Evening star., 1928-03-20
A Good Start.

Yesterdays hearing before the House
committee on the civil service was an
impressive demonstration of the need
Of the passage Of the proposed legiSla-
ton for horizontal increase in the pay
of the Governments employees. From
various points of view the WEIGH bill
was approved. in terms which should
have made q deep impression on the
members OF the committee. An eminent
specialist In the field of industrial rela-
tons Prof. Paul H. Douglas of the Uni
verSity Of Chicago. presented a state
ment which showed clearly how the
Government has, in effect, stood still in
the matter Of compenSations. while all
other employers in this country have
gone ahead. Members OF Congress ap-
pesred in behalf Of the measure and
testified to their knowledge Of condi-
tions and expressed their hope that the
bill may become Law.
Prof Douglas statement gave a clear
view OF the relative status of the Gov
employment. During the past thirty
years. he said, and particularly since
1914, the workers in nearly all lines Of
American industry have appreciably i'm
proved their position. The Government
employees, however. have actually. save
for the reclaSsifcation under the act Of
1928, remained stationary. and the ad-
vancement effected by that measure
was only slight and unimportant. Rela-
lively, considering the rise in the cost
OF living and the shortening Of the
working day IN private employments, the
Federal service workers have fallen be-
hind.
This Is perfectly well known. 1t re-
unires no actuarial research to demon
strate that the clerical and custodial
workers for the Government are In less
favorable position now than they were
before the general movement in ad-
vance Of wages In the United States
began. The test Of the matter lies In
the purchasing power Of the dollar. The
dollar Of the empioye In industry and
private business buys more today than
the dollar Of the Government employe,
which barely covers the necessities Of
life, leaving little or nothing for the
emergencies and for the luxuries.
This pending measure, the WEIGH bill.
vii not render the Government worker
ad1uent. IL enacted into Law. II win
not even place him on . par With the
corresponding class Of private employees
tn the industries and In business But
II viii narrow the gap that now pre-
vsils between the pay scales and win
remove from the Federal force the anx-
sety that now marks the entire body OF
the Governments working force
Economy Is the order Of the day In
Government affairs. Efforts are being
made 70 prune excessive costs. TO trim
the bills. 10 eliminate useless positions.
10 pare the edges Of expenditures. Heavy
ssying1 have been effected by these
measures. and the country reioaces over
the application Of business principles TO
the Federal administration. But there
ix no demand for continued parzimony
In the matter Of paying the force. II
the WEIGH bill costs the Government
thirty or forty million dollars more q
yezF In clerk hire. the betterment in the
service through the improvement In the
morale Of the force VIII have been
chesply purchased. Moreover, this
legislation viii eradicate . stain upon
the record Of the United States Govern
naent, which Is today known as the poor
ct paynaasteT of all in America.