Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-20
Industrial Injustice
And Government Paw
To the Editor of The Star:


The recent report of the Civil Service
Classification Board seems to indicate
that the members of that body believe
than an injustice in the industrial
world will right an injustice done to
Federal employees. A survey was made
Of the wages paid the very much under
paid employees of industrial organiZa-
tons Il refer to employees receiving
small salaries), and because the CLASH
f1cation board finds they are paying
almost starvation wages, a reccmmen-
dation is made that Government en-
ployes receiving less than $4,000 shall
have their salaries reduced.
The Civil Service Classification
Board seems to have disregarded the
fact that the Government requires
qualifications considerably higher than
are required for like positions in many
organizations They would also do well
to remember that most business or
carnations in this city employ people
whose homes are in washington and
can, therefore, live considerably cheap
err than people who come here from
some other part of the country. A per-
son coming here to work Tor the Gov
eminent must establish a home here,
and a very large expense is incurred in
doing this. Therefore, If he is going to
live in a way commensurate with the
person who Is already established here
he must receive a considerably higher
salary. OF course, there are exceptions
to this rule, but a rough estimate OF
the proportionment would be that 80
ner cent of the people employed by
business organizations here are local
people, and about 80 per cent OF Gov
eminent employees come from other
parts of the country.
The recommendations also seem al
together unfair because the people VINO
are to receive reduction In salary are
the ones who will be hurt most by IT..
All of us who know anything about
living costs know that it IS almost
ridiculous to expect any one to live III
washington fer less than $4,000 year.
81 If there is any justice in the Gov
eminent reducing the paltry sum tn3t
its employees in this class receive IL Is
on irelv beyond the comprehension Oh
the writer Is 1t Justice for the Gov
eminent of this country to spend NIL
lions on non-essential demonstrators,
for monuments, etc, and then reduce
the already low wages OF Its employees;
who are virtually forced to live peyono
their means to keep up an appearance
of responsibility that their POSITIONS
and their superiors demand?
If the high-salaried employees OF the
Government receive less than tnelr
worth, it Is perfectly Just that they
should be given raises, but the people
who are less fortunate as result OF
lack of educational qualifications or
otherwise certainly should not be
penalized to give the more fortunate
ones more.
has the interest of its constituents at
heart it should in the treatment OF
it's employees establish a precedent
that will encourage private INDUSTRY 10
oav HIGHER wages, thereby lettering
living Conditions for wage earners Of
the country. whereas the classifcation
board in its report appears to be al.
tempting to justify low wages because
private Industry pays low wages. Wlll
Congress permit this reduction in the
wages Of a low-paid class Of Cover love- -
nent employees whom 1t Is their GUY 70
would be much more appropriate;
"0 NATHAN O'BRIEN.