Fifty Years of Service, Then a Pink Slip
The coast survey lets go its Pacific coast chief, Prof. George Davidson, as a budget-cutting 'reorganization' — and San Francisco's scientific and shipping circles erupt in protest.
Washington City, June 27 — Gen. Duffield, superintendent of the coast and geodetic survey, was asked today for an explanation of the changes in his office. These changes amount practically to a reorganization of the bureau. In reply, he said:
"A reduction of force in the office was made necessary by the fact that the new appropriation for the support of the office is totally inadequate for the maintenance of the force as at present organized. In this, as in other public services, there are men who remain with it from year to year until they become veterans, and while I should not want to reflect on individuals, it occasionally becomes necessary in the interest of the service to let them out in order to give the new blood a chance. The old men who were relieved are men who had been in the service a long term of years and who had drawn large salaries. The change effects a considerable saving to the government, enables us to promote several worthy men, and will, I think, redound to the benefit of the service because of the good effect it will have on the younger men in the bureau."
The fact that Mr. Davidson, who had charge of the Pacific coast work of the survey, is among those who have been relieved, has called forth some comment, and when Mr. Duffield's attention was drawn to the fact, he said the change was made in accordance with the general plan of dispensing with the older men.
"Mr. Davidson is a veteran of the veterans, and that is our reason for letting him out. Mr. Rogers, who will succeed him, has been engaged in this work for several years, and I am satisfied will prove thoroughly proficient."
San Francisco, June 27 — There is great indignation in shipping, commercial and scientific circles at the announcement that the United States government has displaced Prof. George Davidson, chief of the coast and geodetic survey. Senators White and Perkins have sent protests to Senator Allison, Secretary Carlisle and the president, urging that Davidson be retained in this position after his fifty years in harness and eminent service.
“Mr. Davidson is a veteran of the veterans, and that is our reason for letting him out.”
Davidson's dismissal for being 'too old' after fifty years of distinguished service is the original 'we're reorganizing' layoff. The protests from senators and scientific societies read like a modern open letter defending an institution's institutional memory against a budget cut.
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