Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-11-30
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
II.
UNCLE SAM AS EMPLOYER

UNCLE SAM AS EMPLOYER
The United States government is the
largest single employer Of men anC
women in this country At the present
time in the executive civil service Of
the Federal government, and exclusive
OF TIE army and navy, there are EN-
ployed approximately 650,000 workers
or one in 73 of all residents on Ameri
can soil, ten years of age or over. Ell
gagged in gainful occupations. A little
While ago, when the number of fedora
employees was even larger than it il
now, one person out of every 6S in the
United States who had any sort of
job ut all was working for the govern
ment. These calculations are baset
on recent estimates of the bureau Of
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 womer
in civil positions in the executive
service was approximately 3S5.630. Ir
1916 ii had grown TO 39SS32 In 1917
after our entry into, the war. 1t was
l59.79S. On June 30. 1919. the number
was 107 ,44S. The number on July 81
1920, was 691,11G.
These figures are confessedly ap
proXimatiOnS. Since the signing of tn,
arniS'ice the nuplber of federal EN-.
ployees has heen decreasing Tn
doubtedly the decrease in force will
continue to he made for months t.
come, but the growth of the govern
ment business in the past few wears
has been such as to make 1t la".~"'
employer in the postwar perio' =
It had ever been in the pre-war ncr'oI
These thousands IF men and w0meI
working for the government conpriS,
every type of ability and intelligence
Their duties cover n range of activities
that far exceeds that exercised fol-
other public or private employers: for
besides its task Of lawmaking and law
enforcing. of national defense anG
national finance. the government Is
charged with promoting the health -ant
welfare of its people. of promotin.
their home interests. their agricultural
mining, manufacturing. shipping, fish
ing and transportation interests.
To do this It muTt investigate. con
troll and eradicate diseases that attack
persons. plants and animals. 1t must
inspect livestock. foods and drugs. II
must study conditions and progress H.
education, labor and commerce. II
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 inven.
ton. it sets the clocks of the country.
forecasts the weather, and makes
observations of the stars and heavenly
bodies. II constructs buildings docks
roads, bridges. irrigation works. build,
canals and aeroplaneS. makes
ordnance and ammunition. clothing
and other supplies COR 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 a great many
things that no other employer does
How does it treat its people? Is it
good employer or bad employer!
Are its employees contented? These
are questions that 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 as
l discovered when ] began the present
inquiry, is that nobody knows, and
nobody in the government service is
charged with knowing the exact
number of employees in the service
from day to day. Even more aStound
ing, nobody knows. or is charged with
knowing even approximately. the sum
Of the payroll of tie 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. to
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.
II the average compensation is ST.
100 the federal civil service payroll
now amounts to more than seven
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 10000. and
the Treasury department about 10000.
No other branch has as many as 25OOO
employees Any institution that en-
ploys one in seventy-three of all this
"ountry's workers and calls Tor the
expenditure of such a large part of
our annual revenues is entitled to
Your serious consideration. You and
you alone put up the money.