New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-12

would have been very likely, also, TO nave
saved him the absurdity of saying, as ne
does. that one of the duties of his division Is
the purchase" of "hired men," the "pur-
chase, of per diem TO extra duty men, &c
Nor would they have permitted so
clumsy, confused, and contradictory an eA-
PLANTATION rs the chief makes of the reason iof
the large increase of accounts and returns
this wear over last without corresponding
increase in the amounts involved, to so into
grave public document. We pass over
several other incongruties and errors OF this
division and pass to the explanation the Chief
| of the Pension Division makes or tries to make
| of the duties of his office. Read this specl-
men of the kind of English used by this chief:
| The duties devolvng upon this division are
keeping an account with each army pensoner,
recording the name, rate, date of commence
ment. noting every increase, reduction, trans
! fer, re.marriage, death and expiration, wheth-
err by limitation under existing laws or on
account of the disability having ceased. AL
so, keeping an account with each pension
agent, (of whom there are So charging him
| with all moneys advanced by the Govern
uent, under the several appropriations to pay
pensions, receive and register the accounts
as sent each month direct to this office, by
the agents who have disbursed the money,
and properly file them for settlement.
If the chief had not forgotten to tell the
Auditor what he means by "date of COM
mencement' and "cxpiratian," or the eek
piration" of what he refers to, it would have
been more satisfactory to those whose inter-
, est it is to read the report. And the English
Of the statement is not improved by its sud-
den transition from the present participle to
the present verb, the indscriminate use OF
each in the same sentence, when only one OF
the other can be correctly used, the use Of
the present for the past tense, direct instead
Of directly, and similar errors. The whole
statement abounds in this kind Of bungling
may, might, and shall being considered inter.
changeable terms, sentences left unfinished
adjectives substituted for adverbs, and Other
barbarous outrages upon our mother tongue
We presume it is the usual custom of the
chief clerk to translate these statements into
respectable English. But as he may not al
ways be able to do so on account Of absence
sickness, or other pressing engagements, we
trust the President will assign to the Civil
Service Board that duty. The credit Of tho
Government, as we'll as the particular de
partment from which these reports emanate
, are involved in this matter and it become:
, him to see that the public service shall no
be disgraced by these annual exhibitions O
carelessness or ignorance. The mission o
the gentlemen whose contributions to on
official literature we have criticised, evi
IDENTIFY is not writing the English language
They are quite likely faithful and efficien
!, clerks in certain positions, but decidedly no
: at home in the line of English composition
1t is not intended, we beg the gentlemen
whose compositions" we have noticed to be
lieve, to single them out as sinners above al
. others. But this report happened to be thu
:, first to attract our attention, and we though
= it would do for a text for what we desired t
:, say in regard to an evil which the Civi
. Service Board ought to be able to correct a
:, well as any other, and present as Favorable
: opportunity to suggest to the President hoy
:, he can turn it into some practical account
AS opportunity and occasion occurs, we ma
pay our respects to other delnquents of tn
- same kind. In the meantime, perhaps,
!, will be well for the Chiefs and those who's
compositions enter into and make up thes
bureau reports, to turn their attention to tn
study of English grammar against time c
=. need.