The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-04-06
XIV.
INCOMPETENTS ARE KEPT
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union

AANS0NAA - HANAS %AANA~ AN~~
The annual turnover in the govern
ment service is something almost in
credible. No business corporation,
however strongly established, could
long endure the heavy annual drain on
it's resources. Hundreds Of men leave
the government service daily; and
new, unframed people have to be taken
on and taught to do the work. This
costs money, as every employer
knows.
The designations from the govern
ment service are chiefly from the SUI
pervisory and most highly paid posi-
tons and from the very lowest grades.
The men at the top, If they have any
initiative or ability or ambition to
make a name for themselves, are Of
fered private employment at double
or treble or more what the govern
ment can pay them. The people in
the lowest grades leave for private
employment when opportunity affords
because in too many instances they
actually cannot keep body and soul
together on their government pay.
1t is the people in the middle class
who stay on the longest. The whole
constant process makes for steady
deterioration in the quality of the
government service and tends to re-
tain the mediocre in public employ.
ment.
The civil service commission, through
which the great bulk Of government
employees are brought into the serv'
ice, is acutely aware of this condition
Its reports give emphasis to the diff
Guilty constantly experienced in secur-
ing and retaining competent employ
ees. The rotation in office has become
increasingly frequent and vitality i'm
pairs the efficiency of the service.
During the war there was lower
rate Of turnover in the mechanical
forces than in outside establishments.
The proposition of separations, how
ever, is excessive in clerical, profess
sional and technical positions, In
which the rate Of turnover sometimes
amounts to third of the force in
year.
During the nine months preceding
the armistice more than 10000 ap-
pointments were made in the civil
service and about $4,000 separations
, occurred-that Is, for every two ap-
pOintments made one person left the
service. For a period of similar length
following the armistice only GO per
cent rs many appointments were made.
but there were nearly 33 per cent more
separations. In this period almost as
many positions were vacated as were
filed. @' IN
The exigencies OF the war required
a great expansion Of the clerical
forces at Washington and elsewhere :
and this was accomplished by labor
turnover several times above normal.
The percentage Of declinations Of ap-
p0intments among eligibles on the CIV
II service register increased in many
instances from 80 to more than so per
cent--that ID, more than half the men
and women who successfully passed
civil service examinations and were ,
offered jobs under the government re-
fused to take them. 1t Ia estimated
that more than $4,000 of those who
met the test were appointed during
that time.
The civil service commission says
fatty:
"Those familiar with the federal
service at Washington know that the
service ia now hampered by the re-
tentlon Of incompetents whose re-
moval is rendered difficult by influences
which are incompatible with the eff
cheney of the service. Preferences
and exemptions increasingly clog the
with persons who, no
matter how inefficient, are difficult to
remove, and whose retention tends to
destroy the discipline Of the service"
Among these ineffcients, Of course.
are the superannuated and the phys
ically incapacitated. The bureau Of
efficiency estimated, before the pass
age Of the approximation retirement
law, the number Of employees in the
civil service Of the United States sew.
enty years Of age and over as follows:
Number
Railway postal clerks. ~
Rural letter carriers. Observation-Disclosures. 4H
City letter carriers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 80
Post ONCE clerks. ....................... 3N
hdoc1aHicS .....,o..................... SZS
General employees. Dist Columbia. .1.<A
General employees elsewhere. .........1.63
TOtal OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
The commissioner Of pensions sup
plies the following compact statement
Of the age Of the employees in the pen
sion bureau: