New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-25
WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
A WOMAN,S VIEW.

IN THE GOVERNMENT sERvICE-wHAT WOMEN
LOOK FORWARD TO IL THE REFORM MOVEMENT
tRKoy THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON. April 2l.-1'he vie rs OF prac'leai
woman. who has been many years IN the Govern
,pent service on the interesting ouestlon oI 'no
eouslity OF women with men before the Civii oe''-
Ice Commission. and the vexed question Vi "on""
efficiency are much entitled to be hearu at ""s'
on the ground OF fairness as those oi me". ~
ma noint, were mt the other day to lady VINO IS
known as one of the most capable CLERKS IN hei VI
vl,ion. aud who has had the beneht OF long W
ssryation in the service. she sara pIonip'' '"
the practical women wanted no iaVois' a"u "'''" %
apxious a. men could be TO keep incompetent women
out Said she al hope the Commission won az
teuu, to discriminate against women in The exam,
;na,io,. The law places limit and IL VIII
hrdlv do for the Commissioners to open the uoor
,.c,,ck where the law throws il wide open. women
shopld be allowed to compete with men as tLe ~"
permits and they should stand or ial by 'nc 'e'ui~
II is the probationary period after the ehaniha ION
that "a the true test after all, fer Doth men ana
women"
These were among the things said by this lady,
and are worth setting down " what we women
lo,L forward 70 IN the Civil Service Reform move
meut is not only the opportunity 1t gives capaoie
women for appointment and advancement III the
minister the la properly in preventing the appoint
rnent of incompetent women The odum of their
in,fficiency falls on all of us-for men Judge them
sci es rs individuals and women as "A class. man
who is useless as a clerk. incorporate and good Tor
nothing generally, is often kept III once DIV poit
cal influence as woman who is lneihcent' lbe
yenience to the office Is equally great out you
never hear the remark. Ii is great mistake 10
appoint men to these places. Those OF US whose
self-respect demands that We shall earn every doar
we receive ana who take pride IN having good
grade of ork and in doing 1t well. always resent
the appointment Of a woman who does not perform
her duties faithfully and WE'LL
ain proportion to the number appointed. 1t is my
observation. and have been in the service eighteen
years andIhave given the matter some attention. that
there are as many incompetent clerks among men as
among women. Indeed. l am not snre but that the
proportion OF worthless clerks Is greater among the
men, The employment OF women IL an experiment.
and because IL is an experiment they are more
c,oselv observed than men, and their shortcomings,
of whatever kind, whether physical or mental. arc
more surely noted. When you consider the manner
in which appcintments have been msde you cannot
wonder at the number OF inefficient clerks employed
In the various departments large number of
women have been appointed for sentimental reasons
Their needs and not their qualifications have been
considered On the other hand, large number OF
n.n have been appointed for what may DO called
similar reasons. The question of ability has not
been considered. but they have been appointed
umply because they were soldiers In the var THIS
sentiment may have bt ell higher than the other but
il was none the less a sentiment. The grattude Oh
the country ough to be expressed in Increased PEN
sons rather than IN appointments that oemorai'%e
the service.
"The most pressing duty upon each head of de-
;.tb a of
both sexes. and 1t Is a duty the performance oil
which should not be delayed. Taking women IN
the service AS they even, they wonld De Tar
halter clerks If their immediate superiors-who are
men in almost every case-knew how 10 make them
So Women are disseminated against II they diu
but know it, in the character Of the WORK assigned
to them | consider that every woman ls dlscrim-
mated against when she is gwen the easiest WORK.
and is thus made 10 feel that not much Is eApepted
of her She is also Disseminated against when she
is accorded greater privileges than men in the way
of .borter hours etc Heads of bureaus allow
irtssoou,ibe women to do they Please. ana then
90 abont weakly complaining that women IN gen
eral are not as good clerks "a men. ms pocy o.
official coddling alternating with Official dsparage-
ment does not tend 10 the efficiency vi any
class of clerks.
The very general assertion that women are not
so available rs for Oics work. Is bard 10 meet'
unleSs illustration Ia gwen anu tHaI ~ soiu"W
the case. know Que case however. IN when the
obiection was clearly stated. stonographer 10
bureau in one Of the departments who was about "
resign his position said to a woman. aiSo stcnog-
| rapher ana IN the line Of promotion. am sorry
Won can't have this place. YOu are perfectly com
petent to 90 all the work connected with H. but you
know Won conldn't say to "A Senator for Instance, II
one snond come 10 the absence of yOnr chief, Good
morning, 5lr Senator. WHAT can do for yon, MI.
| SenutorP This woman was of course, too desply
IMPRESSED with the importance and difficulty OF this
dirty ever to apply for the position 10 he at all
surprised to find, when the appointment was gwen
to man. that such trfes accuracy 10 spelling ana
| in grammar had been overlooked in making the
selection.
| al know of but one man in the Treasury Depart
men: who knows how 10 bring ont all there IL III
| a clerk man or woman. and while the clerks in his
dysion differ as to ability. they are all eiii ;ient IN
their several degrees and not the least efficient are
| tbe women There are better clerks i'll the Treas
| nry Department today than the women who were
| appointed and promoted under the CiYll Service
| rules IN operatiUn in General Grants time When
women have fair field and no favor II will be IN
order to determine OF what value thar services are.
| and what SHOULD be their status in the civil estab
| Iisbmsnt Under these conditions havo no fear
what the verdict will be- If the civil service law Is
carried out it shOuid be-as all thinking clerks
| hone it will be-then faithful and capable men and
women will work side by side. sharing an equal 49,
spcnsibilitv. receiving equal pay for All equal
| amount of work performed d. d. L.
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