Evening star., 1933-05-17
Deplorable Plight of Federal Workers
Under the Regime of U. S. Economies
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
As a Government employe who feels
very keenly the injustice Of the various
attacks made by certain Of our big bust
ness organizations on Government
workers as . whole with the object Of
reducing our wages, and also the eco
nomic unsoundness Of the continued
attacks on our civil service by certain
groups looking to the destruction OF
our present merit system, desire to
thank you and your sta6 for the splen-
did support given US lately through
editorials, articles and Mr.. Bergman 8
cartoon OF last Saturday.
At the beginning Of last year, taken
by and large, I am sure there could
not have been found anywhere q group
Of employees who were more loyal to
their employer, more interested In their
work, or with q finer sense OF fellow
ship and helpfulnesS one to the other.
Lo al in that most Of us glory In the
realization that we are serving the
whole of the American people; inter-
Cyted in our work-where else will you
ind employees who spend. year after
year. the biggest share OF their extra
money, and In many cases even money
that can be i'll afforded, for education
so as to better fit themselves for their
positions?-and our fine esprit de
corps, demonstrated in our many vel
fare associations. founded and carried
on by the employees themselves for the
sole purpose OF assisting the lower-paid
members of our official family or those
faced with long illness or other circum-
stances that would ordinarily mean a
community charge. In fact, We were
good employees. good members Of the
community, and best Of all, we were
the highest type of loyal citizens.
Then what happened? Congress,
faced with the necessity Of a reduction
in Government personnel, utterly dis
regarded the civil service merit system
and set up q new and false standard
of reduction, l. e.. the marital status Of
the employe. That Is, instead Of the
reduction being made under the merit
system, which would have cut of first
those employees having the lowest EN-
cheney ratings. then. II there were still
others to go, cutting of those with the
least service to their credit, and, finally,
If still others had to be dismissed, TAX
ing into consideration economic needa
where two employees were equally ef-
fcient and had approximately the same
length of service, Congress enacted a
law that said employees should be dis
missed without regard to their efficiency
or length Of service If they happened
to be married to another Government
employe.
We. who Indignantly protested such
an attack on the merit system, pointed
out that II the united efforts Of all
Government employees were not con-
centrated on defeating this unjust basis,
thus showing that we stood solidly be-
hind the system under which We were
employed and under which we had
taken our oath of Office, that the enter
ing wedge would have been made for
the final destruction of that system
All during this year In which We have
battled stanchly for the preservation
of our civil service We have received
some support from the newspapers and
civic organizations throughout the coun-
try. but that support has been given
mainly because it was felt by the givers
that such legislation was an attack on
the institution of marriage and there
fore our very social structure. =
The danger In such o false standard
of employment or dismissal to every
employed worker, from the very lowest
In rank to the highest administrative
officer, whether in private or public
business. did not seem to be recognized
except by the very few. The things
that have followed in the disruptins
and decentralization Of our civil serv-
ice, and which would logically follow
In private business were such stand
ards set up, were predicted by far
sighted members OF Congress last year
as they fought that first attack.
Now not one, but two, other stand
ards are being set up-length Of serv-
ice, which should wear . shining badge
of honor. and the quota, which, per-
haps, will work In some instances foH
employing Government personnel, but
should never apply in the matter d
dismissal any moee thA0 marriage q