22
Over the Editor's Desk
DANGER OF SUBSTANDARD PAY
Substandard living impairs the eff i-
ciency of the public service, and sub
standard wages are largely responsible
for the drop in public employment.
Labor shortages are acute in many pub
lic - institutions. In some places police
forces have been reduced to such an
extent that the public safety is endan
gered. In psychopathic hospitals, short
age of personnel has forced management
tO have patients wait on one another.
In. some welfare institutions, married
employees have been warned that if
they have children they will lose their
positions. In some states that situation
in Welfare departments is desperate be
cause salaries are, far below thòse of-,
fered<m war industries and private em
ployment òr in the federal serviced/
Turn-over in public employment has
assumed grave' proportions. For exam
ple, of the 10,500 employees in the
state of Minnesota about a year ago,
5,686 left their employment during One,
year. O f those who left, only 488 Xrent1
into the army. The rest presumably
left to accept higher paying positions
elsewhere; In some hospitals the turn-
over in non-professional labor is as
high as 60 per cent. W ith such a tu rn
over no organization can expect to
maintain normal efficiency. Personnel
turn-over has led not only to a de
terioration in the efficiency of the pub
lic seryice, but it is also costly and
wasteful and thus injurious bo,th quan
titatively and qualitatively. The cost of
"breaking in” a new employee is gen
erally-estimated to be one-fourth of the
first year’s salary. -
PORTLAND PREPARES EXAMS
FOR POSTWAR USE;
The preparation of a library of exam
inations, to be used in the postwar era
Will be the i&a|©r'task of the Portland,
Oregon, Civil Service Board during the
(coming year. The agency estimate^ that
150 examinations will bé given imme
diately following the cessation of the
war.
In preparing the examinatipns, the
agenôy’s technical staff will consult bu
reau heads and supervisors to become
familiar with, actual job duties, and ex
amination items will be designed so that;
the tests will be practical as well às aq-
curate in determining the- competence
of candidates for ally class?
— Civil Service Assembly News-Letter
September, 1944.
Washington Highway Employees
State I of I Washington highway em
ployees will receive a wage indteaSe ef-
féçtiv-ei September 1. Institutional em
ployées were giveh. an increase ; ef feç-»-
f iVe I.A 11 p-us t I -1.
Leighton’s Auto Part
& Machine Works
Wholesale and Retail
Phone 737
La Grande, Ore.