Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-16
BY EDWARD G.LOWRY
copyri.at Western Newspaper UnIoa


The great difficulty that stands in
the way Of discussing Uncle sam rs
an employer is thai there is no such
person. The men who stand in the
relation of employer To their suhordi-
mates are nothing hut employees them
selves and temporary ones at that,
with Il very heet.ng tenure OF office.
Cabinet officers and members of CON
gress, Ia whom tie. rank and file OF
employees look for guidance FOR
solutioa Of their problems. are simply
ilreting figures that come and 20. with
their own interests to serve. They
testify freely enough as 20 conditions
of government employment. Senator
Carter Gas. recently secretary of the
treasury, for example:
THE largely multiplied business Of
the government cannot bc conducted
with efficiency and economy unless
there be- attracted to and retained in
the public service group of highly
trained wcll-paid and permanent OIL
cials of supervisory grades. Uncer-
tainiy of tenure IN some Instances ana
madcquacy of compensation have
closed the public service 10 many Llcn
Of The best type on forced thom out of
government employ at TIE moment of
their greatest usefulness.
"The war has increased the puhlc
debt more than twenty-five fold ana
has augmented the functions and ac-
tiNitieS Of the government in many
ways. The duties are groater ana the
responsibilities are larger than those
OF other days. to the standards Of
which 1t Is not TO he expected iiat
the government Will ever return. The
conditions are such that failure To take
the necessary action - invite AMI
hold IN the public service men OF cx-
cepional ability and OF real distiuc-
lion IN their fields can result only in
grave burdens To The taxpayers OF the
country and ia possible disaster.
Already the transaction OF The
business Of the government is ham
percd by deficiencies Of personnel die
10 The reuru to private Ike OF many
men of large capacity who during tie
period of active warfare were willing
and siad 10 serve their country ar
great personal sacrifice. have come
to learn that there are heroes I'm the
civil establishments a. well as I'm the
military services. selr-sacIincing pa
triots who toll year in and wear out for
bare piftance when they could COM
mand saiarieS double or treble the
amounts they receive from tie govern
meni, hut who. for tie love OF heir
country and for the lowe OF their
work. have rejected alluring offer. In
the field of private enterprise They
We're too fine and tno patriotic To leave
heir posts.
Under The compelling force OF ra-
trioilsm they mace willing sacrifices
during the war. but with lie return ~
peace The government cannot cVucct
10 retain these employees Indefinitely.
because I'm justice 10 themselves and
their families they viii sooner or later
accept the larger opportunities that are
open to them in the world Of business
and industry unless the government
proposes 90 pay them salaries tiat al
lcast reasonably approach tie value Of
their services
"Only prompt action by the congress
70 huild mp permanent ana diguifed
civil service which VIII include men
of great ability and high attachments
cansprevcnt mistakes and failures in
the transaction of the public business.
the consequences of which may be
caamitous."
EN-Rcpresoniative Good. who was
chairman of the appropriations COM
mittce OF the house is equally frank:
To-day duplication in the govern
mcnt service abounds on every hand.
For example. eigle different depart
ments of the government. with large
overhead organizations. are engaged
in eng ncering work. IN navigation. IT.
rigation and drainage; eleven different
bureaus are engaged in engineering
research; twelve different organiza-
tions are engaged in road CON
struction. while twelve. with large
overhead organizations. are engaged
In hydraulic construction and sixteen
are engaged in surveying and map
ping. Sixteen different bureaus excr-
else jurisdiction over water-pOwer de-
velopment Nine different organiza-
lions are collecting information on the
consumption Of coal. For,y-two differ
ent organizations, with overhead OK
penSeS, are dealing with the question
of public health.
THE Treasury department, the War
department, the Interior department
and the Labor department each has
burcau dealing with the question Of
general education. These departments
operate independently; Instances of co
operation between them are oxccp-
tional. Each Of these departments is
manned az all times with mn orguniza-
tion prepared 70 carry the peak of The
load and maintains an expensive
ready-to-scrve personnel. lack Of