The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-31
BY EDWARD G. LOWRY
1opydght, Weltern Newspaper Union


Copyright, Weltern Newspaper Union
Ky.
INCOMPETENTs ARE KEPT
The annual turnover In the govern
nent service is something almost In
credible No business corporation
however strongly established could
long endure the heavy annual drain on
lbs resources. Hundreds Of men leave
tho government service daily; and
new, unframed people have 10 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 su
peiyisory and most highly paid posi-
iohs and from the very lowest grades.
The men at the top If they have any
initiative or ability or ambition 10
make name for themselves are of
lered private employment at double
on treble or more what the govern
nent can pay them. The people 10
the lowest grades leave for private
employment when opportunity affords
because In too many instances they
actually cannot keep body and soul
together Gu their government pay.
1t is The people in the middle class
who stay on the longest The whole
constant process makes for a steody
deterioration IN the quality Of tho
government service and tends TO re-
tain the mediocre In public employ
meut
Tile civil service commission, through
which the great bulk Of government
employees are brought into the sery
fee, is acutely aware Of this condition
MS reports give emphasis to the dill
Guilty constantly experienced On secur-
ing and retaining competent employ
ees The rotation In Office has become
Increasingly frequent aud vitality lm-
pairs tine efficiency of the service
During the war there was q lower
rate Of turnover in the mechanical
forces than in outside establishments
The proposition OF separations how
ever. is excessive in clerical, profess
soua and technical positions, in
which the rate OF turnover sometimes
amounts 90 third of the force Goo
year
During The nine months preceding
The aruislice more than $1,000 APP
poinments were made 10 the civil
service and about $4,000 separations
occurred--that is, for every two app
ponunents made one person left ,ho
service, For "a period Of similar length
following the armistice only 90 per
/cont as many appointments were made
5ur there were nearly 80 per cent more
separations IN this period almost as
many positions were vacated as were
lHed.
The eyisencies ~ the war required
great expansion OF the cloreu'
forces at Washington and elsewhere
and this was accomplished by o. labo
turnover several times above normal.
The percentage of doclnations of APP.
poinments among e.ig.bles on The civ
II service register increased in many
instances from 80 to more than so per
ceut-that is, more than half the men
and women who successfully passed
ciyl service examinations and were
offered Jobs under the government re-
fused 10 take them, 1t is estimated
that more than $4,000 of those who
met the test were appointed during
4 that time
The civil service commission says
aauy:
"ThoSc familiar with the federal
service at Washington know that the
service IS now hampered by the re-
1 ,cntion Of lncompetents whose re-
/ moyal is rendered difficult by influences
which are incompatible with the eii-
cheney Of the service. Preferences
and exemptions increasingly clog the
departments with persons who no
matter how inefficient, are difficult to
remove, and whose retention tends 10
destroy the discipline Of the service
Among these inellcients, of course
are the superannuated and the phys
icaly 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
cnty years OF age and over as follows
Number
Railway postal clerks,,..,.....,"... le'
Rural letter carriers, 4'I
City letter icrs...,..,...,,.......... s5,