Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1916 — FEDERAL SERVICE IS HO SINECURE [ARTICLE]

FEDERAL SERVICE IS HO SINECURE

GOVERNM'T WORKERS AT WASHINGTON CATALOGUED BY STATISTICIAN TO QUIET ENVY. THE SALARY AVERAGE IS LOW More Women are Employed In District of Columbia Than In Rest of Country. Washington.—ln the United States are multitudes who imagine that the greatest sinecure one can enjoy iu this life is to be an employe in the executive civil service of the United States government in Washington. But 25,351 persons have learned from experience that such is not the case. When these individuals who are not in the service contemplate the government clerk being granted 30 days’ annual leave, and that if the clerk is sick he is allowed, by a merciful power, 30 days more in which to recuperate; when these facts possess them they grow envious and wonder why the fates have not dropped them into one of these many easy berths. And when these dissatisfied ones meditate upon the hours the government employe is supposed to work from 9 o’clock to 4:30 o’clock with one-half hour for lunch—it is too much for them, and they determine that come what may they will take the civil service examination for a position at Washington. They also think of the government employe at Washington who iff supposed to stop his work at 1 o’clock on Saturdays 'during July, August and September. When these position-seekers atWashington pass the examination and finally secure the coveted appointment they soon discover a number of pertinent facts. They find that of the men in the District of Columbia employed by the government, 44.2 per cent are paid at a rate of less than $1,200 a year. In the case of women the percentage of those paid at a rate less than SI2OO a year is 73.1 per cent. The newly appointed, employe sees that 48.6 per cent of the women, fcs contrasted with 16.3 per cent of the men, are in the class paid at a rate of less than $720 a year. In the District of Columbia the lowest average rate is $630, paid to employes under 20 years of age. Those permitted to choose the department or bureau in which they may desire to locate themselves, may be guided by these averages. First comes the department of justice with an average salary of $1588; the war and navy building average is, $695 lowest. The department of state averages $1310; Department of the interior, $1257; Post-Office Department, $1,228 and Bureau of Engraving and Printing $719. Women are more numerous among the employes here than elsewhere. In Washington 7358 are women, or almost 3 in 10, while the employes elsewhere only 6463 are women, or 1 to 25, although the total number of employes in the district is less than onesixth of the total number outside. * Of the employes in the government service at Washington 2785, or 11 per cent are negroes and 1852 persons at least 65 years of age, which means that practically one Government employe in 14 is at least that age. The new arrival will learn that 30.3 per cent of his associates have been employed by the Government less than 5 years; 25.2 per cent from 5 to 9 years; 24 per cent from 10 to 19 years; 12.6 per cent from 20 to 29 years; 5 per cent from 30 to 39 years, and that 2.2 per cent have been serving 40 years and over. By the time our civil service appointee has gained this knowledge he has learned that the work in Washington is not just what he imagined it to be, but if he has a job the chances are he will keep it, but wish he was back home.