The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-10-12
'pyrisht Western Nswspapg Union
I. XVII.
NO REWARD FOR Loyalty

/ ~ +.
I. XVII. '
NO REWARD FOR Loyalty
What can man hope for who en-.
tiers the government service as d
career? Let US look at some actual
cases. Here is the story of one al
told BY. q. J. Ayers. chief clerk, BE.
partment Of the Interior. He cites Il
as a case similar to that OF many 9th.
ers In his department, and says there
are many others who are In worse cir:
cumStanceS: a
1.-THE records Of our department
show that he entered the service a. a
laborer at $500 year. after service
Of three and half years In the Unit
ted States navy as first-class fire
man, with an honorable discharge. He
has been with us for more than thirty.
three years, and is axty-six years
old, and has given more than half his
life to the service Of the government
He owns q little property three
miles beyond the Chesapeake juno
ton, and he gets up early in the morn
Ing, before daylight, and comes in to
work and goes out after dark at night.
Today he is getting $40 a year. He
has raised family Of nine children
three Of whom are now dead-eight
boys and one daughter. His elder
sons are married and have established
homes Of their own. Two OF his sons
were in the military service in France.
and his daughter, twelve years old,
lives with her grandmother. where he
is supporting, educating and clothing
her..
HE is white man, very intelli-
gent man, eminently qualified for this
particular line Of work. His wife is
dead. He is his own housekeeper and
he does the cooking and the washing
and the ironing.
His home was established in it's
present location because It was not
thought practicable to raise a family
in the district, and he bought piece
Of property in Prince Georges coun-
ty three miles beyond the railroad
terminal, which distance, as / said, he
walks twice day, leaving In the morn.
ing most Of the year before daylight.
and returning home by dark, This
small place consists Of a shack and
few acres Of land On which he has q
mortgage Of $1,000, and you can Judge
that he enjoys no conveniences other
than the small house, which protects
him from the elements.
"The house is divided into four
rooms, the partitions being of paper
tackled to the framework. there being
no laths or plaster.
"The small stove standing in the |
center Of the room he has used for |
more than twenty years, and the pot |
on the stove contains his Sunday din
ner, which he has prepared for him
self, consisting Of white navy beans
and fatback. These beans are now
costing him twenty-five to thirty cents
a quart, and the fatback costs him
forty cents pound. 1t could have
,een purchased a few years ago for
seventeen cents pound, and the beans
or ten cents. He does not get any
resh meat because he cannot afford
o buy it.
ITO my mind it seems pity that
he United States government should
employ men of that type, or any other
ype4 for that matter, and not give
hem enough to live on decently. It
s particularly pity in this case be-
ause he is somewhat superior to
many of the employees. He has
tayed with us as matter Of faithful
less to the government, and has
tayed with US when he could make
more in one week outside of the gov
rnment than we pay him for one
month.
"Others have left us, but instances
t that kind have been very few. At
ne time had in our auditorium our
Employees and made an appeal to
hem to stand by us during the war
eriod, and there were more than 300
+ them present, and they all of one
ccord assured us that they would
tand by us and would give us the
eneft Of their labor in our depart
1ent during the war period, notwith-
landing the fact that the price for
abor outside was a great deal more"
This curious pride in their work and
oyalty to the government and the
overnment service was thing that
ropped up in the most unexpected
laces.
As one employee put It.: Il think you
7ill find that every service seems to
e quite proud Of its work. I know
on will find 1t in our service as far
s compensation and such as that are
The pay in this Office is
mall, but that element, that feeling
, a mans mind that he is really help
1g to accomplish good work and
elping this government to function
,ell, is really part Of it. find in all
~ talks with employees that they
eally feel proud Of their work, and
nat pride is really what gets things
one. think that is true everywhere
! the whole service, and particularly
the executive depart
lents."
That Is curiously true, and 1t is one
the reasons, possibly the chief rea-