Evening star., 1924-12-07
EMPLOYE RECORD
URGED IN REPORT
Civil Service Body Cites Need
of Statistics on Govern
ment Workers.

ment Workers.
With probable discontinuance of
II the old official Register or Blue
Book" of the United States and no
#dctailed statistics relating TO govern
z nent personnel for l6 years" the
#t'ivil Service Commission believes
some system of comprehensive statis-
ical records should be Instituted by
#the government for the more than
81 500, 600 citizens constituting its per
{ sonnel, with an annual pay roll of
\ approximately $7S5,000.000."
The commission, in its annual re
4 port, made public last night, de-
4 ciares a record of employees is as
+ necessary to the work of the COM
mission as an inventory is TO bust
i ncSes establishment. without 1T the
commission is unable to know
whether thereQuirements of the civil
service act and rules are observed, or
know such elementary facts as the
numbers employed, the expenditures
I'm salaries, the rates of salaries and
such sociological facts as the rela-
tive numbers of each sex"
Generalization Sought,
Other recommendations to Congress
include a proposal that the chief CO.
ordinator. subject to the director of
the budget exercise supervision over
,aU Government employment matters
with a view to coordination and
standardization of all such activities.
The report points out that the opera
ton of the retirement act has dis
closed need for changes particularly
in the amount of annuity. and calls
1. ~g.,,~
President Coolidge and other Presi-
donts for the classification under the
civil service law of postmasters at
first, second and third class offices.
and also the recommendation of
President Coolidge. that Federal pro-
hihition enforcement officers be
brought within the classified service
without covering in the present mem
bership.
Lack of system.
There is a lack of system in keep
ing the record of deductions made
from the salaries of employees under
the retirement act" says the report.
The system needs to be put upon Il
souuder financial as well as a more
equitable basis. As trustee for the
fund the Government should keep
careful accounts of the amounts of
Instead. the funds assume the form
of a vast lump sum, against which
aEnuitieS are charged. Benefits are
thus paid to one group of employees
from the contributions made by an
other group. The data about the en-
ploye is often meager and made
Quate."
The recommendation concerning
personal statistics provided that
there he set up in the place of the
Blue Book "a centralized record of
officers and employees. preferably in
the office of the Civil Service Com
mission with facilities for the prep
Hration of statistics for official use
of the President, Congress and the
heads of departments"
NO detailed statistics relating to
Government personnel have been pre-
pared for Is years" said the com
mission and those compiled were in
complete. Changes which have oc-
CURED since, and especially the large
influx of new employees during the
war, have made useless many facts
drawn from such statistics. The
Government should not lack statis-
teal information concerning the more
than 10000 citizens constituting its
personnel, with an annual pay roll of
approximately S7S5 0OO, 900.
Tho Civil Service retirement act. the
classification act and the employees
compensation act have helped to
make the Government employe more
than a mere hired man to be en-
rloyed as Cheaply as possible. without
-%pectatton of his being interested
in the business, and to be dropped at
will and forgotten.
Small sums Needed.
one one-hundredth of / per cent
Of the Government pay roll for one
year would be sufficient to establish
statistical records to meet all needs.
This sum is about $4,000. Only a
small fraction of this amount would
be needed annually for maintenance"
Operation of the retirement act
says the commission, has disclosed
the need for several changes. Some
81 them have appeared in bills which
were not reached for fpal action. An
important change proposed is the in
crease of the maximum annuity. which
IS now $720. The average annuity
during the last fiscal year was $546. 30
This amount is insufficient even for
humble living. The reluctance Of en-
pioNeS to accept it is shown by the
tact that the number of certificates
allowing continuance issued each
NSral year nearly equals the number
Of employees retired each year for age
upon annuity. Each continuance. of
course, must he based upon efficiency:
hut the meagernesS of the annuity
allowed frequently works to defeat
retirement on reaching the legal
.ce
~ further proposal for legislative
"hanges relates to permitting op-
tional retirement after a fixed term
"f service at some age less than 20.
treat Britain. France, Portugal and
italy permit retirement upon annuity
at age of so, and Canada, the Neither
lands, Belgium, and Germany at 65.
The rates of annuity are larger and
the service required to obtain them
shorter in these countries than in the
United States. All but Great Britain.
Portugal and Belgium provide for
widows and minor children of de-
ceased employees.
THE contributions of employees
range from nothing in Great Britain
to per cent in Germany and per
cent in France and Canada"
The number of employees in the
Federal executive civil service at the
end of the fiscal year 1924 was 554.-
$50, the commission reported, OF
these 64,l20 were employed in the
District of Columbia. This compares
with a total in 1916 of 43S, includ-
ing 39,442 in the District. and on the
date of the armistice of 917,76O, in
Guiding 117,760 in the District.
For the year ended June 80, 1924
24S,236 persons competed in examina-
lions, of which number 1855 were
appointed. For the year ended June
so, 1923, the number examined was
229,640, and the number appointed
was 73,054. For the year ended June
30, 1922. the number examined was
244,2S7, and the number appointed
was 71,63S.
These figures cover positions cIassi-
lied under the civil service rules and