5
"givin g in” to organized workers may concerning the operations o f existing
be expressive o f a state o f mind in pay policies.
The payment o f salaries which com
which the real trouble is resentment
pares reasonably well with those com
against employee organizations. When
mon in non-governmental employment
the "heat” is on us in our official posi raises some interesting questions. One
tion, it is easy to forget that democracy of them is, "A re all public employees
in action consists o f numerous pres in a particular jurisdiction treated im
sures and pressure groups. It is this partially with respect to compensa
pressure group o f organized workers tion?” The answer to this is the nega
which is achieving more than any other tive since the most frequent practice
single element in our economic life to is to give many "breaks” to the lower
day in remedying the "helplessness” of income groups, while the rule at the
many workers. All o f us decry abuses higher salary levels seems to be a pro
o f power on the part of some labor gressive increase in the penalties for
groups just a§ we deplore abuses of working for the government.
power by any other organized group of
H e questions "whether or not per
citizens. The democratic method itself sonnel workers have been preoccupied
may be relied upon for the correction with compensation schedules which in
of such tendencies.
crease in neat little steps or which look
Mr. Richey further states "T h at leg nice when plotted on semi-logarithmic
islative bodies are confronted only on charts. It would seem far more logical
relatively rare occasions with data com for a particular governmental unit to
paring salaries in their governmental pay employees as fairly as possible in
units with those paid by other organ comparison with outside standards, do
izations in the area may well be one ing so up to the maximum salary pay
o f the reasons why securing action on able under local conditions.
pay schedule changes is frequently d if
If such treatment is impossible at
ficult even though it appears from the present time, it would appear as
such data that revisions are clearly in though the periodic publication o f com
order. One can appreciate even an atti parative salary facts would enable pro
tude of indifference on the part of gress in this direction and might ultim
legislators when a problem which may ately lead legislative groups and the
have been years in the making is sud public to accept removal of artificial
denly dumped in their laps for prac salary limitations.”
tically an overnight solution.”
In discussing salaries at these higher
Would it not be far more convinc levels, the thought is not in terms of
ing if comparative data accumulated "Poor fellow. H e has to scrape along
over a period of time showed a partic on a measly $5000 a year.” Rather,
ular trend in the treatment o f certain consideration is being given to the ob
groups o f employees? Shouldn’t we servation that " N o greater steps for
know the actual extent of generosity real governmental economy could be
and parsimony in pay matters? The taken than to increase salaries in the
ready availability o f such facts would higher administrative and professional
enable the law-makers to deal more in grades.” Unless adequate salaries are
telligently with groups on wage and paid to employees at the higher grades,
salary matters. Finally, comparative we cannot expect to retain in the pub
data of this nature probably would lic service the kind o f supervision and
not have to be handed to newspapers leadership capable o f "administration
(Continued on Page 21)
in order to obtain further publicity