The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-28
President Coolidge and the
Employees of Uncle Sam
Government Workers Deserve and Should Get Better
-.- Pay and Better Treatment In the Future
By BILL PRICE.


Civil service employees are by President Coolidge
that they will get square deal under the Redistribution
act; that the Chief Executive will institute inquiry Of his
own to determine whether this act to be carried out in
letter and in spirit.
It should be inspiring Government workers that the
President rated as sincere fair man. interested in their
welfare in recIascaton and in other There has
been time history Of civilian employees Of Uncle Sam
when they badly needed the support Of OF
in Observation-Disclosures just temporary support that
pressure Of presumably great national prob
The backing they deserve and should receive in the
executive and legislative branches Of the Government should
be consistent persistent until the Of faithful loyal
men and women who daily attend Uncle Sans executive
activities are given LIVING WAGES and their work made
agreeable and healthful
Every four years the national parties meet in convention
to nominate candidates President and Vice President and
to put forward platform pledges which they tell the voters
they intend to carry out.
Every one of these conventions for many years past
adopted platform planks promising fair treatment and LIVING
WAGES for civil service employees The bald truth is that
NOT SINGLE PROMISE OF THIS KIND HAS EVER
BEEN CARRIED OUT any sincere effort made to carry
them out in Congress anywhere else.
The party planks designed catch the million
or Federal employees in the Presidential
Congressional elections The employees themselves nbbed
the bait faithfully followed in the old political pathways
days. and believed that something might be
But every of Congress has passed without any
special consideration being given to the question Of living
salaries working conditions. Somebody may make
claim that the recassicaon act is step in the
direction Of carrying out platform pledges It is nothing
of the kind That sought for by employees
equaze the pay Of those doing the kind Of work
cases where worker drawing year and another
5000 for identically similar duties.
We are told the recIassicaton will result in
small increase in the pay of Government employees The
pay plus the $40 annual total ncrea
throughout something like 100000 year Reclassf
cation Board presents statistical data substantiate this
claim viii do harm to await the actual results of the
operations of reclascaon so far as they affect salaries
iQures D of
Federal workers In Washington 34673 listed in the clerical
ner cent above basic nav and bonus That s the animal
salary and bonus Of these S4573 employees averages
each or s4s more each per year In the CusOdia service
$3.50 employees whose present salaries $3.50 year
In the and scientific service much better care
has been taken of 4S4 employees Their increase to be
Over $4,000 of $4,000 employees viii hardly know that
there is increase They will certainly not be getting al
$4,000 and viii get average of $46 per year
than they receive This $40 added to the bonus
Of $40 viii be grand total of 1886 per person each year
# there is today living human being who finds that
viii he come forward and tell how he does ito And, to
Government salaries they in 1915 exactly what
was worth in purchasing power four five times what
is at this time.
Therefore we should like President Coolidge to know and
WAGE economy no economy and that reclascation
crease It is tardy tswdry effort to make Government
workers feel satisfied just before the coming elections
will not do any harm for the President to know too
that the force Of Government this city being
reduced executive agencies of the are dropping
from the rolls and who grown gray in the
service whose loyalty and devotion never questioned
and who in few years. would have retired and
become beneficiares Of pay annuites paid by GOVERN
MENT EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES, the United States Gov
eminent not having contributed penny toward annuity
funds.
would be real glorious thing President Coolidge
make the welfare of Uncle Sans workers personal matter
placing this among the things Of national Importance he
poses to accomplish while in office.
Japan'S Great Loss