The Washington times., 1934-09-10
Government Workers
Greetings to the A. F. G. f.

OOVCTllllGIlC VOIkCIS
Greetings to the A. F. G. f.
The annual convention of the American Federation of
Government Employees meeting in New York this week.
is matter of tremendous Importance not only to the
workers represented in the convention hail. but to all
American citizens.
The delegates to the convention naturally will be striv
ing better the lot of the and represented
They will be seeking better working conditions greater
economic security and general improvement OF their
station in life.
YET THE SELFISH PURPOSES WHICH THESE
DELEGATES SEEK FADE INTO COMPARATIVE IN
SIGNIFICANCE WHEN 1T IS REALIZED THAT THE
PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE GATHERING AND
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN REPRESENTED is TO GIVE TO THE
AMERICAN TAXPAYER BETTER VALUE IN Gov
EMINENT SERVICE FOR THE MONEY WHICH HE
PAYS INTO THE FEDERAL TREASURY.
The administration of Government is daily becoming
more complicated and more difficult the services
which Government renders grow in extent and in their
personal application to its citizens.
THAT ADMINISTRATION CANNOT BE OF A
HIGHER TYPE THAN ARE THE CIVIL SERVANTS
WHO, DAY IN AND DAY OUT ARE RESP ONS1BLE
FOR ITS BEING CARRIED ON
THOSE WHO ARE GATHERED IN NEW YORK
TODAY ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN UPON WHOSE
SHOULDERS RESTS THE HARD AND PRACTICAL
JOB OF MAKING GOVERNMENT EFFICIENT AND
EFFECTIVE IN THE AIMS WHICH THE BODY
POLITIC SET FOR THAT GOVERNMENT.
Their relations with the public in recent months have
become more and intimate as the Government has
become more and personallzed.
In these relations the Government worker can bring
upon his service the odum which ordinarily attaches to
bureaucracy he regulate his own conduct that
regardless of the in which the policies which
he carries out may be extended the great curse OF
bureaucracy will be avoided.
FORTUNATELY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THE EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES Gov
EMINENT ARE OF A TYPE WHICH WHILE GLORY
ING IN ITS SERVICE, GLORIES ALSO IN THE FACT
THAT THE GOVERNMENT BELONGS TO THE
PEOPLE, NOT THE PEOPLE TO THE GOVERN
MENT
It is for this reason that the American Federation of
Government Employees in its annual convention is seeking
to throw up greater safeguards around the Government
service and the Government personnel.
It naturally demands only its own behalf, but
on behalf of the public the extension and the rigorous
application of the merit system the criterion of the
Government standard
There is ample and unquesoned evidence that in re-
cent months the ideal of the merit system has been for
saken by many who in positions which enable them
to exercise great power the Government service
Wherever the doctrine of ito the victor belongs the
spos has been applied in the vast growth and expan
sion of governmental agencies that growth and expan
sion have been faulty, wasteful and needlessy burden
some upon the taxpayer.
Wherever the merit system has been applied in the ex
pandng process the expansion has been effected eco
nomicaly and efficiently.
The beneficiary of sound and healthy governmental
service is the taxpayer.
Yet the taxpayer permits petty politicians to wreck
Government service by introducing totally incompetent
hangerson into Government jobs for which they have not
the slightest qualifications.
The efforts which may be made by the American Fed
Grafton of Government Employees to bring about greater
application of the merit system should receive the eternal
thanks of the American taxpayer for it is on his behalf
that the organization is fighting
The employees in their convention will take up many
problems which are plaguing the Government service
and which making the lives of those engaged in that
service miserable.
THEY WILL, WE HOPE, TAKE STEPS TO
COUNTERPART THE SILLY IMPRESSION WHICH
rs ASs1DUOUSLY CULTIVATED BY SOME SELF
SEEKERS THAT GOVERNMENT JOB IS A
SINECIIRE THAT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES LIVE