Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-04-02
Women as Clerk. In Wa.hiu xt.u !.


TO the Editor Of the EreRing Star:
SIR: 1 ask OF your courtesy that you will
publish the following: Noticed that you m ve
gwen quite large space In your valusoi g
paper to q letter signed " Hannah Tyler
which IL calculated 10 throw q most unjust
suspicion on very many who do not in the
least deserve Ii. wish TO speak only of what
l Know mom personal observation. ID urinE
the past three years I have been employed I'm
the freasurer's ONCE, Redemption Division.
as counter. 1 cannot like Hannah Tyler,
furnish the names OF "scores ana scores of
women who are utterly ,corthess." have
never been insulted by coming in contact with
persons whom Hannah unblus shingly and pu b.
ncly denounces in terms no geRi'mIn would
So i Will speak only OF the room aud occu-
patton In which l am engaged as fair sam
pie Of the division, the chief OF which is a gen.
tleman, conscientious in the discharge or his
oWn duty, aad inf1exib,e in sxacting the
performance OF IL in those under MIN. He is
severe but impartial, and though be has
never word Of praise for the most
o an angel would save a lady from reprt.
mand (and a pretty severe one,) for any
ctipable neglect or inefiiciency In the work as
signed her The ONCE of counter is not as easy
as many suppose. 1 dare not trespass on your
space, or would give the minutia. Suffice 1t
that each lady receives sealed package Of
from 81 TO Sl,200; she takes the in nventory, and
II correct, proceeds to count the notes. II they
are properly put up, and not much nutilated
or defaced. with care she has out little trou Bile:
but In majority Of cases the money 10 mi xed,
the notes Of all denominations and issues, from
threes TO f1fties. Zach denominati sn has TO be
separately counted, the ragged notes mended,
those partly gere discounted, the different
amounts made up, the shorts, overs and dis.
counted scraps accounted for, aud the whole
properly balanced before it is taken for exam.
ination. A mistake of hve cents short not
accounted for is ~ much an error as twenty
fve dollars short would be, and in either
case the lady would have to pay it, she
does for every counterfeit she passes. The er.
rors are read aloud by the chief every month
IN each room, and 1t Is surprising how few there
OF notes counted. Fifteen errors are considered
a great number; the majority have from one to
seven. One lady has not had her name on the
list once in four months. And now allow me
TO say few words about sabiecting ladies to
the same examination as men. In the first
place, the very idea OF being ex amined on sne
knew not what subject would so embarrass
most ladies, q am not speaking Of strong
answering correctly, even though perfectly
conversant with the subject. Nor would il
answer the purpose. 1t is well known that
efficient copy lists. could not compose, and per-
haps not comprehend what they had writ
ten; but II the work is done well
ana .San, correctly. OFT what more Is necessary!
were made on the same day. One a lady high.
ly educated and unusually well read; the sec.
ond possessed good but common edu alton:
On.
hannah y very pretty face, but doubt IL
she ever heard Of Julius Cpsar. or could even
tell on what part of the GLOBE q ueen Victoria
resides, and yet she is the quickest, neatest.
and most efficient counter of the three. No,
let the ladies be Judged by their work. At
the end of the FIRST month it can generally
be aseertained il they will be good reli-
able clerks or not. With regard TO the
vexed question of increased compensa-
ton, / think il there ale any ladies who
can keep books as correctly and rapidly as
gentlemen, they should receive the same sal
ary. And likewise believe that those ladies
who are liable (if they happen to have rery
dirty money to county to have five or ten dol.
lars to pay for counterfeits at the end of each
month, should receive at least SI,2UO a year
clerks would consider 1t the happiest day Of
their lives If even at their present salaries
they could feel assured that as long as they
performed their duty faithfully and correctly
they would be in no danger of being dismissed
II 10 that dreadful fear and suspense, (espe-
cially with those who ha We little children de.
pending on them,) that makes the life of q
lady clerk SO hard. And, in conclusion. weuld
ask OF Hannah, (as she knows, from personal
observation, that such wickedness and deprav.
ity exists as she describes) that she will at once
publish the names of the guilty parties and
make charge against them before the proper
authorities, and not by denouRcing them in
scores and scores, cast a slur ON all the respec.
able women IN the Departments 1t is TO such
assertions, without proof, We are manly in.
debted for the caricatures and aspersions tina,
have lately appeared in one of the New York
papers. Very respectfully,
A TREASURY CLERK.
MARCn BOTH. 1862