Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-01
LETTERS FROM rHk PEOPLE.

Ediior Sar-Every criticism Of assumed
apparent, or palpaole evils exIsting any where
II expressed IN print especially should be
clothed IN good rhetoric, De prompted nv an
nonest motive, ana pear ne evidences OF good
the commorions In the Treasury Dspartmentf
To answer this question let und-niabis facts be
submitted. The rules In the Department IN
regard TO the ON ce hours, the hour 70 com mence
and the hour 20 quit once duties, have for a
long time, by large number OF clerks. both
maie ana female, ben regarded with mdirer-
enes and violated haoi,uafiy; IN a voru, these
Iemissnesses had become % common. aud IN
tne aegregate the loes OF time had become 80
kreas as 10 be nothing short OF q crylng evil,
u,msneins ,,n.s redress, and especially 80 n this
present ume. The country is overburdened
with taxation and the demand comes up in
every direction for relief the cry ts ..l,t nm
congress has Needed II mot 30 far as its own
menced the work Of retrenchment by properlv
cutting down the force IN the Departments
The heads OF the various Departments cord J.
ally second this effort OF Congress, (except like
Congress, where they are indl vidu ually Affected
liz clerk ties, ft Is ..let the dead bury the
dead.'') 10 - 1nterb rbalance this reduction OF
ofhce hours. There have been large number
OF clerks OF both sexes, no one can deny, who
render little or no service 30 the Government
They have practiced coming late in the morn
msle, have tsfeI 4 good deal Of ams rssuIariy
during the middle OF ths DAY, besid as 10 ssgo
out 10 see man" these absences, " IN news =
"Siekness," 100, has prevailed aiArminsly with
both sexes. IL is a notorious fact thai some 10.
males have reported sickness" as q reason for
and males have had frequent aud long -contin-
ued "blow outs" under the same head. These
things, by hese men aud women, have brought
upon the Treasury Department these plaques
so much complained Of BY those who deserve
In I'm.
To correct these evils an order was issued py
the Secretary. June LIST, 1s69, consisting OF 70
D p. m, and declaring that an deimq uences fer
non-attepuance at proper hours would be
reported, condemning the borrowing money In
must be the limit OF a "ieave Of Absence for q
years service, and requiring a physicians
certificate. or other equally reliable evidence Of
sickness, &C., closing with the statement that
the violation Of any OF these rules will be
deemed snfficent caase for removal. This
order was treated, apparently By the clerks as
the first OF q periodic season OF them, and they
ltne clerks DAD no t"''end aetr rays" Shortly
after, another order appeard embracing IN
comprehensive AMI more pointed terms the one
Of June 1st, and declaring then that ali
absences caused By sickness Vostd be defEcfsd
from pay, and this was net the first distisct sdte-
meht u any such purpose on the part Of the Sec
retary. Mark that this order was written. and
each clerk was permitted 10 read il, and by IL
all Were made 70 know that the Secretary was
in earnest In the first one. About September
10th, appeared the circular with the list Of
questions, which oiicited what is termed IN
derisIon, the biographies. About the 2Oth inst !,
a stray copy OF the blank was seen here ana
there of wnat has been termed, also in derision,
the "time table," .1y this, time is 10 be noted
under the following heads, to wit sTime of
arrival, a. NJ; .Tlms Of departure, -. m. ,;
sTime lost between arrival and departure with
permission; "Time LOST do. "without per-
mission" and operations undo IL are 10 COM
mence October LIST, proximo, and the report fe
70 be signed by the clerk, coQnterslgned by
Chief OF Division, and sent 10 headQ arters.
confess that at first regarded these trans
actions as sheer trifiiag with men. and therefore
as vexatious. But since their appearance, L
have taken q considerate survey Of the whole
matter, and cannot see where they affect me
In any manner, At least detrimentally, and
care nothing about them. The blanks are fiIled
mp al Uncle Sans expense and not mine.
do not think that they were gotten mp 70 hit my
case. do not smo.e nor drink nq nor during
office hours, nor get drunk after Office hours,
nor have q big drunk for days, nor play sick
half q month at q time 70 be absent 50 the
hygienic regulation of the Secretary, does not
affect me at all, but / find that it does others,
and that the Treasury Department was never
so healthy as now. What q blessing it is'
Finally, IL may be q relief TO some TO know,
that In obedience 70 call by the House OF
Representatives on the various Departments
during the LIST session OF the oath Congress, 70
"lay before the House q list Of their respective
clerks and deputies, containing their names,
their ages, and the dates Of their promotions,
with the amount OF their several salaries, and a
specific enumeration, under appropriate heads
of their peculiar functions or duties: that Mr..
Secretsry Levi Woodbury., OF the Treasury
Ing similar TO the one referred TO above.