The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-03-11
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
XIII.
WHY GOOD MEN DODGE


The government service must look
largely To the graduates from colleges
and universities in recruiting for its
technical work. Replies TO an inquiry
addressed To some forty of the leading
colleges and universities of the coun-
try TO discover what class of men too
civil service examinations, whether
the number is decreasing and, if so,
the reasons, disclose wildly what the
training schools of technical and seien-
tific men think about the government
as an employer. They warn their
graduates against government service,
and he graduates heed the warning.
Carnegie Institute of Technology
at Pittsburgh. reports:
1t is certainly true that the best of our
graduates are not Interested in govern
ment employment because they feel that,
first of all, it does not pay adequate sal
aries. nor does it offer opportunity for
advancement that private enterprise does.
This spring / interviewed all the mem
bers of the graduating class. except the
women. and none OF them would consider
government employment, although there
were many positions open. There
are now about 1850 male graduates of the
institute. and l will venture to state that
not more than ten are employed by the
government.
Replies of similar tenor and import
were received from the University of
Chicago, Leland Stanford university,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Princeton university, Indiana unlver-
sity, and the University of Wisconsin.
Inequality of compensation is one
Of the chief reasons that deter scien-
tiic men from going into the govern
ment service. Congress fixes the sal
aries of most of the government EN-
ployees. | can give a concrete Illus
tration of how ii determines the sal
of scientific men.
DR.. Leland o. Howard and DR.. Ed
ward w. Nelson are two scientists in
the employ of the government who
have national regulations.
The appropriation bill for the De-
partment of Agriculture was under
consideration in the house on January
Both, 1920. The secretary of agricul-
ture had been recommending for five
or six years that Doctor Howard S
salary be increased from $500 to So
600. He proposed ii again IN that
years bill, When the item was reached
in the discussion on the floor, this col
loquy ensued:
Mr.. Stafford-Mister Chairman, l re-
serve a point of order on the paragraph.
Is the entomologist whose salary you
propose to increase the same person rec
commended for an increase last year?
Mr.. Leyer-Yes; he has been In the gov
ernment service many. many years.
The Chairman make the point of or
der.
Mr.. Lever-I concede II.
Mr.. Mclaughlin of Michigan-Will the
gentleman reserve his point of order?
Mr.. Stafford-I will reserve it.
Mr.. McLaughlin-The committee made
the recommendation to increase the sal
airy $500, took testimony on 1t and con-
sidered 1t very carefully. In our Judg-
ment the Increase in salary ought to be
made for an official who has been in the
department, as the chairman says, for a
long time at the head of this bureau. He
has performed able and faithful services.
The salary is less than that paid to the
heads of other bureaus. We felt. after
listening to all that was said, and with a
knowledge of the work he has been doing
and has done, the salary proposed is not
too large.
Mr.. Stafford-How long has he been
there?
Mr.. Beyer-He has been there forty-two
years.
Mr.. Stafford-What is his age?
Mr.. Lever-Oyer sixty, perhaps nearer
seventy, but he is still vigorous and able
to do good work. He is one of the
greatest entomologists in the world.
The Chairman-The point OF order Ia
sustained.
Five minutes later the matter of
Doctor Nelson's salary was reached.
The secretary of agriculture recon-
mended an increase of his pay from
$500 to $4,000. This happened:
Mr.. stafford-Mister Chairman, 1 re-
serve the point of order on the para
graph. VIII the chairman of the COM
mittee inform the house as to how long
this biologist has been in the service
OF the government and how long he has
been receiving the present salary of 81, 500,
on which you an Increase of
$500?
Mr.. Leyer-Mister Chairman, this gen.
tleman, whose name is Nelson, has been
In the service of the department since
November, 1880. He has served as chief
field naturalist from 1907 to 1912, and was
assistant In charge of the biological in
yestigation, from 1913 to 1914. On August
6. 1914, he was appointed assistant chief
of the bureau, and on December !, 1916,
was made chief of the bureau. He took
the place of Doctor Henshaw.
Mr.. Stafford-And the salary has been
$3.50 since 1916?
Mr.. Lever-Yes.
Mr.. Stafford-What is his age?
Mr.. Lever-I should think that Doctor
Nelson is round fifty years of age.
Mr.. Stafford-He is not superannuated.
Mr.. Lever-Oh, no; he is "a very vigor-
Gus man.
Mr.. Stafford-Mistcr Chairman, l with
draw the point OF order.
Doctor Howard was refused his in
crease of pay because he was too old,
lover sixty, perhaps nearer seventy
Doctor Nelson was allowed his in
crease because he was not superan-
nuated but in his prime. "round fifty
years of age"
Now, as Il matter of fact, Doctor
Howard Is more than two years young
er than Doctor Nelson. Is ii any won
der that scientific men of attain
ments are reluctant to enter a service
where the measure of the value of
their services is set down in any such