the efficiency board Of each
Following Mr.. Carr. P. B. Gilbert.
director of the political and economic
information division of the State De-
partment, presented the committee
with data showing the wide variations
in salaries paid government employees
doing similar work in different de-
partments.
He said there are operatives in his
division who receive but $1,000 year,
whereas employees doing similar work
In other departments are paid $500 a
year.
Favor, sterling-Lehlbaeh Bill.
!"EmpIoyes Of the District government
enact the Sterling-Lehlbach bill." Cor.
bin Birch Of the revenue inspection
branch of. the water department of the
District and Mrs. Edith Kinkead of thu
office of the collector Of taxes told thu
committee yesterday afternoon. They
appeared as representatives of Fedora
Employees Union. No. 80. made up Of
The district. employees were subjected
to a wage cut Of 20 per cent in 1874. Il
was stated, which has left them thai
much moro in need Of a salary adjust
rnent than employees Of the federal gov
ernment.
Mr.. Birch presented brief on behalf
of the union. in which he called atten
ton to the prevailing salaries in the
District government. and stated tha
there was no rule in. effect for promo
ton on efficiency, and the employees
were driven to the extremity of getting
outside Jobs to supplement their very
low salaries in order to support theil
families. In the ofY1ce of the revenue
inspection branch Of the water depart.
two men. all engaged in clerical work
who had an average salary Of 1916
most Of these receiving less than $1,100
while the maximum for the entire
group is $500. Mr.. Birch expressed
the belief that the government could
save many thousands Of dollars by in
creasing salaries in the District gov
ernment to a point which would prevent
the high turnover that now occurs.
Many Misapplied Titles.
Mrs. Kinkead spoke of the great
variety Of work in the District gov
ernmInt and the many instances, OF
at 81 200, do the work of bailiffs for only
a short time each year. the rest Of the
time doing clerical work Of very ex.
acting kind. The head cashier in that
office, who handles much more money
than hank cashiers, and under very
much more difficult conditions, is paid
only $500 a year. and his assistants
only $500. Both witnesses stated en-
phatically their belief in the Sterling
Lehlbach bill. because 1t is based upoz
the reclassification commissions report
which carefully reclassified the District
asx-vjcA at the time the federal depart-