The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-12-22

Gull sui, lcll a'oAo VI W.
gagged in gainful occupations. A little
while ago, when the number of federal
emDloyees was even larger than it Is
now one person out of every 6S in the
United States who had any sort OF a
lob at all was working for the govern
meut. These calculations are based
ON recent estimates Of the bureau or
the census in anticipation OF the re-
suits of the fourteenth general census.
Prior to the outbreak Of the war,
in 1914. the number Of men and women
in civil positions in the executive
service was approximately 3S5,G30. In
1911, Il had grown to 3oS.S22. In l9l',
after our entry into the war, 1t was
49, 7o9. On June 80. 1919, the number
was 7O7,44S The number on July 81
1920 was G91,l16.
These figures are confesSedIy ap-
proyimatiOnS. Since the signing Of the
armistice the number of federal en-
pfoveps has been decreasing. tn
doubtedIy the decrease III force Will
continue to be made for months to
come, but the growth Of the govern
meut business in the past few years
has been such as to make It larger
employer IN the postwar period THAN
II had ever been in the pre-War period,
These thousands of men and women
working for the government comprise
every type Of ability and intelligence.
Their duties cover a range Of activities
that far exceeds that exercised TOR
other public Or private employers; for
besides It's task Of laWmaklnG and law
enforcing. of national defense and
national finance. the government is
charged with promoting the health and
welfare Of its people, of promoting
their home interests, their agricultural
mining, manufacturing. shipping, fish
ing and transportation interests.
TO do this it must investigate. con-
troll and eradicate diseases that attack
persons, plants and animals. 1t must
inspect livestock, foods and drugs. 1t
must study conditions and progress in
education, labor and commerce. 1t
must prevent individual men or groups
of men from using unfair business
methods, whether in banking, trans
pOrtation, trade or manufacture.
The government must administer
public lands and the affairs Of the
Indians, and educate children in
Alaska. 1t grants patents Of inyen'
tion IT sets the clocks Of the country
forecasts the weather, and makes
observations of the stars and heavenly
bodies. It constructs buildings, docks
roads, bridges, irrigation works, builds
canals and aeroplanes, makes
ordnance and ammunition, clothing
and other supplies for its soldiers and
sailors. 1t makes all its own money
and does all its own printing. It dis
tributes all mail and many packages
The government does everything
that any employer In the United States
does, In addition to great many
things that no other employer does
How does 1t treat its people? Is il
q good employer or bad employer
Are Its employees contented? These
are questions that l should advise the
railroad men, the miners and other
workers who seek naturalization OF
industry, to look into before they com
nit themselves.
Let them find out for themselves
what government ownership would
mean to them.
The first thing they will discover, a.
! discovered when l began the present
inquiry, is that nobody knows, an(
nobody In the government service L
charged with knowing, the exact
number Of employees in the service
from day to day. Even more astound
ing, nobody knows, or is charged will
knowing, even approximately, the sun
of the payroll Of the United States.
1t Is not possible to find out within
| hundreds of thousands of dollars how
much the United States pays yearly
or monthly in salaries and wages
went to the Treasury department, tC
the appropriations committee Of con
gress, and elsewhere where | thought
the information might be lodged, but
nobody knew. | was told vaguely that
the government was not run on an
asset and liability basis, and therefore
it was not necessary to know the exact
number of employees on the payroll
If the average compensation is ST.,
100 the federal civil service payroll
now amounts to more than sever
hundred million dollars annually. The
largest single branch Is the Post Office
department, with nearly 100000 EN-
ployees. The War department has
more than 125,000 civilian employees
the Navy department about $4,000, ani
the Treasury department about $4,000
No other branch has as many as 2500(
employees, Any institution that EN-
ploys one in seventy.three of all thi.
countrys workers and calls for thu
expenditure of such large part Of
our annual revenues is entitled tt
your serious consideration. You ant
you alone put up the money.