OCR Text |
Show 36 COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFLFFAIRS. employees, but it is becoming much easier to fill positions from appli-cants certified by the United States Civil Service Commission than at any time for several years past. The most difficult to obtain in this manner are physicians and trained nurses, particularly the latter. The continuing sborta e of experienced teachers throughout the country also has its e i! ect upon a most important branch of our service, although the necessity for temporary employment is con-siderably reduced: Of the number of employees retired under the act approved May 22, 1920, 24 were eligible fo annuities and five were not enbitled to such henelit because they ha i served less than 15 years at the age of retirement. Of those who reached the age of retirement, 32 were retained on duty under the provisions of section 6 of the law. It mav be added in this connection that. under a decision of the Civil Service Commission, any person employed in an excepted position or aaoointed under a noncomuetitive examination hv obtaining a classi-fiia status through s. reguiar coplpetitive examination maybe given credit for time previously employed in computing the length of serv-ice rendered under the retirement act. This should work to the ad-vantage of many intelligent and pro f ressive Indians who are now filling excepted positions or are emp oyed under a noncompetitive exammation granted because of Indian blood, and should be an in-ducement to them and to others to secure a classified status through the necessary competitive tests. The reclassification of the departmental civil service is receiving cons~deration in Congress that seems to foretell enacted legislation on this subject in the near future. Probably the ma& important object sought is uniform compensation for work of the same kind wherever performed, and if nothing further were accomplished this result would be of great stabilizing value to all activities affected, includine those of the Indian Bureau. and should lead to more in our field personnel, even'if the law were not at once applicable to that body of workers. This bureau has at times felt embarrassment through withdrawals from its service because of more attractive remuneration for aracticallv the same character of work performed in other branches bf the Go"vernm?ot. There are now in the office end field of the Indlan Service iewer employees than for some years pasti and in view of postwar needs for the strictest economy of puhl~c funds, the number will, not be allowed to exceed the ~rnperative demands of all matters arising out of the relations of the Government's wafds. This many-sided and largely human task deals with both indiv?duals and groups anti requires a wide range of knon-ledge and experience. To carry it for-ward we must have not only administrators but teachers, lawyers. physicians, nurses, piechanics, farmers, accountants, and a. corps of I inspectors for specla1 and confidential duties, together with many others for chiefly nonteclinlcal, wofk, whose combined service touches every phase of the pecullar life we are endeavor+& to pre-pare for successful asmilation with the wh$e man's c~vlhzation. These men and women are wjth little exception faithful, capable. loyal, and often self-sacrificing workers, whose average .annual salary of but little over $800 strongly suggests an interest m their work not measured by money alone. |