Evening star., 1923-03-18
Equalization.

When the recla Ssification Of federal
employees becomes effective in July,
1924, the government service will be
good place in which to work. Not
that il is bad now. There are many
things about service in one of the gov.
eminent departments or bureaus that
are attractive.
But when the service is actually re-
classified. and the new salary scale be-
comes an actually, a new era will
dawn for the thousands Of people here
and throughout the country who have
devoted themselves 10 the civil service
Of their country.
To most of the older employees il
will seem like working heaven. With
proper salaries, retirement provisions,
proper sick leave and an unusually
long vacation privilege. those in gov
ernment service then may feel that
there is little more TO be gained.
This result will be attained, how.
ever, only in the event that equal pay
for equal work is the basis upon which
the service is reClaSsified. Increase OF
salaries is fundamental. Making the
so-calcd bonus an integral part of the
salary, and then granting an increase
upon that, will settle this important
part of recassiiication. 1t must come
FIRST. for gov ernment employees are
human. they have families TO support
and ideals 20 reach. 1t is so much
;..V, ~,
things with little money behind one.
Eut equality of pay for equal service
Is the next most important thing to be
considered. and in order to insure the
success Of rcc!aSsification the board
charged with carrying rec!assif1cation
into effect must keep this vital prin-
cip!c in mind.
RcclasSiticatiun will he something OF
q mockcry If there is not established
an absolute equality of compensation
for equal service. The present shame.
full state of things, whereby an en-
ploye in one OF the older departments
gets just half what an empoye in an
other department is paid. although do
Ing the same work, must be done
away with.
Comparison q, salaries. whether
done openly or covertly. is one Of the
insidious influences which mako for
dissatisfaction in industry. The school
teacher was not 50 dispeased with her
old salary until during the war she
read how bricklayers were making
many times as much money as she
was drawing down for teaching the
youth OF the land. This is human ma
ture, and nowhere does il crop up
more than in Uncle Sans service.
While there must be left ample op-
portunity for proper selection Of en-
plnyes by chiefs. and the widest lati.
tude TO executives. there must be no
such inequalities Of pay for equal work
as pointed out above. No matter what
salary a man gets. if he knows that
some one else who really does not do
any more work or any better work is
getting IA great deal more money for
il he will not be satisfied.
The most careful attention must be
given by the Reconsideration Board to
see TO it that this matter of equal pay
for equal work is carefully worked out
in dealing with the civil personnel. 1t
must be elastic enough to meet con-
ditions, but not so much as to nerpetu.
ate the present inequalities.
With proper equalization Of pay for
equal service performed, higher sal
aries, good annual and sick leave
privileges and retirement, the govern
ment service after July I, 1924, should
offer a far more attractive life field
for the young man or woman than it
does today.