Mr. TILLMAN. I believe in decent salaries, and I think they ought to have more. Mr. PARKER. Yes, sir. Mr. RHODES. Are the number of employees who are leaving the Indian Service increasing or decreasing? Mr. PARKER. Who are leaving-increasing. The CHAIRMAN. I do not blame them. Mr. PARKER. And getting much higher salaries. The CHAIRMAN. In your opinion, what is the chief cause of leaving the Indian Service? Mr. PARKER. They can not support themselves and their families on the salaries because they are too low. Many here are staying, and I know it is pretty difficult for them with the pay, but they are interested in the problems, and are staying on and make a sacrifice because their hearts are in the work. The CHAIRMAN. I am asking these questions just to elucidate this matter, and your answers have thrown light on it materially. Mr. PARKER. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Just an observation with regard to the salary question. Congress rarely ever moves in the direction of increasing the cost of government of its own volition. It must have some encouragement on the part of some one, and if the commissioner of the bureau or the Secretary of the Interior does not make an effort, or an effort on the part of the employees themselves to better their own condition is not made in the form of a recommendation to Congress, I do not know how you are ever going to better your condition. Mr. PARKER. You will find my records full of recommendations to the Indian Office, and I do not know where they have gone after that. The CHAIRMAN. Can you give this committee while here a copy of your recommendations?" Mr. PARKER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. I would like to have that embodied in this report. (Copies of letters recommending the abolishment of certain positions and increasing salaries of others were submitted, as follows:) The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. MUSKOGEE, OKLA., June 11, 1918. DEAR MR. COMMISSIONER: There is transmitted herewith proposed pay roll for the fiscal year 1919, together with list of employees, showing changes in positions and salaries as compared with the pay roll for the present fiscal year. At the end of the list 13 vacant positions are shown, with salaries attached thereto, amounting to $13,880, to be abolished and the amount made available thereby to be applied to increase the rate of pay of other positions. I urge an increase of my allotment from "Industrial work and care of timber, A. and S." sufficient to provide for the increases in the salaries of my 12 farmers. The funds with which to carry the proposed pay roll have been considered thoroughly with the representatives of the Efficiency Bureau now at work in this office. They will be ample to cover the small increases recommended and other expenses incident to administration. The 13 positions can be abolished because of the lessening of the work, occasioned by the new accounting system and by the consolidation of other posi tions, as, for instance, gaugers. To meet the extraordinary conditions prevailing in Oklahoma at this time it is absolutely necessary to do everything possible to retain our efficient employees. Since July 1 we have lost 63 employees, most of whom have resigned to accept positions paying from 25 to 100 per cent above that which they were receiving from the Government. It is a very common thing for stenographers and clerks of ordinary ability to receive salaries of $125 and $150 per month, and we can not expect our people to remain with us for $75, $85, and $100 per month when there is opportunity to do better with responsible concerns offering attractive inducement in the way of initial salary and liberal promotions. The situation has reached a critical stage, and other employees occupying responsible positions very likely will resign, several of them already having been offered larger salaries, unless we pay them salaries nearly commensurate with those they can command elsewhere. I attach hereto a letter from Mr. A. J. Hughes, senior accountant of the Efficiency Bureau, in which he estimates an annual saving on account of the new system of $18,360. I desire to invite special attention to his strong recommendations for better salaries, which are based on the analysis of the work to be performed. His idea of establishing the maximum salaries for the positions and of appointing new incumbents at lower entrance rates appeals to me very strongly, and I recommend your thorough consideration of this plan. While the proposed increase in a few individual cases may seem relatively large, still I am not thinking so much of the persons occupying them as I am of providing salaries in the most important positions which will retain efficient employees and enable us to secure capable successors. To my mind this is highly important to the success of our administration. I earnestly believe these recommendations are in the interest of efficiency, economy, and expedition of our work. Unless competent and experienced employees are retained necessarily a larger number of inexperienced persons must be employed, and even such a larger number can not be expected to accomplish as much and approach the standard of efficiency, even though an equal or greater amount of money may be expended, as competent and experienced employees. Believing that the success of our work during the coming year depends very largely upon the salaries authorized, I urgently recommend your approval of the pay roll as submitted. Very sincerely, GABE E. PARKER, Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes. MUSKOGEE, OKLA., May 27, 1919. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEAR MR. COMMISSIONER: I transmit herewith proposed pay roll for the fiscal year 1920. The proposed pay roll provides for the promotion of 22 employees and the increase in salaries of 16. Resignations of many experienced and capable employees during the past two years for higher salaries elsewhere and the impossibility of securing competent persons to take their places have made the conditions in this office almost exasperating. The character and volume of work in this office are such that capable and experienced people must be secured and kept, else inefficient administration is certain to result. A few days ago one of our best men resigned to go with an oil company, and two others, one the chief of the lease division, the other the assistant chief of the field division, are seriously considering resigning to go with another company. From the available material at hand, it is impossible to fill these places with any degree of assurance, and suitable persons can not be gotten from the civil-service list. The average Civil Service eligible is young, inexperienced, and requires from six months to a year to become familiar with this work. To use a slang expression, "We are up against it," and it will be worse unless we pay better salaries or conditoins change. I feel it my duty to advise you thus, frankly, and I think it to the highest interest of the service that the promotions and increases I herein recommend be approved. The proposed pay roll provides for the elimination of four positions of interpreters, numbered on the 1919 pay roll as follows: The establishment of the positions of interpreter originally contemplated the employment of Indians who could do interpreting and also the necessary clerical and stenographic work in the field offices. Except in a very few cases, we have found it impractical to carry out this idea, and in almost every case where we have employed interpreters we also have been compelled to employ stenographers and clerks to take care of the clerical work. It is nearly always possible to utilize the services of an Indian policeman as interpreter or to use some responsible Indian citizen in that capacity. I feel that the service will not be handicapped in any way by the elimination of these four positions. Certain promotions were made in our pay roll approved, effective August 1. 1918, which have had a very beneficial effect and have enabled us to retain the services of employees who otherwise would have resigned to accept more lucrative employment. However, we are still embarrassed on account of an inadequate working force, and we are still losing employees who resign to accept positions at larger salaries. The increased cost of living is responsible for a condition in the Government service which it seems to me impossible to overcome, except in so far as we are able to overcome it by increasing salaries. In considering this pay roll I also have in mind rewarding long and faithful service, which should in all cases be recognized and appreciated. I urgently recommend the approval of the inclosed pay roll. GABE E. PARKER, Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes. MUSKOGEE, OKLA., February 6, 1920. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEAR MR. COMMISSIONER: Supplementing my letter of this date transmitting maps and accompanying papers in the matter of a proposed reorganization of our field districts, reducing the number of field-clerk offices from 19 to 12, as stated in said letter, there is immediate need for increases in the salaries of many of our employees. After considering the matter of promotions fully and the work as the office and field will be affected, I recommend the abolishment of the following position: The above positions are now vacant, except as they are occupied from time to time by temporary employees, and can be dispensed with in connection with the plan of reorganizing the field work. I recommend that the money thus saved be used in increasing the salaries of the employees mentioned below. The total of such increases amounts to $5,300, which, deducted from the $5,340 saved, as set out above, will make a net saving of $40 on our present pay roll. The proposed increases will affect 30 employees, nearly all of whom are employed in the field, without increasing the total of our pay roll. The reduction in field-clerk districts from 19 to 12 will not only increase the work and responsibility of the field employees, but many of them will be compelled to establish their residences in other towns, entailing in many instances heavy expense. I consider the above increases reasonable and necessary for the proper conduct of the work, and respectfully recommend and urge the approval thereof, effective March 1, 1920. Sincerely, yours, GABE E. PARKER, Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes. JUNE 11, 1920. The honorable the COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. DEAR MR. COMMISSIONER: There is transmitted herewith proposed pay roll for the fiscal year 1921, carrying 230 positions, 16 fewer than for the fiscal year 1920. It is recommended that the following 16 positions on the 1920 pay roll, which, with the exception of No. 192, are now being filled with temporaries, be not authorized for 1921, thus reducing the payroll from 246 to 230 positions: The total saving made by the abolishment of these positions is $15,540, and adding $400 on account of a reduction in the salary of one position, No. 191, made vacant by the resignation of Edwin C. Ryan, payable from the probate fund, makes a total of $15,940. The proposed pay roll carries promotions for 155 employees in the aggregate sum of $17,430, thereby increasing the total of our present pay roll in the sum of $1,490. This increase will be met by the increase in filing fees for leases and assignments, and by the increased charge for certified copies of office records. The best interests of the service demand the retention of experienced employees, and only through promotions consistent with long, faithful, and efficient service can we expect to retain a force capable of performing the work of this office. The promotions recommended herein range from $60 to $400 a year, and while separate justification is not given in each individual case, they have all been given careful consideration, and in no case is a promotion recommended disproportionate to the service rendered. In fact, the salaries provided for in the proposed pay roll are much lower than are paid by commercial concerns for similar work. For example, chiefs of divisions under this salary list will receive from $1,620 to $2,250 a year, which, considering the greatly decreased purchasing value of the dollar, are small, indeed, in comparison with those paid by commercial concerns for similar work. Since July 1, 1919, we have had 40 resignations, and in the majority of cases these employees have left the service to accept employment elsewhere at salaries from 25 per cent to 100 per cent higher than they were receiving in the Government service. Many holding minor positions resigned to accept salaries equal to and greater than those paid our chiefs of divisions. Chiefs of divisions are employees who have been in the service from 10 to 20 years and have a knowledge of the work and a grasp of office detail which make their services especially valuable. In most of the divisions so many resignations have oc 1744-20-vOL 3- -4 curred that a vacancy occasioned by the resignation of the chief would be difficult if not impossible to fill satisfactorily. These positions are under civil service. The situation, perhaps, would not be so serious if we were getting material through the civil service to take the places of other employees as they leave, but we are not. During the past year only nine men have been certified, and six of them have already left for other employment. The male employees have decreased 25 per cent since 1917. The entrance salaries are apparently attractive, under present conditions, only to women and girls, who in most cases are incapable of assuming responsibility or of even mastering the details of many of our positions without long, careful, and expensive instruction. We have endeavored to fill vacancies temporarily with men not under civil service, but usually they decline to accept employment at the salaries offered. I am informed that the new postal bill provides for a minimum entrance salary for postal clerks of $1.400 a year. It can be readily seen how this office is handicapped in securing competent clerks in competition with the attractive entrance salary in the Post Office Department. An examination of our pay roll will show that it would be to the advantage of many of our clerks who have been in the service several years to take an examination for clerk in the Post Office Department, at an entrance salary of $1,400, with automatic promotions of $100 a year. Each promotion has been very carefully considered on its merits, including the length of service, experience, special qualifications, and attention to business. The other promotions range from $60 to $180 a year. As above stated, each individual case has been considered on its merits and, I feel, justly deserves the increase. The proposed pay roll shows an average increase of salaries for three years. including the bonus, of approximately 35 per cent. The advance in the cost of the necessaries of life during the same period has been from 50 per cent to 300 per cent. As to the abolishment of the 16 positions, this has also been very carefully considered. The field force was recently reorganized by reducing the number of field clerks, and plans for a reorganization of the office, rearrangement of the work, and closer coordination of divisions are under way. It is believed the work can be kept current with a smaller force when these plans are put into practice. While a certain number of employees are needed to carry on the work, I believe it advisable from every viewpoint to reduce the number to the minimum and use the money for paying salaries that will retain the most competent and experienced. It seems to me not only economy but also the best hope for efficiency. The average salary, not including mine and the probate attorneys' nor the bonus of $240, is $1,140, and including the bonus is only $1,380. I urgently recommend the approval of the inclosed pay roll, believing it to be in the best interest of economy and efficiency in administration of the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes. Sincerely, yours, GABE E. PARKER, Superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes. DAILY RECEIPTS. Remittances are all entered as "Special deposits," then audited and cleared to the funds belonging: Sundry receipts.-Refunds to appropriations, tribal moneys from sale of tribal property, miscellaneous, sale of Government property, lease blanks, filing fees, etc. Individual Indian money.-Class A, all sources except royalties; Class B, advance royalties and bonus; Class C, royalties on production. Certified copies, section 8.-Sale of certified copies, as per act of April 28, 1906. (35 Stats., 137.) All remittances are deposited in banks for collection the day after receipt, then placed with the Treasurer of the United States. Sundry receipts are deposited to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States at the end of the month. Individual Indian money are placed on deposit in banks, bearing interest, when available. |