Milford chronicle., 1922-07-07
XVII.
NO REWARD FOR LOYALTY

What can a man hope for who en-
tiers the government service as a
career? Let US look at some actual
cases. Here is the story of one as
told by E. J. Ayers, chief clerk, De
partment of the Interior. He cites ii
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:
"The records of our department
show that he entered the service as a
labOrer at $3.50 year, after a service
Of three and a half years in the Uni
ted States navy as a first-class fire
man, with an honorable discharge. He
has been with us for more than thirty
three years, and is sixty-six years
old, and has given more than half his
life to the service of the government.
"He owns a little property three
miles beyond the Chesapeake juno
tiOn, 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
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 a 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 its
present location because it was not
thought practicable to raise a family
in the district, and he bought a 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 shack and
few acres of land on which he has
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 a pound. It could have
been purchased a few years ago for
seventeen cents a pound, and the beans
for ten cents. He does not get any
fresh meat because he cannot afford
to buy it.
"TO my mind it seems a pity that
the United States government should
employ men of that type, or any other
type for that matter, and not give
them enough to live on decently. 1t
is particularly pity in this case be-
cause he is somewhat superior to
many, of the employees. He has
stayed with us as a matter of faithful
ness to the government, and has
stayed with us when he could make
more in one week outside of the gov
ernment than we pay him for one
month.
"Others have left us, but instances
of that kind have been very few. At
one time l had in our auditorium our
EMPLOYEES and 1 made an appeal to
them to stand by us during the war
period, and there were more than 800
of them present, and they all of one
accord assured us that they would
stand by us and would give US the
benefit of their labor in our depart
ment during the war period, nOtwith-
standing the fact that the price for
labor outside was a great deal more"
This curious pride in their work and
loyalty to the government and the
government service was a thing that
cropped up in the most unexpected
places.
As one employee put it: Il think you
will find that every service seems to
be quite proud of its work. 1 know
Won will find it in our service as far
as compensation and such as that are
concerned. The pay in this office is
small. but that element, that feeling
in a mans mind that he is really help !
ing to accomplish good work and
helping this government to function
well, is really part of it. I find in all
nv talks with employees that they |
really feel proud of their work, and
lhat pride is really what gets things
done. I think that is true everywhere
in the whole service, and particularly
the executive depart
ments."
That is curiously true, and it is one
of the reasons, possibly the chief rea-
son. why men stay on in the depart
ments year after year at a low rate
Of pay and not much possibility OF
promotion.