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Show SYSTEM IS ALL WRONG The great difficulty that stands in tlie way of discussing Uncle Sam as an employer Is that there la cm sn-eh person. The meu who sraud ln the relation of employer to their subordinates subordi-nates are nothing but employees ttma-selves, ttma-selves, and temporary ones at that, with a very fleering tenure of- offfce. Gabinet officers and members of congress, con-gress, to whom tlie rank and file of employees look far guidance for a solution of their problems, are simply fleeting figures that come and go, vfttfi their own Interests t serve. Tboj testify freely enough as t conditions of government employment. Seoatar Carter Glass, roceucty secretary f the treasury, for example: "The largely uaoiriplled boalaess of the government cannot be conduoted with elliciency and economy uUsas there be attracted to and retained tu the puidic service a group of highly trained, well-paid and permanent oSH-' oSH-' clals of supervisory grades. Uncwr-tiinty Uncwr-tiinty of tenure in some Uistancoa aad Inadequacy of compensation bave dosed the public service to many raea of tlie txwt type or forced chem out of goven'mneut enjploy at the moment of bhelr greatest usefulness. "Tlw? war has increased Che public debt more tha.'i twenty-flvs fold and has augmented the functions and activities ac-tivities of the government ln many ways. The duties are greater and the responsibilities are larger than those of other days, to tlie standards of whhjh It Is not to be expected that the governmrtfit will ever return. The conditions are such that failure to take the neewwary action to Invite and ho4d in the public service men of exceptional ex-ceptional ability and of ral distinction distinc-tion in their fields can result only in grave burdens to the taxpayers of the country and ln poHtdble disaster. "Already the transaction of the business of the government lfl hampered ham-pered by deficiencies of personnel dne to the return to private life of many men of large capacity who during the period of active warfare were willing and glad to serve their country at great personal sacrifice. I have come to learn that there are heroes In the civil establishments ns well as In the military services, self-sacrificing patriots pa-triots who toll year In and year out for a bare pittance when they cnnld corn-Wand corn-Wand salaries double or treble the amounts they receive from the government, govern-ment, hut who, for the love of their country and for the love of their -vo- k l-.nve rejected alluring offers ln the field of private enterprise. They were ton fine and too patriotic to leave their posts. "Uuder tlie oompelllng force of patriotism pa-triotism they isuide willing sncrilices during tlie war, bat with the return oi peace the government cundiot expect to retain Umwo employees Indefinitely because In justioe to themselves and their families thoy will Booner or latei accept the larger opportunities that are pen to thorn la the world of business and Industry unless the government proposes to pay them salaries that at least roasoaably appruaeii the value of their services. "Only prompt actios by the oongress to uulld up a porauittont and dtgnliied civil service whlelk will Include men of grout ability and high attainments cua preveat mistakes and failures in the trunaucrien f the puttie business, tho cousoquoacoH of which may Ixi calumitxHis.' Ex-Itopresientative Good, who was chairman of the appropriations com-mlttoe com-mlttoe f the liouwe, ts ecfoally frank : Today dottlteatioB ln tlie govern-tuent govern-tuent sed-vtco abuads on every band. For example, eight different depart-maota depart-maota ef the government, with lurgfi overhead orgaolaationa, ara engaged In engineering work, lu navigation, ir ligation and drainage ; eleven different bureaus are engaged in engineering research ; twelva different organizations organiza-tions are eneugtKi in road con structlou, while twelve, with large overhead organisations, nre engagt?d ln hydraulic construction and sixteen are engaged in surveying and mapping. map-ping. Sixteen different bureaus exercise exer-cise Jurisdiction over wnter-power de-ve'opment. de-ve'opment. Nine diffei-ent orgnnb.a-tkms orgnnb.a-tkms are collecting Information on the consumption of coal. Forty-two different differ-ent organizations, with overhead expenses,, ex-penses,, aro dealing with the question of public health. "The Treasury depn-tr.ent, the War department, the Interior department and the Labor department each has n hurenn dealing with the question ot general edncatlrm. These deixirtments operate Independently ; Instances of cooperation co-operation between them are exceptional. excep-tional. Fach of thse departments is manned at all times with an organization organiza-tion prepared to carry the peak of the load and maintains an expensive ready-to-serve personnel. A lack ol co-operntion in the executive d?part-merits d?part-merits necessarily leads to gToss ex-trovngnnce. ex-trovngnnce. Tho system Is wrong, and congress alene enn change tbo system." |
