7
The Public Service and the
Future of Oregon
BY I. A. DE FRANCE
The Oregon public service during
the last three 'years has experienced
great difficulty in maintaining its per
sonnel at minimum operationz level.
Hundreds of these employees are now
on leave of absence serving with the
Armed Forces. Thè attraction pf higher
wages elsewherfe has operated further
to decrease, the public personnel. The
supply of key and. essential men is di
minishing. Many of- thesë men have
been trained arid rendered skillful in
their-work through years of painstaking
effort. Their Iskills cannot be replaced
except at considerable expense for re
training. we have already lost meri
who will be most difficult to replace,
and in the great volume of post-war
work which we face, it appears that it
is going to be next to impossible to in
duce these men to return or to recruit
others pf adequate skill and training
unless we can of fer themI greater in
ducement in the way of social security.
men who have loyally worked year
after year for the public and who
have grown old and incapacitated in
service, having worked at a relatively
low wage sufficient to provide a mod
est living, but not sufficient to permit
the accumulation of any reserve for
the ''rainy, day” or the day when
their ability to work is gone. They
resolve that they want something bet
ter and, accordingly, are easily influ
enced to accept any offer of higher
wages, especially if such offer holds
odt, in addition, the promise of • a pen
sion plan for their retiring years.
The State Board qf J Higher Educa
tion, which employs a large staff of
professional and trained men, is. faced
with the. same' situation. Im one of
their recent bulletins they placed great
emphasis upon the fact that they are
unable to recruit and toehold qualified
professional men without sonie further
inducement, in;' the form of , social se-,
In thé past, public service employées, curity or a retirement pension plan.
generally speaking, have been inclined The Oregon State System of Higher'
to accept public service .as desirable Education Leaflet, Series No. 268, dat
career work, recognizing that although ed November 15, 1943, concludes as
wages were not high there was a com follows: "The Board should be permit
pensating- continuity of employment. ted to establish a plan of retirement
All industries and all activities through annunities, which plan worild make it
out the country have felt the sanie compulsory for staff members to con
pinch and shortage of manpower, and tribute half of the cost of the annui
in the extreme competition for those ties. This means that the legislative as
trained men not called for military sembly need only to pass permissive
, and the Board of
duty, public employees have been offer legislation h |
ed most attractive positions—not only Higher Education could then proceed
more attractive in the immediate pres to help its personnel to help them-
ent, but more attractive in the future. selve’s.” I
Private industry has offered immedi
The cities of the state are faced with
ately higher wages and greater oppor- the same problems and the League of
turiity for advancement, greater re-' Oregon Cities at their conference held
wards for success and, in addition, Some May 26, 1944s in Portland, adopted the
form of social security of retirement or ■following resolution: "BE IT RESOLV
pension plan. Public .service workers ED that the State legislature be urged
look about them and observe those
-.(Continued on page 29)