New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-03
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT or WOMEN

Washington Letter TO The Hartford CotIrdnL
Ex'Socrotary Boutwell, did more to encourage the
promotion OF women than any other cabinet
officer has ever done. He put "A lady IN charge OF
division In the bureau oil internal revenue who
still retains that position, and think receives tue
same salary other chiefs of division. She IN q
delicate, frall-lookIng little won au, with "A will
ANA energy exceeding physical strength. But she
has line executive ability, and Will wear out bus
will grow rusty IN tue harness In promo
the secretary must rely on his bureau officers
for know ledge OF tue efficiency OF clerks some
heads OF bureaus are Dot IN laVOr OF prone Dung
women. They cannot separate the woman from
the cleTk. and think she Receives more than sne
could earn outside Ihs may be just a. true OF
the head as OF the subordinate. lie may Ieceivo
pay for bis wOrk tnan 10 Coud earn outside,
but | have yet TO meet the bureau officer VINO
thinks his salary too great Tor his services.
Women are rarely ever permitted TO attempt tho
adjustment OF accounts ana yet thls Is sometimes
offered as reason Tor not promoting them. Tho
reu truth Is, that they are not allowed 10 DO such
WORK. Ii is more trouble To teach an Intelligent
woman to do such WORK than to teach an int"lli-
gent man. Custom has made accounts almost the
exclusive Work OF men, and because at The begin
ming women were appointed as copyIsts. aud were
not eligible to cleIkshlps. But an act OF Congress
made eligible to clerkshlps. ana some of them
possess the ability to ADJUST accounts IL they were
allowed TO do 80. Sometimes woman II amDl-
tiOus and would be glad to earn promotion by
doing more difficult work. She has demands upon
her great AZ man. and would be glad to wVrk
harder to earn more money To aid those drpenden6
tho support of parents sisters perhaps both, or
possibly widow with children 10 support. ii sac
IL equally as efficient clerk as man. why should
she not get tue same salary IL ssbe can 30 anu -
Wiling TO do the same Work AIN NOT preludiced,
but think that stupidity Is stupidity Wheeler mas
cune or feminine The only difference Is that
the Government bays more Tor stupid mans poor
work than Tor a stupid wUmans wOIk, tor there
are those who have to be hell Ell OGt' on ac-
counts, even after several wears experience and
teaching. and "a woman would not make greater
failure. Al allowed TO try the same WORK. But 80
long Sue Is not permitted To prove whether she
, all or cannot do IL, it should not be used as an
argument against her promotion, because she does
not adjust accounts.
good IDEAS of femin ne Indignation was aroused
by the appointments Ot so many men 70 cleIkShps ny
secretary OF the Interior, who ignored the APP
plIcatiOus ot women. Whatever reason lie had Tor
It, IL is certain mat ve.y few women were APP
pointed. one alleged reason was that the Work
was OF such nature that women could not per-
form II. once upon time predecessor OF tne
present Secretary appointed n large number or
cltrks-lnen, ana not a few OF them sat AT uesks
flung out blank circulars for some time. W omen
wOuld have glad to have done such Work Tor
the pay OF copyisI, but the clerks appointed re-
ceyed not less thau 200 and many ~ 400, per an
mum. The Old aduge says, Turn abOdt ~ Tar play"
secretary Teller might have found circulars Tor
women TO ill OUT. aud appointed some of the many
who had waited aud hoped for months 10 get
places. | daTrsay If he bad offered 200 per year
they would have been glad OF IT, and then the
circulars would have cost half much as they did
under the predecessor vino paid some meu 81 400
for such work. Or the Secretary could have pro.
NOTED few women who have been III tho lnterlo.
Department for a dozen years or more. ana ia this
way made places fol new appointments lnere arc
some curious facts about women 90 many OF
them seem destined by fate tor the same vocation
IN lfe that of supporting themselves ANA FREE
quently others also This number seems 10 Increase,
Is public opinion makes 10 more aud more honor
able for women To work for a living.