The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-03-23

Ii ouAtcu SldtcS SOfSEuIuGuL Is Tic
largest single employer of men and
women in this country. At the present
time in the executive civil service Of
the Federal government, and exclusive
of the army and navy, there are en-
ployed approximately $50, 900 workers,
or n in 73 Of all residents on Ameri-
a soil, ten years Of age or over, n
gagged In gainful occupations. A little
while ago, when the number of federal
employees was even larger than it is
now, n person out of every 60 In the
United States who had any sort Of q
job at all was working for the govern
ment. These calculations are based
on recent estimates of the bureau of
the census I'm anticipation of the re-
suits Of the fourteenth general censu
Prior to the outbreak of the war,
In 1914, the number of men and women
In civil positions In the executive
service was approximately 1885, $3.50. In.
1916 1t had grown to 39s,S32. In 1917,
after our entry into the war, 1t was
459, 79S. On June 80, 1919, the number
was 707,448. The number on July 81,
1920. was 691,
These figures are confessedly ap-
proxfmations. Since the signing of the
armistice the number of federal en-
ployees has been decreasing. I'm
d~eubtedly the decrease In force will
continue to be made for months to
come, but the growth of the govern
ment business In the past few years
has been such as to make it a larger
employer in the postwar period than
1t 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 V a range of activities
that far exceeds that exercised for
other public or private employers; for,
besides It's task of lawmakfng 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 1t 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 r manufacture.
The government must administer
public lands and the affairs Of the
Indians, and educate children in
Alaska. 1t grants patents Of inven-
ton, 1t sets the clocks Of the country,
forecasts the weather, and makes
observations Of the stars and heavenly
bodies. 1t constructs buildings, docks,
roads, bridges, irrigation works, builds
canals and a%eroplanes, makes
ordnance and ammunition, clothing
and other supplies for it's soldiers and
sailors. 1t makes all its own none
and does oil its own printing. 1t 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 1t treat It's people? Is IT
a good employer or a 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
init themselves. { |
Let them find out for themselves
what government ownership would
mean to them 81 ss&zs
The first thing they will discover, as
I discovered when / began the preseut
inquiry, Ii that nobody knows, and
nobody IN the government service q
charged with knowing, the enact
number OF employees Iii the service
from day 70 day. Even more astornd-
ing, nobody knows, u u charpsd win
knowing. eysn approximately, a. sum
u the payr0lI u the United States.