Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-05-17
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union
XIV.
VIEW OF THE EMPLOYEE


Standardization and readjustment Of
salaries. To be scientific, such re-
adjustment must rest upon a careful
Reconsideration OF the service. Con
nitions are very different now. both
IN regard to the functions of Offices
and the cost Of living. from what they
were when positions in the govern
ment service were first classified and
salaries assigned to those positions
1t struck me that an interested party
in this inquiry into how the govern
ment conducts its business was the
employee himself He ought to know
from actual daily experience some
thing about the mechanism of the
national business and the relations be-
tween the working force and employer.
1t was clearly impossible to talk to
The more than 800 0o0 men and women
who work for the government, but
learned that between $4,000 and co.
600 of them are banded together in an
association called the National Fedora
lion of Federal Employees 1t is a
regular labor union, and is affiliated
with the American Federation Of
Labor. 1t includes all classes of gov
eminent workers, technical and
scientific men. as well as clerks and
nnSkilled workers.
asked the president of this EN-
ployees' union, Luther c. Steward, If
he and his associates were authorized
to speak for all its membership. He
assured me that they were.
So | asked him to tell me about the
conditions of government employment
and how the business was carried on.
am glad l did for what he told
me dScloseS no; only facts, but
state Of mind existing among the en-
plOyees which necessarily must be
taken into account in any consldera-
ton Of the efficiency and management
Of our common business. Here then
is what the employees, who speak
through Mr.. Steward, have to say, and
the constructive program they present
for the improvement of the service:
The civil service on It's human side
consists Of about 100000 men and
NoHltll tIGuEtu III lHt VI
antiquated patched-up machine. Be
cause of the durability Of its vital
parts and the faith and ability of the
mass of the operatives the machine
still functions. But the parts are
i!-htted. and many of them are de
fective The managers and superin
tendents of the establishment, being
too often chosen for political reasons.
are frequently ineXp"rt and the operat-
ing system is clumsy and disjointed
The employees are recruited under
law which provides test of
qualifications. and probably nine-tenths
IT the rank and file have satisfactorily
passed the en- rance test But the
better positions, say from $1,000 up
ward are ;;suaily occupied by political
appoiutees. Another considerable
group of employees get their appoint
ments by executive order waving
civi-servicc tests of fitness
The newcomer in the service there
Tore, finds himself UP against a mini
mum OF opportunity for promotion,
ith the Sheurl ening knowledge that
fhe advancement which is earned by
cCinptre!co is all too likely to be given
10 the friend or political supporter Of
some congressman or executive who
wishes n pay II political debt And
he employee is subject to dismissal
at the will Of the executive of his de-
pNrtment. unless he can bring sufficient
political influence to bear.
In other words. the civil-service law
IS not backed up by enforcing power in
he Civil Service commission. 1t
nere!y recruits the applicants for en-
trance. Thereafter The employees
fate is largely Il matter of his own
uck and lie gag!ve passive merit. There
is no system by which he may be
itted 70 the job, and no protection
.gansl dismissal, unless the employee
himself can show that the reason is
political or religious. "For the good
# ihe service, as the law reads
covers every other charge which the,
executive oiiAial may bring. There is
20 court Of appeal
Such is the oppressive incentive!ess
nent service. 1t stiles initiative,
illustrates ambitions and reduces the
mass Of employees to a more or less
passive state which is permeated by
Il sense of fear
In such an atmosphere naturally
enough. the physical conditions of EN-
ployment are far from what they
should be, and the government loses
efficiency, as does any other employer
where the wage scale is inadequs tie
and unstandardzed. where sanitary
conditions are bad and hours of work
too long and irregular.
The wage scale Is so low that the
Civil Service commission has difficulty
IN securing properly qualified appli-
ants. and throughout the service the
turnover is high. Employees doing
The same kind Of work often receive
widely different rates of pay; ex-
OFF,