29
waste per year, against 107,704 tons in
Cincinnati. In Cincinnati the entire
waste disposal personnel was in the clas
sified civil service; in Cleveland the
positions were filled politically.
Costly Turnover
Turnover of employes is expensive.
The merit system reduces turnover
wherever adopted.
Before the adoption of the merit sys
tem in the State of Michigan, the turn
over of employes averaged 25 per cent
annually over a ten-year period. In some
departments it was found to be as high
as 90 per cent in a single year. On in
dustry’s estimate of the cost of turn
over and “breaking in” of a new em
ploye, turnover cost to the State of
Michigan amounted to $937,000 an
nually. After adoption of the merit sys
tem, the average turnover was only 4.5
per cent. The saving on this score alone
to the state and its taxpayers exceeded
$438,000 a year. That is the tax on the
sale of six million packages of cigar
ettes.
P ublic Saving
When the merit system was adopted
in Michigan, the first annual report of
the new civil service department stated
that the system had saved the taxpayers
of the state at least $1,200,000 through
standardization of salaries and elmina-
tion of unnecessary positions. It added
that its work had only just begun.
The Merit System Has a Dollars and
Cents Value to Every American
Today, more than ever before, uni
versal application of the merit system
and its principles is needed for the bus
inesslike administration of national de-
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fense and expanding government ser
vices.
Today, legislators seek more and more
ways to tax American citizens. More
and more billions are poured out for
national defense. More and more money
is appropriated for expanding govern
ment. Business suffers from the high
cost and waste of partisanship.
Americans must decide, and decide
soon, whether they want their govern
m ent run on a merit basis or whether
they will let democracy fail.
Americans will have to unite to get
a true merit system in all branches of
our federal, state and local govern
ments. They must help make known ev
erywhere and to all the fact that when
ever we buy a car, radio, suit of clothes,
package of cigarettes, or go to a movie,
part of each dollar we spend is being
siphoned off into the pockets of poli
tical appointees in public jobs.
The merit system has a proven rec
ord of economy and efficiency that in
creases each year. The patronage sys
tem displays a record . publicly con
demned, scored and indicted hundreds
of times.
Americans must publicize the Bus
iness value of the Merit System!
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