Pueblo chieftain., 1922-03-19

|, pay roll of the United States govern
ment. can not give you the figures
but can count up over 900, 900 easily
and some more.
The Civil Service Commission has
recently issued a Seport showing that
oSs.326 people We're on Jobs in the coun-
try under Civil Service. Then you have
the postmasters, a total of 81, 1853. The
army aeds about 10000 and the navy
about 40 0eo and estimate that there
are at least $4,000 other government
employees of one kind and another not
included in the above classes. Add
these figures up and you have 1000.
4N. Change the estimate of $4,000 un-
classified either way and It will not
make much difference. You will have
nearly million people drawing n sal
ary from the government
Too many. you say.
Well. l think 70 too.
But | have observed that about the
hardest thing to do in the government
is to curtail the activities OF a depart
ment or bureau once established and to
separate man or woman from the
service once ne or she is on the pay
roll.
or course the war Ia responsible for
getting these lists over large.
At ono time during tho war or about
the day the srmistice was signed there
were el1.'6o under Civil Service and
i,soo,000 in the army and navy which
many other employees made about {, ,Oo0,-
pn1.
But the war has been over some
time and serious effort has been
made by congress to reduce the pay
roll and eliminate unnecessary help.
Every effort is seriously opposed by
somebody Every man and woman
ri EE has l. IL. l..
dispensible to the government and he
or she can usually find department
heads. unions, home organizations and
innunierable citizens who agree with
him or her and plead their cause.
a striking instance in mind was af-
ter tho conference for limitation OF
armament had come to such happy
agreement tho secretary Of tho navy
decided to discontinue work on come
OF the ships that would never be used.
Naturally. this- threw lot OF people
out of work and a protest went up
that was heard across the land.
As rule no government employs II
laid off until congress fails to appro-
PIRATE money for his salary. In this
way congress IL end~avoring to cut
down the payroll and save expense.
Already congress has Gu, very heavily
the size Of tho army and navy. II has
reduced the number OF employees in the
District Of Columbia from il7,.so TO
's.'5s. Those are principally clerks In
the departments and while they hold
th~ir positions thru the Civil Service
still their congressman Is often APP
pesled 20 for assi.tarc in Individual
cases in holding tho person on tho Job
which assistance Ia often hard to rc-
fuse. yet very often OF little value.
or. course tho government OF the
Upitod states Is a big business and 4,
requires a largo fore. of mon md wo-
men TO conduct 1t. Tho payroll viii al
ways hc largo and as a matter OF fac,
canno, be greatly reduced from pres
cnt figures. TAX. the pcstoffice de-
par;men. for instance. I think 1t is
the most economical and hes. man
aged o' tho several departments. And
am sure II will he s,Ill moro so under
our new Postmaster General. DIR.
Work Of Colorado. Considerably more
than, half OF. tho employees OF the gov
ernment outside Of tho army and navy
are IN the postofficc department r
think the total Ia about 5es. 900 ami
probably not surplus cmpioye. You
could hardly get along without, ono
OF them and in some branches OF the
service more arc needed.
am sure YOU will bo surprised to
know how many peopl. It takes TO run
some branches OF tho mail service.
There are 5:.iss r1s;masiers. ass as
sistant postmaster-. 1915, rural mail
carriers. 81. 1os p. O. clerks. $3.50 let
ter carriers. and .o.s.0 rsiiwaS. mail
clerks.
The pcstoffic, service cannot be cur
tailed and the personnel will gradual
~ GROW. So Il will In other depart
mont. OF the government
Tho payroll IL large and will always |
b" large. II Is being cut literally Just
now for economy sake hut in future
years IL will necessarily grow up again I
ard 1t will not he long again before 1t
Will take a million mon and women |
to handle the government business and
protection.