The Bismarck tribune., 1937-09-13
BY WILLIS THORNTON
YEA SArvira Staff Cnrresnnn6e,

washington, Sept. l3.-The federal
government today is by far the biggest
single employer Of labor in the coun-
try. The total number Of civil en-
ployes In the executive branch is $780,
600. The monthly payroll is $l28, ,O00.-
900.
That figure excludes the military
and naval services (another 250,O00)
and the temporary employees on CCC,
WPA, and similar projects (another
100000. It includes only the em-
ployes of the business organization"
Of the government, the regular and
emergency bureaus, In and out Of
Washington.
How far the government ought to
go into cuisines" that is, into the
production Of goods and services that
might be produced under private en-
terprise, is one of the basic problems
that divides thought In the capital
today. Every country In the world Is
fumbling with that problem. Even .
completely socialist state like Russia
has made some remarkable changes
Of front in attacking this problem.
The purpose Of this and succeeding
stories is not to try to draw that fine
line between government and private
activities. It is simply to show some
Of the ways In which the government
Is already "in business" to such an
extent as to make the federal govern
ment actually the biggest "big busi-
ness" in the country today.
X 4 X -
Near All. Time High
The rise Of the federal government
rolls to $4,000 is significant. The fig
ure Is rapidly nearing the all-time
high set In November, 1918, when 1t
hit 9l7,760. That was, Of course, due
to the huge staff that was carrying on
the civilian end Of the World War.
Today's figure is peacetime high,
and there Is no sign Of any decrease.
It indicates, not necessarily ineffici-
ency or "gold-brick" Jobs, but pri-
marily an increase In the functions
taken over by the federal government.
We think Of vast privately owned
networks like American Telephone
and Telegraph as "big business" So
they are. Yet A. T. and T. had 1884,
600 employees at last report. The gov
ernment's roll is almost four times Is
great. Such an industrial giant as
General Electric employees 100000; U.
S. Steel, $4,000. The government en-
ployment list Is almost six times as
large as General Motors 10000.
4 =
Becomes Giant Industry
The government payroll is almost
equal to the million employed by all
the railroad systems In the country or
the l,l40.000 In the whole iron and
steel industry. It Is almost equal to
all the employees Of the paper and
printing industries (880, ,000).
Thus the "big business" that is
government is not only far bigger than
any individual company, but Is rapid
ly becoming itself one Of the biggest
among the giant industries. It is no
wonder that there are three unions
now attempting to organize this vast
body Of employees, for the working
conditions Of this near.million men
and women, scattered throughout the
country, have . measurable effect on
the working conditions Of everyone.
And the government payroll climbs
for the same reasons that private pay
rolls climb: expanding activities.
shorter hours, higher pay rates. The
introduction of the 40-hour week In
the government service made 1t neces-
sary to hire many more employees,
neyHonia11v u, es,nh . a0AnnaAs a fha ,anst
office.
i Il Il
win BE Million Soon
OF course, as business In general ex-
pands, there Is need for more mall
carriers, more income tax collectors,
more government printed matter.
more Of everything. Which means
more employees working for Uncle
Sam. and more added to that monthly
payroll.
Everyone conversant with govern
ment matters expects that the day of
the permanent government establish-
ment of q million employees, drawing
down q monthly payroll Of $3.50, ,000,-
600. is not far away.
So when you think Of the relation.
ship between government and busi-
ness, 1t Is well to remember that the
government is already In business, and
In 1t 50 deeply that it Is itself the
biggest business enterprise In tho
country, with the most employees and
the biggest payroll.
NEXT: The biggest communi-
cations business In the country,
the U. s. postoffice, . government
guaranteed monopoly ON the bus
iness Of carrying letters and mail.
u BARBS !
An art critic driven to drink by sur.
realism Is now IN ice-box cubist him