Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1922-03-10
b. EDWARD G. G.LowRY
Copyright, Western Newspaper Un,oo
XIV.
SYSTEM is ALL WRONG

The great difficulty that stands m
the way of discussing Uncle sam !,
an employer is that there is uo suA
person. The men who stand in IN,
relation of employer to their subordL
mates are nothing but employees then.
selves, and temporary ones at that
! with very fieeting tenure Of ofic, <
Cabinet officers and members Of Con
gress, to whom the rank and file q
employees look for guidance for
solution Of their problems, are simpt
feeting figures that come and 20, viii
their own interests to serve. I'm +
testify freely en6ugh as to condtlon
Of government employment SenatR
Carter Glass, recently secretary Of n
treasury, for example:
1.-THE largely multiplied business 4
the government cannot be conduaa (
with efficiency and economy unlee
there be attracted to and retained h
the public service group Of hlghR
trained, well-paid and permanent d
cials Of supervisory grades. UnA
tainty of tenure in some instances q, +
inadequacy of compensation hN
closed the public service to many M +
Of the best type or forced them out { +
government employ at the moment {
their greatest usefulness.
"The war has increased the publ
debt more than twenty-five fold n
has augmented the functions and y
tivities of the government In miq.
ways. The duties are greater and b
responsibilities are larger than thos|
Of other days, to the standards Il
which 1t is not to be expected tht|
the government will ever return. hi
conditions are such that failure to tan
the necessary action to invite and
, hold in the public service men Of e.
ceptional ability and Of real distlnt
ton in their fields can result only b
, grave burdens to the taxpayers Of h
country and in possible disaster.
ALREADY the transaction Of hs
business of the government is ham
pered by deficiencies of personnel do.
to the return to private life of man!
: men of large capacity who during ths
4 period of active warfare We're Willing
+ and glad to serve their country q
great personal sacrifice. | have cont
to learn that there are heroes in th.
civil establishments as well as in thl
military services. Self-sacrilicins n
triotS who toll year in and year 0ut ID
u Il bare pittance when they could cOn
: mand salaries double or treble ni
h amounts they receive frpm tie soven
mcnt. but who, for The love Of lhei
country and for the love IT thsa
=, work have rejected alluriu- "leS
= the field "t private enterprise. ING
were too fine aul too patriotic 10 lea"
their posts.
"Tndcr the compelling force OF %
+ triOtiSm they made Willing >arrlncu
during the war, but with lie return
e peace the government cannot 'xpec
-, to retain these employees indrhmteV
- because in justice 10 themselves an
their families they will sooner or Ia'e
=, accept the larger opportunities that 81
open to them in the world OF huslhe
and industry unless the governmei
- proposes to pay them salaries that
least reasonably approach the value
- their services.
"Only prompt action by the cOngre
to build up a permanent and dign'n
, civil service which will include m'
" Of great ability and high attanmeD
can prevent mistakes and failures
!. the transaction of the public hushe
! the consequences of which may
'e calamltous."
y Ex-Representative Good, who "
chairman of the appropriations co
n mittee Of the house, Is equally iran
:, "Today duplication In the COVE
"' ment service abounds on every nal
For example, eight different deps
ments Of the government, with ial
overhead organizations, are enga'
as In engineering work, In navigation
a ngation and drainage; eleven diner
lg bureaus are engaged In engineer,
ce research; twelve different organ
is lions are engaged in road .
lg struction, while twelve, with la
,g overhead organizations, are engal
.r. In hydraulic construction and siI''
in are engaged in surveying ana ID
an ping. Sixteen different bureaus e'
else Jurisdiction over water-power
velopment. Nine different organ
lions are collecting information Cd
consumption Of coal. Forty-t"o GU
'd ent organizations, with overhead
ad penses, are dealing with the qHe''
st. Of public health.
~ "The Treasury department, the
OF department, the Interior depaf.u
cy and the Labor department each 10
cl' bureau dealing with the queSuOn
Ir- general education. These dtparlme
ms operate independently; instances .. o.
operation between them are ea'
- tional. Each of these depasiiheu'I,
manned at all times with an organ
ton prepared to carry the pehK "
load and maintains an tAien'
ready.tO.serve personnel. \ 'aVA
cooperation in the executivr aeP