The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-04-30
By the National Editorial Association
Especial to The Herald)
Economy Program Drops
Numerous Official Heads

Washington, April 29.-Officials
here are somewhat agitated over a
recent statement by one of the fore
most authorities on government that
'the taxpayer is the prize boob of
all time" The wave of economy
which has been sweeping the gov
eminent for some time may be fol-
lowed by an inquiry into competency
of those in the public service.
Already the chopping of heads. so
to speak, among government employ
es due primarily to economy meas
ures, has been felt in every cor
gressional district where these dis
charged federal employees have rela-
tives and friends. The approach of
June 80. which marks the end of the
fiscal year, is causing considerable
concern among the thousands of
workers, for their jobs are obviously
insecure.
In response for an urgent public
demand for further reduction in
taxes, departmental officials are
pruning their lists very carefully in
an effort to rid themselves of dead
wood" or useless employees. 1t is a
delicate operation involving the dis
pleasure of senators and congress
men whose constituents are affected
by these proceedings.
There has been a steady and rapid
reduction in the expenses of the
fedaral government since 1920 as
the heavy drain due to various war
and postwar activities has ceased.
There is no satisfactory index of the
per capita cost of government en-
ployes as no detailed statistics have
been compiled for the past sixteen
years.
The Tax Bill
Excluding those in the military
and naval establishments, the taxpay-
ers contribute to the annual payroll
of approximately 85,000,000 for
$4,000 federal workers. Following
the armistice, there was a reduction
of about 225,OO0 employees covered
by the civil service. Further reduc-
tions have brought the number up to
about 365,000. These figures do not
include the hundreds appointed by
congressman as political patronage,
outside, the civil service
More than $4,000 appointments
are made annually by the civil serv-
ice commission to vacancies caused
by resignation, removal and death.
The growth of the executive civil
service has been remarkable. From
1881 to 1895 the service increased
approximately 100000 employees to
approximately $4,000 employees, a
rate of increase of 81 per cent. The
number of employees increased on an
average of 5 per cent every decade,
with the exception of the World War
period. The greatest increases have
been in the postal service.
Government Pay Roll
The impression prevails through
out the country that the majority OF
government workers are stationed at
Washington. This is not true. On
April 1 there were 64,884 on the per-
manent and temporary roll OF the
civil service. This figure does not
members of the legislative
establishments and the military and
naval forces on duty in Washington.
On March 1 there were 491,095 on
the permanent and temporary pay
rolls outside of the District of Col
umbia. 1t is interesting to note that
there are 4,362 employees of the pub
lie health service who are paid one
dollar per year. An overwhelming
majority of the field force, or 297,-
300. are postal workers. The ex-
of postal facilities necessitat-
ed an increase of 1000 employees
Turing the last six months of 1924.
A government job is usually re-
yarded as "a soft snap" The recent
Increase of $500 per year for the
postal workers places them as the
,opnotchers in earning capacity. The
average postal employee receives
$4,000 a year, which is a remarkably
Ugh figure compared with average
in similar occupations in pri-
rate enterprises and with other
ranches of the federal service. 1t
S an established fact that the en-
rance salary for postal workers is
ar beyond that paid by a business
Institution for the same class of
The bank clerks have an
income of 1882, while a
oy now starting in the postal serv-