| OCR Text |
Show HOLDS OUT LITTLE. dOVfillNMENT SEnVICE NOT CALLINO TO BE DESinEU. Bnlniies Small and Promotion Slow-Work Slow-Work Unfltu Men for Business Life in the World. "In a debate nt tho capital concerning concern-ing tho employes of tho civil brnnch of (he government strebs was laid upon tho eagerness with which theso positions nro sought by tho public at largo; that they wero positions entailing en-tailing no work, and thoy wero upon tho whole lefened to In uncomplimentary uncompli-mentary terms," remarked n veteran einployo of tho treasury department. "It Is to bo regretted thnt theso Btrlctures upon our civil employes cannot bo replied to nt length nud In detnll, but permitting a general denial to sufllco, allow mo to call attention to this act: It was thought to bo re-imirknlilc re-imirknlilc becauso there are so many applicants for government positions. Men who have a knowledge of tho employment of other men know that theso applications nro about In proportion pro-portion to tho number of vacancies to bo lilted, and that this same rule holds true us lo lnllroiuls and tbo employes In other callings. Thus, It Is an acknowledged fact that where ono railroad man Is killed or discharged dis-charged there aro CO leady to step Into bis shoes. An advertisement for help In rertnln trades and businesses will bring hundreds of i espouses. "And us to tho desirability of government gov-ernment clerical work ns n llfo occupation occu-pation let me sny that although men seek theso positions, It Is a calling which should bo tho very last for any young man to enter who has ambitions ambi-tions higher than a graded salary. To those who feel that a comfortable living liv-ing will nnswer their llfo demands It Is a good occupation to go Into In tho lower grades nnd to work up to tho higher on duo course of promotion. In most occupations tho financial limit of human attainments Is not circumscribed, cir-cumscribed, above tho purely clerical level, but In tho government civil service ser-vice about $1,200 a year Is tho aver-ago aver-ago limit to tho yearly Income, perhaps per-haps it Is even less (ban this, and I would not bo surprised thnt It Is. Tho positions paying $1,800 can nlmoBt be counted on tho two hands In most of tho departments. There is n llttlo moro liberality In the $1,000 grade, a Bhnilo mote in the $1,100 grade, but the great bulk, the thousands and tltoumnilH of cleiks and employes nro In tho $900 and $1,000 grades, or lower. "As compared with farm-hand labor this Is llbeial pay, but In many of tho trades and manual callings It Is not In ordinary rotuso of promotion to tho average clerk It takes many years to get up to tho $1,200 grado, where ho lingcis for many years more, and often stops there for good, ns tho small number of places In tho threo noxt succeeding grades of necessity limits their filling. When tho nvor-ngo nvor-ngo cleik leaches tho $1,-100 grndo tho peroontngu of a promotion to tho two very limited upper grades Is In proportion to their number very Binall In pi open Hon to the great high bank of tho thousands of lower grades behind them "Tho whole character of tho government gov-ernment work has changed within recont years. It Is now very exacting exact-ing and confining with a gient deal to do; tho dny of tho government-'snap' government-'snap' paused sovernl years ngo. There is now n constant strain nnd pressure, under which tho work Is put out. Tlio rules nro very rigid, and eory day tue becoming moro so. Some ofllclnls Ho nwoko nights planning ways to cut down tho cubic breathing spneo of their forces. Kvory year spent In government servlco makes a man tho moro unfitted to go out Into othor pursuits, for tho reason thnt the knowledge, and It Is knowledge know-ledge thnt ho acquires whllo in ofllcp. Is ns a rulo worthless in othor callings. call-ings. I repeat thnt It Is not an occupation occu-pation with possibilities beyond more-ly more-ly fair or good wngeB depending upon whether ono Is In tho upper or lower guides." |
