Show I GOVERNMENT lh r AS EMPLOYER New York Tribune Scientific associations as as- delight no doubt to be treated to subtle Illuminations of paradox paradox- but hut we think the limit was as reached when Mr II I. I T. T Newcomb ho ho n admitted he lived In Washington tried to convince the American Association Aso- Aso Asso Asso- clatIon eaton for tho the Advancement of Science the other day that the fed fed- cral eral government Is not tho the best cm- cm of labor and not nol even a n. fair fai r 1 employer Fortunately Mr Newcomb New- New c comb cumb travelled as lS far ar from home ns as a L i. Ithaca N. N Y his para paradox ox rf for on the banks of the Potomac we wo f ar his audience would havo have felt fel impelled to call cl in a policeman and Ind Indi to Institute a process do de In i L It I I Is this scientists scientist's con con- I j lc tenton probably that thal government r do not really realy know how oppressed op- op pressed sc and they thC are arc and und are no itt fit ft ju Judges of their own miserable condition That is s the ext cx- cx t he would offer ofer perhaps of Thomas Jeffersons Jefferson's heartfelt complaint com com- plaint a hundred years cars or more ago ugo 0 f i f t that few die lie and none resign But TInt the self delusion o of the officeholder I Ihas has been as rampant all al through i American as it J was In Jefferson's Jeffersons Jef Jet ferson's da day for a n stu study y of politics will wi reveal the tho fact that tho the average American patriot has hns never neer fought bled an and died lcd more moro heroically titan than th n when resisting tho the efforts of or Jealous 11 to separate him him from rota rom oce office But nut even cven throwing out as Incompetent the testimony of or tho the officeholders officeholders office office- holders themselves wo can en hardly admit that Mr r. r Newcomb substantiates his case ese If I the government Jo Is a bad employer er It must be on the tho theory that It I indulges Its Is too much much It I docs loes not practise the Spartan Spartan Spar Spar- tan severity Inculcated b by the late president of oC the Mutual Life Insurance Company who didn't approve of giving ing lag annual dividends be because because because be- be cause thc they might squander them on ci cigars cigars cigars ci- ci gars an and billiards s. s It I encourages lassitude las las- and luxurious habits because It I enforces short hours and long vacations vacations vaca vaca- lons and allows extra liberal Iberl pay Possibly Possibly Pos Pos- sibl sibly If it the government were to lengthen the workday of the tho department depart depart- meat ment clerk cleric In Washington from seven and a half hal to ten hours abolish his luis thirty days days' sick leave and cut cuI his vacation with wih pay from Crom one month to lo fourteen or perhaps seven days das putting him on an equality with wih the average worker of the same grade outside the departments our pe pessimistic pessi sl- sl Ithaca critic might agree that Uncle Sam Sm ha had redeemed his character char char- acter as an employer of oC labor As a fl matter of or tact fact no other labor laboris is so SQ well wel remunerated and so well wel treated as government labor labO Tho The average av av- as' as of wages Is high tenure Is secure a and n I su peran n ua t I o n Is t tolerated o I era ted Clerks arc are employed In the departments depart depart- ments in Washington who as testimony testimony test test- mony before tho the House Committee on un Appropriations has shown havo have to be taken to their posts dali dally daly in car car- cat cat- If J the thc government pays a s 's mo moderate moderato mod mod- erato erate and In some saro cases Inadequate salaries to higher officials It Il certainly balances the score b by liberally re rewarding rewarding re- re warding arling workers In the lower grades In Iii this It sets au an example which might m ht be followed to advantage e In other othor fields felds of or employment where the compensations com com- at the top arc are extravagant an and ind th the tho average of wages Is too near the he limit of bare hare existence existence- The federal fed fed- oral eral authorities may not feel moved to o bring a suit for defamation against Mr lr hut but the Association for forthe forthe the he Advancement of or Science might be justified In voting him a license as a radical practical Joker |