p lit? Cornell University Library JK 721.N67 Women in the government service, .ABOR u 3 1924 002 646 887 Bl^^i-E.irix ur iHt. WOMEN'S BUREAU, NO. 8 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE By BERTHA M. NIENBURG WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 I' i'lU THE LIBRARY OF THE NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WOMEN'S BUREAU MARY ANDERSON, Director BULLETIN OF THE WOMEN'S BUREAU, NO. 8 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE « By BERTHA M. NIENBURG WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 KOI , '1 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002646887 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. Departjiext or Labor, Women's BtrREAtr, Washington, November 22, 1919. Sik: We submit herewith a report giving the results of an investi- gation of women in Government service. The first section of the report contains a general analysis of positions open to women as compared to those closed to women bj^ examinations. The second section deals with the appointments and entrance salaries of women compared to those of men. This report was undertaken at the request of the organization of the National Federation of Federal Employees and made by Miss Bertha M. Nienburg. The Civil Service Commission cooperated by giving access to their records. Manuscript copies of the report have been submitted to the Civil Service Commission and to the Congressional Joint Commission on Eeclassification of Salaries. Respectfully submitted. , Mary Anderson, Director. Hon. W. B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor. 3 i't ii'i 1721-Ij CONTENTS. Page. Letter of transmittal 3 Introduction 7 Part I. Analysis of positions open to women as compared with tliose closed to women 8 Part II. Appointments and entrance salaries of women compared with those of men 21 5 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. INTRODUCTION. For many years people interested in securing equality of oppor- tunity for women workers have felt that this equality did not exist in the Government service, the place above all others where every citizen of the country should be assured of opportunity similar to that of his or her fellow workers. Because of the tremendous influx of women into new occupations during the war, and the consequent general recognition of their abilities along many different lines, it was felt that the time was ripe for discovering to what extent the new attitude toward women workers had penetrated the various branches of the Government service. With this object in view the Women's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor arranged to make a study of positions in the Government service open by ex- amination to women as compared with those closed to women. The study was begun in September, 1919. Part I was completed on Oc- tober ,16, and on October 27 was submitted to the Civil Service Com- mission. The chief emphasis of Part I was on the fact that women were excluded from 60 per cent of the examinations held from January 1, 1919, to June 30, 1919, On November 5, 10 days after receiving the report, the Civil Service Commission passed a ruling opening all examinations to both women and men, leaving it to the discretion of the appointing officers to specify the sex desired when requesting certification of eligibles. On November 19 a bill was introduced in the United States Senate by Senator McLean, of Connecticut, amending the statute which dates back to 1870 and provides that at the discretion of the head of any department women may be appointed to any clerkship in the Government service. The amendment provides that in requesting a register of eligibles for appointment the nominating and appoint- ing officials shall not specifj'' sex unless sex is a physical barrier to the proper performance of the duties to be fulfilled. Thus one of the ends desired has already been almost completely accomplished. Once the facts were assembled the rapidity with which the remedy was supplied gives rise to a hope that Part II of the report showing an equally serious discrimination in the matter of appointments and entrance salaries may have as satisfactory a result. 7 8 WOMEN IN THE GOVEBNMBNT SEKVICB, The entire report was submitted both to the Civil Service Com- mission and to the Congressional Joint Commission on Reclassifica- tion of Salaries. A subcommittee of the latter on the employment conditions of women in the civil service has incorporated the mate- rial in its report to the Committee on Employment Policies, which has been adopted and passed on to the commission. PART I— GENERAL ANALYSIS OF POSITIONS OPEN TO WOMEN AS COMPARED WITH THOSE CLOSED TO WOMEN BY EXAMINATION.^ . The largest single employer of men and women in this country is the United States Government. Prior to our declaration of war it gave employment in civil positions to over 530,000 persons. After our entry into the world war, its ranks of civil employees swelled rapidly until they numbered almost a million men and women. A hundred thousand were working in the navy yards and at naval sta- tions, 40,000 were in the Government ordnance plants, more than 100,000 were employed in the Government offices' in the District of Columbia, and the others were scattered throughout the United States and its insular possessions.^ Since the signing of the armi- stice the workers in the navy yards and ordnance factories have been greatly decreased, the present number in the latter approximating the prewar status. The forces of people in the District of Columbia have decreased to some extent, but are still two and one-half times as great " as the numbers employed in 1916. This is partly due to the need of workers at after-war tasks in several of the offices of the War and Navy Departnients, in the Bureau of War Eisk Insurance; to the need of others to collect the revenue with which to pay our war debts ; to the need of still others to plan for and make the 1920 census. Un- doubtedly decreases in force will continue to be made for some months to come, but the growth of the Government business in the past few years has been such as to make it a larger employer of persons in the postwar period than it had ever been in the prewar period. > This section of the report was completed on Octoher 16 and submitted to the Civil Service Commission on October 27. On November 4 the Civil Service Commission passed the following ruling : " Clause 6, Minutes of November 5, mm. — The following will be inserted in all an- nouncements of examinations : Both men and women, if qualified, may enter this examina- tion, but appointing officers have the legal right to specify tHe sex desired in requesting certification of eliglbles. Wherever the appointing officer indicates, however, that only men or only women, or only men and military preference women, or only women and military preference men, will be appointed, then a statement to that effect shall he added to the above in the announcement. This minute does not apply to a case where there is an ample register of one sex, but eliglbles are needed of the other sex ; in which case an examination may be confined to applicants of the sex for which eliglbles are needed, the announcement to contain tJie statement that there Is an ample register of) the sex not admitted.' " 2 " The Civil Service in Post-War Readjustments," by Herbert E. Morgan, U. S. Civil Service Commission. WOMESr IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. V Not only does our Government lead as the country's largest em- ployer, but the range of its activities far exceeds that of other public or private employers. For, beside its large tasks of law-making and law-enforcing, of national defense and managing national finance, it is charged with promoting the health and welfare of its people, of promoting their home interests, their agricultural, mining, manufac- turing, shipping, fishing, and transportation interests. To do this it must investigate, control, and eradicate diseases that attack per- sons, plant^, and animals; it must inspect live stock, foods,, and drugs; it must study conditions and progress in education, labor, and commerce and advise the people concerning the best methods of reaching desired results; it must prevent individual men or groups of men from using unfair business methods, whether in banking, in transportation, in trade or manufacture ; and it must do many other things that no individual or group of individuals can do for itself. The Government also looks after its public lands ; it administers the aifairs of the Indian tribes and educates the Alaskan children. It grants patents of invention,^ furnishes the country standard time, forecasts the weather and makes observations of heavenly bodies. It constructs all buildings, docks, roads, bridges, irrigation works, and other public works whiclPare for national use. . It builds ships and aeroplanes, makes ordnance and ammunition, makes clothing and other supplies for the sailor and soldier. It makes all money and does all its own printing. It distributes all mail and many pack- ages. At present it operates all large railroads. These and many other activities require the services of people with Varied knowledge, experience, and ability. It is the duty of the United States Civil Service Commission to secure the proper person for each piece of work — to act as the country's employment agent for practically all positions except those of unskilled laborer in some cities and those filled by presidential appointment.^ -What part has the woman worker taken in this vast field of activ- ity ? What part will she take in the future ? In 1870 (13 years before Congress enacted a law creating the Civil Service Commission) the following statute was written: Sec. 165. Women may, in the discretion of the head of any department, be appointed to any of the derljships therein authorized by law, upon the same requisites and conditions, and with the same compensation, as are prescribed for men. (Rev. Stat., act of July 12, 1870.) This statute is still operative. From it has sprung the custom of opening examinations to both sexes or closing them to either sex at 1 The District of Columbia, the Library of Congress, the legislative and judicial branches, tbe Consular and Diplomatic Service, the Federal Eeserve Board, the Federal Farm Loan Board, the United States Railroad AdmlnlstraUon are not covered under the civil-service law. 151046°— 20 2 10 ' WOMEN ITS THE GOVEEKMENT SEEVICE. the discretion of the head of any department, regardless of the fact that neither rule nor law covers the examination itself. Wlien a va- cancy occurs for which no employees in the department ap^Dear to be available and for which the Civil Service Commission has no reg- ister of eligible persons, the head of the department, or — in actual practice — the chief of the bureau in which the vacancy occurs, in- forms the Civil Service Commission of his needs, indicating whether a man or woman i|S desired for the position or .whether no discrim- ination will be made. The decision in this matter is based upon the needs of the particular ^uteau. But the register of persorfs who pass the examination is used to fill positions not only for the bureau mak- ing the special call but to fill similar positions throughout the Gov- ei-nmerit service. For example — when this bureau required women investigators of conditions surrounding women workers, it made the usual call upon the civil service for a register of women. Although women were required for this special work, in making the request it was not understood that such a requirement would automatically bar men from filling similar positions in other bureaus. This was, how- ever, the result when the announcement "i'estricted the examination to women.^ Barring women or men from any examination bars them not only from the special occupation for which the examination is given but from all kindred occupations. All other bureaus which may require services of the same or like quality as those specified in the examina- tion are confined to a register made up exclusively of one^ sex when the opposite sex might be as acceptable or preferable; or they must ask for a special examination in which no sex line is drawn ; or they must seek the woman or man desired among those already in the Government services. The bureau asking for the examination in the first instance may, without question, require the services of men only or women only, but by closing the examination to either sex, all other bureaus are restricted in the choice of service or forced to call for special examination entailing an additional expenditure of time and money. From January 1, 1919, to June 30, 1919, the Civil Service Commis- sion held examinations to obtain eligibles for vacancies in 260 differ- ent types of positions, exclusive of manufacturing and mechanical positions in the ordnance factories, quartermaster depots, and navy yards, and exclusive of unskilled laboring positions.^ 'Women were excluded from examinations for 60 per cent of these occupations, the _! Although the head of the Women's Bureau, upon realizing this situation, later re- quested that the examination be open to men and the Civil Service Commission would have been glad to comply with the request, the announcements were out and tha re- striction had to stand. 2 The number of examinations held always outnumbers the different kinds of positions for which examinations are given, because it is ' of ten necessary (o repeat tests at intervals in order to secure the necessary number of qualified people. WOMEN IK THE goveein'mjejStt see\t;oe. 11 tests for 155 of the occupations being open to men only. As will bd seen in the following table, in the scientific and professional jposi- tions women were excluded from examination for over pi ]3er cent of the positions. In the mechanical and manufacturing services 87 per cent of the occupations were closed to women. Tests for clerical services of all kinds, however, except seven, were open to women. • Table I. — The number of occupations iti the several services for u-Mch entrcni ciril-sei-rice exuMiiiations irerc held from Jan. 1 to July 1, 1919, and t iiumher of such occupational e,ramiuations opcti to hoth men and uomcn, to ivomen only, and to men only. ce Ike Service. Bioloffical-science service Physical-science service Medical-science service ■ Engineering service ■ Economic and. sociological service Miscellaneous professional service (editorial work teaching, and nursing) '. '. Managerial and other expert offlce service Clerical service Mechanical and manufacturing service Bomestic, reformatory, and rural service - — Total number Per cent Total number occupa- tions for which civil- service exami- nations were held. 100 Number occupational exami- nations open to— Men and women. 98 Women only. IS 2 3 1 5 2 37 6 1 1 Men only. 69.6 Per cent occupa- tional exami- nations closed to women. 61.5 64.5 75.0 67.5 100.0 30.0 2.5.0 15.9 87.0 83.3 With more than 800,000 women in scientific or professional pur- suits outside the Government service, with more" than 2,000,000 women working in private manufacturing and mechanical establish- ments, with over 600,000 in clerical occupations in private employ, the question naturally arises as to what the character of the Govern- ment work is in which women are not allowed to participate. Throughout the scientfic and professional services of the Govern- ment, there is a similarity in the character of much of the work that is done. The subject matters treated and the technical knowledge required to do the work vary widely, but the methods of applying this knowledge and the results to be achieved have many qualities in common. Whether the field is human life, plant or animal life, or physics, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, astronomy, or mechanics, further knowledge concerning the fundamental principles operative in each field is obtained by testing, observing, and analyzing, some- times in the laboratory, sometimes in the locality where a given con- dition exists. Each search for Imowledge requires experts, scientific assistants, and many helpers. Existing conditions in all fields of 12 WOMEN IN THE GOVEltNMENT SERVICE'. endeavor are reported upon by our Government iagents'who go forth from«tli6 department particularly interested to collect the essential information direct from original sources. The results of the experi- mentations and investigations are made known to the public through pamphlets, printed reports, and lectures or by demonstration agents who convey the facts to the groups of people to whom the informa- tion has practical value. , During the first six months of 1919 examinations were held for 33 occupations involving field and laboratory experimentation, as is shown in the table on page 13. Women were permitted to take 'examinations to conduct or assist in the conduct of experiments in food preparation and in materials requisite to the home, in ferti- lizers and soils, in horticulture, plant diseases, cereal diseases, in- jurious and beneficial plant worms, fiber production, paper fibers, and for the conduct of experiments on materials and devices suit- able for naval uses. But they were not permitted to take tests for the conduct of investigations relating to animal parasites, to the mechanical properties of wood, to drug and oil plant cultivating, to tobacco breeding, to the introduction of new plants, to the rela- tion of climates to agriculture, to aeronautics, to oil and gas field conditions, to colors and dyes, or to study the physiology of gas poisoning. If the Government calls for a woman to undertake experimental projects in horticulture, " especially potato growing," why, if any woman can qualify, should she be excluded from working with the. tobacco plant? If she can be asked to assist in experiments con- Vlucted to determine whether phormium can be cultivated success- fully for fiber production in the United States, why can she not aid in improving drug and oil plants by breeding and selection, or test foreign seeds and introduce new plants to our agriculturists? Women are permitted to study human diseases and plant dis- eases, but the Bureau of Animal Industry excludes them from its 1919 examination for investigating animal parasites and perform- ing administrative work in that connection. The Xavy Department was willing to use either man's or woman's knowledge to secure materials and devices most suitable for naval uses, but the Forest Service wanted only men to determine the physical and mechanical properties of wood, and women therefore were excluded from the examination. Women are acting as assistant weather observers for the Weather Bureau and assistant horticulturists for the Department of Agricul- ture, but they are not permitted to take tests in climatology in its relation to agriculture. They are testing foods and drugs to deter- mine their nutritive and medicinal qualities; but they are barred- f rom examination in the testing of dyes. ' WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. 13 The Hai-vard Medical School has recognized the value of one woman doctor's studies In industrial poisoning by appointing her assistant professor of industrial medicine.' But our Government delegates to men only the study of the effects of gas poisoning. Table II. — The character of work to he performed in the occupations for which oli'il sen-ice erainination.s were held from Jan, 1 to July 1, 1919, and the number of examinations for such toorlc open to l>oth men and women, to women only, and to men only. Character olwork to he perlormed. Total number oooupa- tional exaniT inations held. Number occupational exam- inations open to — UCen and women. Women only. Men only. Field and laboratory experimentation: Biological science service Physical science service Medical science service Engineering service Total. Field investigation tor information purposes: Biological science service Physical science service Medical science service Engineering service Ecoaomio and sociological science service.. Total. Practical advice and assistance rendered interested public: Biological science service ' Economic and sociological science service Total. Examinations made, materials classified or appraised: Biological science service Physical science service Medical science service Total. Inspection and law enforcement: Biological science service Physical science service ...:.. Medical science service Engineering service Total. Aid in scientific laboratory or museum work: Biological science service Physical science service Medical science service Total. Planning and constructing public works, engineering service . . Drafting and surveying, engineering service ..-..-. - ■ Editorial work and statistical analyzation, miscellaneous pro- fessional services .-■--,- — -. Teaching, miscellaneous professional services Nursing, miscellaneous professional services Admin&trative work, economic and sociological science service Supervisory work: Managerial and other expert office service Mechanical and manufacturing service Total. Acconntlng and tax return verifying, managerial and other ex- pert office service '..- — :-: ••--.•■.•--,•:;.■■" "iV Clerical work requiring special traming and original thought, clerical service 17 19 11 1 1 12 14 14 WOMEN lU THE GOVERKMEKT SEKVICE, Table II. — The character of tvork to he performed, etc. — Continued. Character o! work to be performed. Total number occupa- tional exam- inations held. Number occupational exam- inations open to— Men and women. Women only. Men only. Clerical work of a general nature requiring skill and accuracy, clerical service Subclerical work or simple routine duties about office Care and operation of mecliameal operating plants and systems, mecliamcal and manufacturing service . : Inspection of manufactured articles, toechanical and manufac- turing service Mechanical construction and repair, mechanical and manufac- turing service Printing and photographic work, mechanical and manufactur- ing service Miscellaneous manufacturing work, mechanical and manufac- turing service -• Work on farms, in hatcheries, etc., rural service Household work, domestic service Guard duty, reformatory service - . . Total 5 2 10 7 12 '3 1 1 The foregoing table sliows that women are not excluded to so large an extent from acting as helpers or aids in laboratories or as pre- parators in museums. The bureaus in the Departmeiit of Agricul- ture, the Public Health Service, the Bureau of Standards, the Geo- logical Survey, and the Smithsonian Institution call upon both men and women to take examinations for this type of assistance. How- ever, the National Museum wants only men to classify and catalogue reptiles ; aiding in classifying samples of cotton and corn can only be done by men in the Department of Agriculture. As to the work of collecting information from original sources, out of examinations for 16 different kinds of positions 4 were open to women in the first half of 1919. If qualified, a woman may coUect and compile information concerning shipments, receipts, and prices of food products in producing centers and large markets or may in- vestigate methods and costs of marketing food products; she may collect or aid in collecting statistics on the production, consumption and movement of mineral commodities in world trade; or she may assist in making surveys to determine the prevalence, causation and prevention of human diseases. But the examinations bar her from securing the latter information if the position calls for a graduate of a medical college and carries with it the responsibility of recom- mending preventive and controlling measures. By the same policy, she is kept from collecting information on the acreage conditions -and yields of the tarious crops, or data regarding farm animals, nor may she investigate the volume and movement, the marketing and distribution, the supply and consumptive demand of foreign trade in farm and nonmanufactured food products as long as the 1919 regis- WOMEN lir THE G6vEK]SrMEKT SEEVICE.' 15 ter of eligible men is still good. Investigating uiatters rehiting to the organization and oj-'eration of cooperative food producers' associa- tions is also a closed field for woman's service. The Bureau of Effi- ciencj', by calling for men only in its 1919 examination, excludes women from conducting any of its investigation into the organization and procedure of Government departments. Less unusual is the Bureau of Mine's exclusion of women from investigating <;auses of accidents. No entrance could be gotten through examination in early 1919 to the seven different ]30sitions in which agents were to assist and advise producers, packers, and shippers concerning the best known methods of planting and handling their crops. Yet at 'least one Avoman, who had risen from the ranks, has been serving the public in just such a ca-pacity for many years. Women have acted and are acting as aids in restoring our handi- capped and disabled sailors and soldiers to a normal frame of mind ; they have taught and are teaching boys how to do mechanical tasks with their dismembered hands an^I arms ; they have and are employ- ing men as well as womeii for private and public employment offices. The Federal Board for .Vocational Education, however, has believed that men are best able to learn of the desires and latent capabilities of our boys; that men only can advise and assist them in securing suitable training and employment ; that men only have a knowledge of trades and systems of vocational education. All the examina- ' tions for such important service, therefore, are open to men only. It has been customary and continues to be customary to appoint men to classify our public lands according to their value as farming, stock raising and grazing land and to appoint men to determine the mineral resources of Jliese lands. The public forest timber is esti- mated and specifications for its sale are made by men. Examina- tions for persons to classify cotton and prepare and inspect official cotton standards were open to men only. Men Avere called upon to evaluate the property of common carriers, although either men or women could take examinations for positions to estimate the quantity and value of mineral, oil. or timber properties for the Income Tax' Division of the Internal Kevenue Bureau — work requiring the same grade of experience and training. All but two of the examinations given in the first six months of 1919 for inspection and law enforcement positions were closed to women. The food and drug inspection station at San Francisco per- mitted women to take the test for examining official samj)les of food and drugs, but iii 1919 the Bureau of Chemistry at Wasliington ex- cluded women from the tests for inspecting proprietary medicines or feods and drugs in general. Meat and live-stock inspection, dis- 16 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. infection of foreign seeds and plants^ inspection of wood warehouses,' and enforcement of our horticultural and game laws can only be done by men while the present register of eligibles holds good. Women may, if qualified, examine requests for patents in our Patent Office along with men, but they may not search or examine patents for the Purchase, Storage and Traffic Division of the War Depart- ment if they must take an entrance examination for the position. To the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Departnient it has occurred that there are some women trained in civil, mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering. The number is few as compared with the number of men who qualify for such positions, but the number is* growing. Eight different engineering examinations were closed to women from January to Jttly, 1919. The ^avy Department has recognized the value of women as draftsmen for all its examinations, whether for general engineering work or for specific lines of aeronautical, ordnance, ship, electrical, radio, or buildings drafting, may be taken by either men or women. Other divisions, as the engineers department and patent section of the War Department, the National Advisory Committee for Aero- nautics, and the Bureau of Public Eoads did not admit women to draftsman examinations. Some of the positions listed above from which women were ex- cluded in the examinations given in the first six months of this year are undoubtedly such that their duties can be performed more ,satis- factorily by men than by women; for other p'ositions there may be no women with sufficient experience to qualify. But a careful study of the exclusions indicates very clearly that the majority of scientific and professional positions which women were not permitted to enter in some departments are very similar in chai^cter to work women are doing' and have done in other Government departments or in private establishments. v The war brought with it such a tremendous increase in Government business that the clerical forces in all departments affected were greatly augmented. Stenography, typing, and telephone operating have always been done by women more extensively than by men. Therefore it was to be expected that large increases in numbers of women employed would occur in these Government services during the war and postwar periods. The shortage of male workers, how- ever, opened several managerial and expert office service positions to women. Office manager and supervisory clerk examinations for cer- tain departments may now be taken by Avomen. Senior and junior cost accountant positions in the Navy are open to women, although examinations for mining accountants of either grade are closed to them by the Bureau of Mines. A woman may verify, audit, and review the accuracy of returns for the Estate Tax Division. She WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE, 17 can now be a bookkeeper and audit clerk in some departments and a law clerk in others. All simple routine work done in an oflSce or clerical work requiring skill and accuracy was open to her in 1919. Two of the positions whose examinations were closed to women in the first six months of 1919 had been open to them in 1918 f these were for passenger rate and freight rate clerk. The examinations which were closed to women in 1919 and previously were for law clerk in the Department of State ; mining accountant in the Bureau of Mines ; clerk to commercial attache ; interpreter of Syrian ; storekeeper with ' knowledge of automobiles and parts ; and radio operator at Honolulu. The examinations listed under mechanical and manufacturing serv- ices do not include the noneducational tests carried on in the Gov- ernment's manufacturing plants and buildings outside of Washing- ton. Consequently the number listed as open to women are much fewer than they would otherwise have been if all Government work were included. It is only as inspectors of radio apparatus, field glasses, telephone and telegraph equipment, and as helpers in motion- picture laboratories that women are called for in this group of ex- aminations. The experience of manufacturers and mechanical repair shops (apparently) has not been utilized by Government officials. In spite of the many restrictions still limiting the use of women in the service of the Government there has been a steady wearing down of the obstructions during the last few years. This has been due principally to a shortage of labor. The Xavy Department has opened wide the doors of civil positions to all who can qualify. Other departments are making larger use of women's services but are doing it more slowly. From July, 1915, to June 30, 1916, ap- proximately. 11,000, or less than 10 per cent, of all persons eligible for appointment to Government positions through examinations were women. From July, 1917, to June 30, 1918, 90,000, or over 23 per Cent, of all eligible persons were women. While the numbers of men on the eligible registers increased less than 200 per cent, the numbers of women increased more than 700 per cent. The largest group of women added to the service in 1917 and 1918 went into the occupations in which women have been employed for many years — stenography, typing, and clerical work. The second largest group worked in the arsenals, the quartermaster's depots, and the navy yards to aid in the manufacture of munitions, clothing, and textiles. But many became eligible through examination for positions open to women for the first time. By special appointment for temporary service other women acted in exceptional capacities, such as forest guards, aviators in the mail service, and specialists in horse husbandry. The following lists give the occupations for which women were eligible to service by entrance examination from July 1, 1915, to June 30, 1916, and from July, 1917, to July, 1919. 151040°— 20 3 18 WOMEN IS THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. Table III.— Positions in the Unitcrl States governmental service for whifh wrnnsn were rendered eligible by entrance examination the year before ovr eniranc-e into the tvar and dtiriny and after the loar. Service group. Positions for which women were eligible the year before our en- trance into the war. Positions tor which women were eligible during and after the war. Biological science serrioe. Specialist in home economics. Boy and girl agricultural club work. Assistant in school and home gar- dening. Assistant in hoilie farm demon- stration work. Investigator in women's rural organizations. Microanalysti Assistant in city marketing inves- tigation. , Fish cnlturist. Freparator. Scientific assistant in Department of Agriculture. Laboratory aid. Specialist in home economics. Specialist in household science and calorimetry. SpeeiaUst in food research. Assistant director for home economics education. Special educator In home economics. Assistant in home demonstration work. Assistant in extension work with women. Assistant in jimior extension work. Expert In textiles. Mlcroajialyst. Assistant microscopist. Laboratory assistant qualified as paper and film microscopist. Bacteriological assistant . Bacteriological technician. Junior bacteriologist. Assistant in plant nutrition . Plant pathologist and assistant plant pathologist. Pathologist in cereal diseases. Field assistant in plant pathology. Assistant in forest pathology. Assistant in fermentation mycolocjy. Assistant in nematology . Assistant in horticulture. Assistant in fiber investigation. Market assistant. Scientific assistant in marketing fruits and vegetables. Junior assistant in marketing diary products. Market station assistant . Inspector of dairy products. Fish cnlturist. Freparator in entomology. Preparator in nematology. Scientific assistant in Department of Agriculture. Laboratory aid. Laboratory aid nology. Laboratorian. in agricultural tech- Physical science ser\dce. Junior chemist. Chemist's aid. Junior chemist. ChenMst's aid. Associate chemist . Mineral geographic aid. Mineral geographer. Assistant observer, Weather Bureau. Valuation aids. Assistant technologist. Geological aid and assistant geological aid. Aid in paleobotany. Laboratory assistant. Aid qualified in radio. Medical science service. Physician. Sanitation, expert on. Acting assistant surgeon . Medical interne. Sanitary biologist . Assistant in pharmacology. Dental hygienist . Scientific assistant in public health work. Laboratory aid and technical clerk. Anatomist. Dietitian. Pharmacological aid. Engineering service. Topographic draftsman. Topographic draftsman. Aeronautic draftsman. Architectural draftsman . Junior arohltecturaJ draftsman. Mechanical draftsman. Ship draftsman. Ordnance draftsman. WOMEN' IX THE GOVER^'MEXT SERVICE. 19 Table III. — Positions in the United States governmental service, etc. — Ooutd. Service group. Positions for which women were eligible the year belore our en- trauce into the war. Positions for which women were eligible during and after the war. Engineering service— Con. Radio draftsman. Electrical draftsman. Copyist draftsman. Mechanical engiuecr. Junior engineer. Assistant examiner, Patent Office. Economic and sociological science services. Special agent and research assist- ant. Social service expert. Special agent and research assistant . Special agent for trade and industrial education. Expert in child welfare. Inspector and assistant inspector, child labor division. Assistant director, child labor division. Assistant in iirevention of infant mor- tahty. Tarili assistant and assistant in foreiga trade marks. Junior economist . Miscellaneous professional service. Trained nurse. Graduate nurse and dietitian. Teacher of: Domestic science. Housekeeping. Kindergarten. Free-hand drawing; Chief of training school. Speciahst in educational systems. Educational assistant in rural education. Head nurse (operating). Trained nurse. Teacher of; Domestic science. Housekeeping. High School, PhiUppine Islands. Indian service. Agriculture. Music. Editorial clerk. SpeciaUst In animal husbandry and dairying (editorial). Assistant in office of information (edi- torial). Librarian. Statistician. Art sen'ice. Porno logical artist .. Map colorist. Lantem-shde colorist. Botanical artist. Map colorist. Insect dehneator. Managerial and expert office service. Pos'tmaster, fourth class. Postmaster, foiu-th class. Office manager. Assistant to business manager. Supervisory clerk. . Clerk in business administration. Senior and junior cost accountants. Examiners, estate tax division. Eesidcnt auditor and traveling auditor. Actuary. Supervisor, cost accounting. Clerical service. Clerk, assistant clerk, and minor clerk. Clerk-carrier (post office). Computing clerk. Forest and field clerk. Land law clerk. Clerk qualified. in modem lan- Statisticil clerk. Translator. Library cataloguer. Stenographer and 'stenographic Typewriter and minor typewriter. Office helper. Telegraph operator. _ Telephone operator. Clerk, assistant clerk, and minor clerk. Clerk carrier. Computer. Forest and field clerk. Land law clerk. Clerk qualified in modern languages. Statistical clerk. Translator. Index and catalogue clerk. Stenographer and stenographic clerk. Typist and minor tvpewriter. Office helper. Telegraph operator. Telephone operator. Law» Free-hand artist clerk. Secretary. Correspondence clerk. Passenger-rate clerk.' Freight-rate clerk.' Rallway-m'ail clerk. Proofreader. Inspector of waybills. Freight-oar record clerk. Registrar. Research assistant. Schedule clerk. Tariff clerk. Motor rural carrier. Addressograph file clerk. File clerk. Blue-print file clerk. Calculating-machine operator. Automatic addressograph operator. Addressograph operator. Mimeograph operator. Graphotype operator. Coder or operator of tabulating machine. Multigrapn and letter-press operators. Copyists. Messengers. Mechanical and manufac- turing services. Linotype machinist. -~- Press feeders. Printer. Sewer. Unskilled labor in District of Columbia. Unskilled labor outside District of Columbia. Ordnance Department at large, piinor positions. PubMo Health Service, minor positions. Quaitermaster Corps, minor posi- tions. Reclamation Service, minor posi- tions. Navy yard service, minor posi- tions. ; Press feeders. Printer. Sewer. Photographer. UnskiUea labor in District of Columbia. Unskilled labor outside District of Columbia. Ordnance Department at large, minor positions. Public Health Service, minor positions. Quartermaster Corps, minor positions. Reclamation Service, minor positions. Navy yard service, minor positions. Lighthouse Service. Indian, Irrigation, and Allotment Serv- ice, minor positions. Checker. Inspector and junior inspector of radio apparatus. Assistant inspector, ordnance. Assistant inspector, small arms. Assistant inspector, ammunition. Inspector of aeroplanes and aero engines. Inspector of field glasses. • Production expert. ■Laboratory aid, motion picture labora- tory. Domestic and personal, reformatory and rural service. Matron, assistant matron, and field matron. Interpreter matron. Superintendent Indian reserva- don. Baker. Cook. Laundress. Lace maker. ■ Maids, waitresses, etc., Freed- men's Hospital. Maids, waitresses, etc., St. Eliza- beth's Hospital. Janitors. Charwomen. Matron, assistant matron, and field matron. Baker. Cook. Laundress. Maids, waitresses, attendants, etc., Freedmen's Hospital. Maids, waitresses, attendants, etc., St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Elevator conductors. Charwomen, Chaufleurs, 1 Women passed examinations tor these positions in 1918, but were excluded Irom the 1919 e.tamination. WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. 21 Tliese lists indicate clearly the increase in the opportunities for woman service in the Government. How many women were actually appointed to the positions made open to them by examination dur- ing and after the war can not be fully ascertained until the Civilr Service Commission's records for July, 1918, to June 30, 1919, are complete. However, as long as it remains customary to permit any examina- tion to be closed to one or the other sex because of the needs of one bureau, the Civil Service Commission will not be able to marshal all available ability before the department appointment officials for choice. Neither they nor the country will ever know how much ability or experience is kept from national service. With all examinations opened to persons of either sex, the country would know what storehouses of training and experience it had to draw from, the appointment officials would hate a wider field from which to choose and the women of the country would have their op- portunities for service immeasurably increased. Appointment offi- cials would still have perfect freedom in appointing a person of either sex, for, by civil service rule, an appointing officer may, if he desires, make requisition upon the commission for a certification of eligibles of either sex. If the appointing officer does not specify ,the sex, "certificates shall be made without regard to sex " by the Civil Service Commission. The number of women who must seek employment outside the home is growing steadily. In order that their opportunities for profitable employment may be advanced, it is necessary for all Gov- ernment examinations to be opened to them. Thus only can the country avail itself of the training and experience of all its people. PART II.— APPOINTMENTS AND ENTRANCE SALARIES OP WOMEN COMPARED WITH THOSE OF MEN. The discriminating policy that prevailed in examinations up to November 5, resulting in barring women from a large proportion of the higher grades of service, is reflected, naturally, in the positions to which women are appointed and in the relative salary levels. One outcome of vital bearing is the overwhelming concentration — ^91 per cent — of women appointees in the clerical service. This massing in turn carries with it the depression of salaries toward the old-time woman's level — a figure traditionally below that which any number of men qualified to fill the positions will accept. The effect upon appointments and salaries of the former policy of closing certain examinations to women has been greatly enhanced by the varying discretionary power in salary fixing vested in de- partmental authorities. This, in the words of the Civil Service Commission, has resulted in "chaotic salary conditions."^ Con- ' Page X, Thirty-fifth Report, U. S. Civil Service Commission. 22 WOMEN IN THE GOVEKNMBNT SEKVICE. tributorj' factors to this disorder have been the differences in the character of appointments made and the part which an individual's estimation of his own worth has played. In order to know definitely how this state of affairs has affected the entrance salaries of women as compared with those paid men, a study was made of the salaries paid to persons appointed to the Gov- ernment service during the months of January and February, 1919. With the exception of persons worlring for nominal salaries or per- sons whose salary was paid in part only by the United States and with the exception of manufacturing, mechanical, and unskilled laboring positions outside of Washington and similar positions in Wasliington to which no women were appointed, all appointments, whether for the departmental service, Washington, D, C, or the field service in the following departments or under commissions, were included in the* study: Department of Agriculture. Dppartment of Commerce. .Department of the Interior. Department of Justice. Department of Labor. Navy Department. "War Department. State Department. Post Office Department (departmental service, Washington, D. C, only). Federal Board of Vocational Education. Council of National Defense. Branches of service under direction of Smithsonian Institute. Interstate Commerce Commission. Federal Trade Commission. United States Employees' Compensation Commission. Bureau of Efficiency. Out of the Government's constant need for workers have arisen three types of appointments. Those to permanent positions (com- monly called "probational appointments" because the appointee must give six months ^ satisfactory service before he can become a permanent employee) are received by persons who have successfully passed civil service examinations. Temporary appointments are made for short periods either of persons on the civil service register of eligibles or, when no such register is available, of people who have not passed qualifying tests. The latter group can not retain their temporary appointments after the requisite examination is held. The third type of appointment is to positions which are excepted from examination by law or by Executive order. Whenever a vacancy exists in a permanent position in the branches of the Government service covered by civil service regulation, the appointing officer of this service calls upon the Civil Service Com- 1 Prototlonal period is extended In certain cases. WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. 23 mission for a list of persons of either sex eligible for the position. He specifies what the entrance salary will be. If the position is one whose salary has been fixed by statute, the appointing officer can only offer this fixed sum. If, however, the bureau in which the vacancy exists has a lump-sum appropriation, the appointing officer, in con- sultation with the bureau chiefs, determines what the rate of com- pensation for each position shall be. Even in departments where the majority of salary rates for per- manent positions are fixed by law, there is frequently a lump sum appropriation which permits the appointing officer to fix the rates of pay for temporary appointments. He may pay them at the same rate fixed for the permanent appointments or at higher or lower rates, depending upon the department's attitude on such matters. Salaries for a number of excepted positions are fixed by law ; otheirs are determined by department authorities. While the announcements for civil-service examinations usually state the salary or range of salaries offered in the vacancies to be filled by the examination, very frequently the salaries named are followed by the phrase " or higher or lower salaries." Thus is lee- way for the departmental differences in salary standards allowed for the same service. Each individual taking an examination is also asked to state in writing what the minimum salary is that he or she will accept. When the Civil Service Commission receives a request from an appointing officer for eligibles it lists only such persons as have sigiaified their willingness to accept the salary offered for the positions to be filled. In the first two months of 1919 almost 8,000 appointments (exclu- sive of those specified above) were made to the Government service. Of these 4,689 were women and 3,2 TO were men. Eighty-one and four-tenths per cent of the women were given probational appoint- ments, whereas only 49.4 per cent of the men received such appoint- ments. Temporary appointments were received by almost 40 per cent of the men, as against 16.4 per cent of the women. Positions excepted from examination were filled by 10.7 per cent of the men and 2.2 per cent of the total nvxmber of women appointees. "V\Tiile some of the temporary appointees may have been taken from the civil- service register of eligible jjersons (especially from temporary clerk or temporary stenographer registere), these figures point clearly to the fact that the majority of the women appointed to the service passed qualifying tests before they were admitted to the service, whereas as many men, if not more, were appointed without competi- tive examining of their fitness than were appointed after passing such examinations. The positions filled during this period ranged from charwoman to Federal Trade Commissioner : the salaries ranged accordingly from 24 V^OMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SEEVICE. $240 a year to $10,000 a year. But the majority of appointees re- ceived neither one extreme nor the other. Over 86 per cent of all women were appointed at salaries ranging from $900 to $1,299 a year. Only 36 -per cent of the men were appointed to positions at these salaries. The following table showing the numbers of men and women ap- pointed at each salary rate indicates very clearly that as the salary advances the proportion of women appointees receiving it decreases very rapidly. Only 4.6 per cent of the women, as compared with 27 per cent of the men, were engaged at rates ranging from $1,300' to $1,899. Positions carrying from $1,900 to $2,499 went to less than one-half of 1 per cent of the women but to nearly 8 per cent of the men. Twenty-five hundred dollars but less than $3,600 a year was paid to less than one-third of 1 per cent of the women but to 8.5 per cent of the men, while $3,600 a year and over was received by only 2 women, or less than one-half of 1 per cent of the women appointees, whereas 100, or over 3 per -cent, of the men appointees received over $3,600 a year. As a whole, therefore, 46 per cent of the men, as com- pared with 5 per cent women, received more than $1,299 a year, in spite of the fact that the prevailing policy of appointing men as messengers resulted in tTyice as large a proportion of men as women being iDaid less than $900 a year. Table IY. — Salaries paid women and tnen receiving appointments in incnt service during January and February, 1919} the Oovernr Number receiving salaries of— Character of appointment. Under $600. $600 and under $700. $700 and under $800. $800 and under $900. $900 and xmder $1,000. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Probational Temporary Excepted 143 51 8 93 112 2 42 23 2 45 48 3 37 23 2 89 101 3 42 10 7 56 19 1 206 118 19 42 82 4 Total number. 202 207 72 96 62 193 59 76 343 128 Percent 4.3 6.3 1.5 2.9 1.3 5.9 1.2 2.3 7.3 3.9 Number receiving salaries of — Character of appointment. S1,000 and under $1,100. $1,100 and under $1,200. $1,200 and under $1,300. $1,300 and under $1,400. $1,400 and under $1,500. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Prohatlonal Temporary Excepted 730' 151 7 160 112 5 1,956 47 6 289 72 3 634 239 37 203 161 60 36 32 1 39 85 12 51 13 3 85 34 3 Total numlser. 888 267 2,009 864 810 424 60 86 67 122 18.9 8.2 42.8 11.2 17.3 13 1.6 2.6 1.5 3.7 ' For omis.sions; see p. 22, WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. 25 Table IV. — Salaries paid iroitim and men recelring appointments in the Gov- ernment sercice duriny .Januury and Fehruanj, IMO'^ — Continued. Number receiving salaries of — Character of- appointment. tl.SOO and under Sl,600. $1,600 and under $1,700. $1,700 and under $1,800. $1,800 and under $1,900. $1,900 and under $2,000. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. I*robational 16 ~ 112 117 57 10 7 56 67 6 3 5 12 7 2 161 71 30 1 3 . 12 Temporary ' 8 Excepted 3 Total number. 35 286 17 116 8 21 262 4 23 .7 S.8 .4 3.6 .2 .5 8.0 .1 .7 \ Number receiving salaries of — Character of appointment. $2,000 and under $2,100.- $2,100 and under $2,200. $2,200 and under $2,300. $2,300 and under $2,400. $2,400 and under $2,500. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Probational 2 5 34 39 31 8 12 4 27 6 7 4 1 15 Temporary Excepted 3 3 30 1 2 13 .7 104 1 24 40 2 5 6 58 .2 i 3.2 (.-) ■ .7 1.2 ^(=) -,2 .1 ] 8 Number receiving salaries of— Character of ap- pointment. $2,500 and under $3,000. $3,000 and under $3,600. $3,600 and under $4,000. $4,000 and under $5,000. $5,000 and over. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women, Men. Prrbational 40 64 11 35 80 48 9 24 11 4 10 19 4 Temporary 6 4 3 1 1 13 Total number . 6 115 7 163 1 44 1 33 23 .1 - 3.6 .2 5.0 n 1.3 C-^) 1.1 .7 Total. Character of appointment. Women. Men. Number. Percent. Number. Percent. 3,818 766 105 81.4 16.4 2.2 1,615 1,306 349 49 4 10 7 4,6S9 lon.n 3 570 ^ _rf: ' For omissions see p. 22. ! Less than one-tenth of 1 per cent. 1'/ ■^•^xG 26 \ WOHElf IN THE GOVEKN-kENT SERVICE. 'a S I s b 1 s .1" (S WQMEIs' IlSr THE GOTEKT^'MEKT SERVICE. 27 In connection with the foregoing table, it is important to notice tlie diffei-ence in the proportion of the sexes recei^dng the specified salaries paid in the three groups of appointments. Of the proba- tional appointees, only 3.4 per cent of the women were paid $1,300 or over. Forty and two-tenths per cent of the male probational appointees received this sum or over. Of the women appointed to temporary positions, 13 per cent received $1,300 or over, as against 46 per cent of the men receiving similar appointments. Wlien the position occupied was excepted from civil service, 16 per cent of the women and 87 per cent of the men appointees received $1,300 or over. Very obviously the rates of pay in temporary and excepted positiqns are higher than in the probational positions. Ho'w largely this is due to a difference in the character of position falling within each class or how largely to the greater freedom of department offi- cials in determining the salaries for temporary and excepted posi- tions can only be determined finally by a closer anatysis of the jjosi- tions included in each group than is possible in this study. A casual examination of the group would indicate, however, that with a few exceptions temporary positions differ a little in character from the probational positions. In the excepted positions are included many requiring a higher type of experience and training than is usually called for in the probational positions. However, others falling in this group correspond in duties and requirements with those in the two other groups. , ^ ' The concentration of women's appointments within the $900 and under $1,300 group corresponds closely with the concentration of Jier appointment within the clerical services, as stated in the opening paragraph of this section. Ninety-one per cent of the 4,689 women appointed in January and February of 1919 went into clerical occu- pations of one type or another. Forty-eight and one-half per cent of the men appointments were made to these positions. Even within the clerical group concentration of -the sexes occurs. IMen predomi- nate in the supervisory positions, in those requiring special train- ing and experience, and — at the other end of the scale — as office mes- sengers. Women predominate as stenographers, typists, and in index, filing, statistical, and other kinds of general office work. As the majority of these , appointments are made from the civil- service register, an analysis of the numbers of persons of each sex passing the examipations, when compared with the proioortion of positions filled by each sex, will throw further light upon the under- lying causes of this condition. In the first- six months of 1919, 59 per cent of the persons passing the clerical tests were women, whereas 72 per cent of the appointments in the first two months of 28 WOMEN IN THE GOVEENMENT jJEBVlCE, this year were Avomen. This discrepancy is largest ainpng persons holding clerk positions — that is, persons who have passed the gen- eral clerk examination in spelling, arithmetic, penmanship, letter writing, and copying and correcting manuscript, and who are assigiaed to various office positions throughout the Government service. With a slightly larger number of men passing these examinations than women, 80 per cent of the positions were filled by women. For file and cataloguing clerk positions 74.5 per cent of the successful applicants Avere women, although 84 per cent of the vacancies were filled by women. Eighty-six and one-half per cent of the positions in which various office appliances are used were filled by women al- though they constituted but 81 per cent of those passing the examina- tions. Only in stenographer and typewriting positions do the per- centages of appointments and AT.omen eligibles fall within three points of each other. "When special training is required the situation is reversed. Almost 30 per cent eligibles were women, while only 15 per cent of the positions were filled by women. Approximately the same ratio between eligibles and appointments existed in the messenger service. While these figures are affected somewhat by the fact that the period of appointment and the period of examination are not coinci- dent, and because some persons appointed in 1919 may have passed examinations in 1918 rather than in 1919, and further by the fact that some included in the appointments had not taken a civil service examination, the effect is not very material, as, so far as the periods are concerned, the proportion would in all probability not be changed if both appointments and examinations were for two months ; and as the Civil Service Conunission holds examinations on the call of departments only when the old registers are exhausted and other availables are not adequate in number. The fact remains, therefore, that influences other than the numbers of men and women available for the particular positions are at work in determining whether clerical work shall be done by a man or a Avoman. Undoubtedly tradition plays a part in the requests of appointing officers in this as in other fields of employment, but a review of the bureau appoint- ments shows that neither one or the other sex is asked for exclusively by any bureau for any particular occupation. One of the evidences at woi-k, apparently, is the weaker bargaining power of women. As stated early in this report, all applicants for probational positions state in their examination papers the minimum salary which they will accept. With the exception of messen^r positions and card perforation machine operator positions the mini- WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SEEVICE. 29 mum salary advertised by the commission for clerical positions is $900 a year. Among the probational appointees in the months of January and February, 274 women, as against 36 men, accepted the minimum offered or less; among the temporaries 131 women and 66 men accepted $900 or less; and among the excepted positions at this salary or less were 21 women and 1 man. In other words, of the 629 applicants who expressed willingness to accept the advertised minimum or less over 80 per cent were women. This weakening bargaining power is also clearly reflected in the relative salaries prevailing in this clerical group where the numbers employed are the largest. 30 WOMEN IN XHE GOVEKKMENT SBKVICE. 1 1 •^ iH CM ■* >o CM »t3 Num ber re- ceiv- -V i S S O O H CO tt) 1 it «> § « 1 00 T^ ■^ ^ N -* CO i (N oi "o CO o ■^ •o O 00 « OJ o > H ^ i lO '^ ^ CQ a _^ CO CM ■* .-t r-1 CO 1 1 ^ W o "s s s 8 g g g 1- c> ^ r- OJ «» 1 CO a "^ *"■ ■^ " OS CO ^ +a Num ber re- ceiv- ing it. • 1 i o -c^ o o 'ti oo (N CI ■l > tS & tc Jo - t- l-- r- C4 CO jv »— *■ , — "^-fc " CO -^r • . CI 10 D3 Num ber re- ceiv- ing more 1. . <-0 L-D l-IJ _, bo 0) s Num ber re- eeiv- in'g less. 1 tp 05 ■=!• ■^ C^ rH- OJ .Q H Num ber re- ceiv- ing it. \ CO CO 1 . _^ ^ . s s g ggg 00 aio _ 010 mo 010 cn CO 00 OT CO ^ CO Ocor-t^ -^t- O^--* O^-* O-a-oo Oaci' Oi~ 1 OT-i^W -- s ■W — tJ ^ . ■ "~OJ -J- .-H i u ^ Nura ber re- ceiv- ing more CO IH i--:; Num- ber , re- ceiv- ing less. 00 ■^ I S - S 1 o r- CT. ^ y-< CO QO m ^ Num ber re- ceiv- ing it. ■* cq CO 1-1 M 3 SS OS g^ si- (»^60 ■4-3 -^3 +i -rJ cog ^ __. ■ ^ ■ ^ . -S l- '"^ CO O-j m Gi I^ umber ersons pointed January and 13 ■^ So5 1 " lO «z •V i-O OS B ^ o c CO i^ cq '^'^S'.g e $^ f— '^— \ f— ^— . 1— *—< : h j> « s ■3 .s s 1 i 1 (S 1 o bJO b F c i i: b c 1 : ^ 1 1 i ■ i s B 1 ,s_ t5 ) < c J_ c^ I—' ^— , ;::] si c ,d o I o El ft 1 (S em 4:] w 03 \ .£ ■If ington). eraonal ( only). 1 Ibolerica) elephone i u a Pi (!■ c S &i -5 WOMEN IN THE GOVEEN-MENT SEKVIOE. 31 ri ^ (M "^ '~* in tH to 1-; '*^ to s M - : c; 3 c: <= O g: g g g 3 o s g g 00 - ."■ " - -" i\ ^ -• " O Oi .S 5 s 8 N g s 8 g o g g o o ^- cr. i-T ^- »i3 r.- CM CI CO ■(N r-t o g r~ g lo •-1 >- IM ^ ^ -' ^ M (M 1-H IM N -P j-t 04 M >-t c c c: 1 1 s § « s fei g s M S s •-' '^ ' '^ w " " -' (N M T-1 -* (N o oi o 05 o C9Q ^2 S2 22 S w 000 o &< §CTi c: c ffl 050 o en ^ CT t-l CI c - g> 2 -. S o cn2 -S o 000 oc OS C3 C5 O < ■sQ oso Oio 010 9?2 ^ so 010 mo oio 050 oj qW OC^lCq OW » &a •S.S (=! ■30 ., ■ii-3 . § "C-D hi te u -c; "'a B 32 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SEKVICB. WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SEEVIGE. 33 34 WOMESr IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. Continuing the analysis of the salaries prevailing iii occupations groups as distinguished from the salaries prevailing for the whole group discussed previously, Table II lists the kinds of work done in each service group to which appointments were made in January and February of 1919 and gives the prevailing, the highest, and the lowest salaries paid, and the number of men and women receiving these sums in each occupation. Within each occupation, there are persons doing work varying in responsibility, skill, and training required, although all supervisory, managerial, or executive posi- tions and minor positions for which little experience or training is required are listed separately. Op this table it appears that although the salary I'eceived by the largest single group of people doing clerical work of a varied nature fell betTfeen $1,100 and $1,199 for both men and women, 36 per cent of the men appointees received more than this amount, as against 16 per cent of the women appointees. Tlie highest salary for a man in this group was $2,400, for a woman $1,800 a year. In the minor clerk positions, the largest single group of women received from $1,000 to $1,099 per year. A similar group of men got from $1,200 to $1,299 per year. The jjrevailing rate for women typists was $1,000 to $1,099, for men typists between $1,100 and $1,199. Stenographers of both sexes received $1,200 to a larger extent than any other salary. A slightly larger proportion of men received over this amount than did women stenographers. ' The sum received by the largest single group of men bookkeepers, as shown in the foregoing table,, is lower than the sum received by the largest group of women because the five men falling in the $1,000 group were filling positions of clerk-bookkeeper — a position requir- ing less knowledge of bookkeeping than that required to become a bookkeeper. The men bookkeepers proper secured salaries of $1,100, $1,400, $1,620, and $1,800, while women bookkeepers received $1,200 and $1,800. The range of salaries for both sexes is the same, the only difference lies in the larger proportion of men receiving more than $1,200 in comparison with the proportion of women. Under clerical work requiring special training and experience and original thought are included law clerks, correspondence clerks, and clerks especially qualified to be intrusted with special kinds of office work. Although 14 women passed the law clerk examination, none were appointed to this position during January and February of 1919. They were appointed as correspondence clerks and special ex- perts in the Bureau of War Risk Insurance at salaries ranging from $1,100 to $2,000. Men taking the same positions received from $1,200 to $3,500, ' " ■ WOMEK IX THE GOVEKITMEls"T SERVICE. 35 Office messengers' salaries range from $S60 per year to $1,000 a year, with the -largest number receiving from $400 to $600 yearly. About 82 per cent of the 76 girls taking these positions i-eceivecl less than $600, whereas approximately 47 per cent of the 395 m^n mes- sengers accepted less than this amount. The lowest-paid workers are the women who clean the office build- ings in the night or in the early morning. The largest single group of these women earn but $300 to $399 a year. Those working longer hours earn more, those working fewer hours earn less. The men appointed to this work were too few to make a comparison of salaries valid. The women who attend the patients in the two Government hos- pitals in Washington, or who act as waitresses, laundresses, or in other domestic capacities in these hospitals, get from $156 to $480 a year in addition to their subsistence. As men similarly employed get approximately the same rates of pay, it appears that at the bottom of this salary scale discrimination in salaries is reduced to the vanish- ing point. In this connection it is intei-esting that women acting as matrons in the Government buildings in Washington were paid $480 a year, whereas matrons in the War Department factories and ware- houses got from $3 a day to' $1,610 a year. It is altogether probable that the women in the War Department factories served more as general welfare workers than the Washington employees of the same titular grade. There is no other reasonable explanation of the enormous difference in compensation. The only manufacturing work done by women in Washington for wliich salaries and appointments were reported in January and Feb- ruary, 1919, to the Civil Service Commission was in the equipment shops of the Post Office Department and as seed packeters in the De- partment of Agriculture. Mail-bag repairers in the first shops were paid $1.75 and $2 a day; seed packeters received $2 a day. Men mail-bag repairers received $1.75 a day. The male inspectors of the -\vork done got $900 a year. Advancing to the positions requiring education and experience, few women were appointed to managerial, suxDcrvisory, office organizing, or secretarial positions. Only one of the 15 women receiving such positions earned an amount commensurate with the responsibility supposedly involved in these positions. The others received $1,200, $1,400, and $1,600. Some men received the low rates that women did, but over half received $2,000 and over. As statisticians, work requiring college graduation and some practi- cal experience, women accepted positions at $1,200, $1,800, and $2,000. Men secured $1,800, $3,000, and $4,000 jobs. Of the four women taking positions as verifiers of income and excess-profit tax returns. 36 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVIGBl two received $1,400, one $1,800, and one $2,000. Nine men appointed to these positions received less than $1,400, but 103 i^eceived over $2,000. Two women were appointed as treasurers in the War Savings and War Liberty Loan Bureau at $2,000 and $3,600, respectively. As the particular training and experience required to fill the scien- tific and professional positions open in the Government service is as varied as the field of science and art, the appointments falling in these services have been divided according to the character of ' the work to be done. Under field and laboratory investigation are included not only persons appointed to study biological problems but others who are to solve problems in physics, mineralogy, geology, and physiology. Only 16 women undertook this kind of work in the first two months of 1919, their average salary being $1,564. The average salary for the 244 men appointed as scientific investigators was $1,685. More numerous were the appointments of women as collectors of statistical data. However, both the largest number of women and the largest number of men appointed to such positions secured data on economic and social conditions rather than on agri- cultural and physical conditions. Twelve hundred dollars was the salary offered most frequently. Only 19 per cent of the women accepting the positions received over this amount, but 79 per cent of the men got more than $1,200. Unfortunately, the greater number of persons who were appointed to assist farmers and housewives and children in rural communities in farming and domestic problems could not be included in this salary study, as one part of their salaries was paid by State agencies and another by the Federal Government. As the amount and proportion paid by each of the cooperating bodies varied with the individual, only the records of both bodies could have given the complete figures. Those for whom complete salary figures were ob- tainable were employed not only to aid in agricultural matters but in educational, economic, and commercial fields. The lowest salary received by women undertaking this work was $l,800,"by men $1,200 ; the highest salary received by a woman was $2,500, while the highest- salaried man received $7,650. Appointments of women to other scientific and professional services during the first two months of 1919 were few. Nurses were paid $720 a year and maintenance; librarians, $1,800 and $2,400 ; researchers and translators from $900 a year to $15 a day ; while women engaged in publicity or in editorial work received from $1,860 to $3,000. Here, as in the majority of the occuptitions to which women and men were appointed in any numbers, although men frequently re- ceive lower entrance salaries than women and although men fre- WOMEN IN THE GOVEENMENT SERVICE. 37 quently receive the same entrance salaries as women, the proportion of men appointees to the higher paid positions in each occupation is always in excess of the proportion of women appointees to these positions. Not until the entrance salaries to be paid in each occupation are fixed for probational, temporary, and excepted positions in accord- ance with the responsibilities and difficulties of the tasks to be under- taken, not until the classes of work within each occupation are so well determined and their salaries fixed so that the persons marking examination papers will be able to mark each applicant's class and salary status on the examination paper, will it be possible to eliminate the inequalities which have arisen through custom in the beginning salaries offered to women and men. iiMiSi?!? '" *''* government service 3 1924 002 646 887 7^|• Nt7