The Washington times., 1921-09-01
Better Salaries fhe Need
of District Employees

By BILL PRICE.
Classification recommendations about to be sub
nitted the District Commissioners by the Bureau o.
Efficiency of the Federal Government whose experts
have been making Survey of the personnel OF the
District Government
Hints that the recommendations will classify DIS
rct employees somewhat along the lines proposed in the
Wood Smoot BILL product of the Bureau and that IN
creased salaries will be included.
1t may be all right for the Commissioners to seek the
learned advice and help of Federal efficiency experts
be all right to do some classification but the real big
thing is LARGELY INCREASED SALARIES for the
WORST PAID MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES in the United
. States
There frequently many fris accompanying ''ef
fciency and often theory enters largely where practical
should be the sole guide
Years ago Congress- in of its saving treasury
moods, reduced the salaries paid to District employees
BELOW THE LEVEL paid by the Federal Government,
which anything but liberal in its salary allowances to
its workers. Repeated promises have been made to
do the fair thing by these municipal employees, but
another has stood in the way up to this time
The Times takes this occasion to recommend to th''
Commissioners that in preparing their estimates to Con
gress for the next fiscal year they make HEALTHY
INCEASE OF SALARIES for District employees tn
foremost item therein and when the estimates befor
Congress for consideration to insist strongly as possible
that these increases be made realities.
The people of Washington desire fair and square trea
ment for municipal workers. These faithful employees
have had ANYTHING but square deal for years and there
is better time than for the Commissioners, acting
for Washington put the subject before Congress I'm
der the existing taxation plan the taxpayers of the Dis
rct furnish the bulk of the money to meet District
pendures and there isn't taxpayer in this community
who will object to part of his money going toward doing
the right thing.
In the Water Department of the District Government
there forty three employees the payroll and the
annual disbursement for salaries is OOO less than
average of 81 900 per year. the higher salaries being in
GUIDED There sixteen water inspectors whose stau-
tory compensation is 5000 per year each.
This is just sample of the salary situation in the
local government and the unfaness of it glazing
to attract the attention of every civic organization and
right thinking citizen of this city.
Classification need not interfere with the deserved in
They should go together But better salaries
overshadows classification largely to make that
the question the Commissioners shall stress
Any classification which fails to place the most humble
cmploye the basis of LIVING WAGE should fail of
the slightest consideration by the Commissioners
There classification theories which emphasize the
Importance of the hghersalaried employees the
derpaid workers. There OVERPAID employees of
the District, but there thousands of UNDERPAID
ones. The official who gets from So 500 year up is at
least assured of comfortable living for himself and
small family The worker who gets but 5000 per year
is just managing to live and that's ALL So it remains TO
he where classification places the largest increase in
salaries The lower grades of salaries should be boosted
far beyond present schedules
Municipal workers may be classified in the most artistic
manner possible but if they not paid living wages,
it's all joke The truth is that there more eff
cent or capable municipal workers in the world than in
Washington despite the inusces under which they work.