Evening star., 1954-04-25
Reorganization
Boosts Morale,
Asserts
Effect on Districts
Employees Put Above
Actual Cash Suvinqs
By John w. Stepp

District Government reorgan-
ization is a long, slow haul and
after 18 months of effort is still
impossible to measure in actual
dollar savings.
The ganiZer s-chief1y.
Schuyler Lowe, director of gen.
eral administration. and Kenneth
w. Holl, chief of the manage
ment Office of the administration
department-acknowledged this
yesterday.
Possibilities Cited.
Potential savings-in cash
terms-can be pointed out. Mr..
Lowe said.
Due to reorganization. sub
sistence and quarters charges
to District institution employees
have been raised over levels that
have remained the same for
years. The increases should
bring an additional $3OO,000 an
nually to the city treasury.
A new simplified system has
been initiated tor collecting on
tickets of motorists, in and out
of town, who park Illegally. The
system is expected to result in
the collection of $750,000 during
the first Is months OF operation.
In addition, there should be a
saving of so man. years of time
in terms of policemen freed from
the clerical work required by the
previous system.
But above additional revenues
must be considered such ele-
ments as higher employe morale
and increased efficiency among
the Districts 10000 employees,
Mr.. Lowe says.
Pay Adjustments Made.
A general survey of pay grade
classifications brought out some
interesting details.
1t was discovered that a lab
oratory worker who had re-
NAMED at a $4,000 per year
level for years actually had ad-
vanced herself to the qualifica-
tions of junior scientist. She
was jumped five grades to re-
ceive $500 base salary.
In another branch of the Gov
ernment, the reorganizers ran
across an employe who had re-
manned in the same low pay
grade since .1923-the year the
Government job classification
act was passed by Congress. This
individual was promptly hiked
two grades-$400 year alto
gether-after the survey.
Generally, Mr.. Lowe said. five
or 10 years had elapsed between
the last job reclassification and
the advent of the reorganiza-
ton program.
ITO upgrade an employe to
the level where he belongs
means a higher cost to the CITY,"
the administrator said. But
you have raised that employees
morale, made him happier. This
means you have increased the
likelihood that he will give bet
ter service to the taxpayer either
directly or indirectly"
Under reorganization, a pro-
gram for disposing of old mu-
nicipal records is being fol-
! lowed through. While studies
for a disposal program were
launched long before the ad-
vent of reorganization. the
changed form of government
operation is enabling a contin-
uing attack on the problem, ac-
cording to Mr.. Lowe. Previous
ly, committee of department
heads working part time served
as the agency devoted to that
problem.
Mr.. Lowe licked off other ac-
complishments made to date,
although he holds to his re-
peatedly expressed view that
dollar-measurable results won't
be seen for months and even
years in some cases.
ALL materials procurement
activities have been centered in
one Office, allowing uniformity in
the handling of bids and con-
tracts.
| "a program of disposing by
lease or sale of District-oWned
real estate not actually needed
by the city has been inaugurated.
3-Surplus property acquisi-
tions. many cost-free, have been
increased.
A consistent" system of
accounting, tailored" to meet
the accounting problems Of each
department, has been instituted.
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