Evening star., 1932-07-06
And They Call 1t
The Merit System

To the Editor Of The Star
have always been under the impress
sion that a thing with merit is some
thing that has good points or good
qualities. I fail to see the good quail
ties of the merit system only as it ap-
plies to those married couples that are
both holding Government positions. In
these 6avs of unemployment, when our
kers are trying to work out some
means of providing employment think
it is a disgrace that we nave people so
selfish.
Is il merit when one man and his
wife are holding good Government posi-
tions and others just as well quaIlneo
have no income at all?
Is II merit when one married couple
are able to own their own nome, nave
beautiful furniture and buy a new car
every year while other couples are IN
able to buy the necessities OF me?
They will say Why, we couia not pos.
sibly get along on one salary. NO OF
course they could not-not get along
tbe wav they want to. l wonder II
those people ever stop to think Of how
many men are not earning more than
s1O0 per month and keeping their fam
lilies on It.
Here is one other thing; If you will
investigate. YOU will find that great
MANY of these couples that are ooth
drawing Government pay have no chill
dren. They don't want any. 1t would
interfere with their selfish pleasures,
Miss Dell of the Civil Service Com
mission says that prohibiting either
man or wife from the Government pay
roll places a penalty on marriage. since
when have we not had to pay penalty
or sacrifice something for most every
thing that Is really worth Wnlle?
There has been an alarming increase
in suicides among young people in the
last wear or so. Why? Mostly because
when they l1ave graduated from school,
they are ambitious to get themselves
position and get started In lie The
financial condition Of many is such that
they must have work Immediately. The
family of a great many have exhausted
their finances to send the girl or boy
through school and expect to be helped
back as soon as they get to work. What
happens? The girl or boy finds married
women and their husbands holding
down the positions, and after months
of trying to find work they become
despondent, discouraged, and they take
what they think is the only Way out.
nave Deen aL Illc CLOi oAASSo OA MI
ferent Government buildings and have
watched a good many couples coming
to work together. I have also seen
great many husbands drop their wives
off at the Government building and go
on downtown to their work. Through
inquiry I have found that many Oh
these men are making salary enough to
support two families. Still their wives
are taking the necessities Of life from
some one who has no work; / am tola
that in the Veterans Building alone
there are 500 married couples working.
The recent expose of our lawmakers
on Capitol Hill having several members
of their families on the pay roll has
ouieted down. Possibly some OF them
had enough fairness to discontinue the
practice. or possibly they were just
little ashamed of themselves.
Let us hope that the wives OF these
couples who are both in Government a.
service become a little ashamed OF their
own selfishness and greed. Let this be
our motto, "One Government pay check
to the family" JAMES L. b4o'o'