Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24

Experience in the Departments.

In compliance with numerous requests we re-
publish below all article that appeared in THE
STAR some years ago giving the views of a COM
petent authority upon the then. Gas now. } pro-
posed increase in the number of working hours
for government clerks:
prom The Ere7,fpg Star OF February 10, 1871.
THE PROPOSED TEN HOUR LAW
Elsewhere ex-Postmaster General King con-
tributes the benefit OF his observations and ex-
perienee TO the discussion of the proposed
eight OF ten hour law in the depart
mehts- lie states that the attempt was
made years ago in the Post Office depart
ment and other departments to REQUIRE service
from > or a. IN. to p. m. The experiment
failed utterly" and was given up after trial
OF a few months. Ii Was found that not only
was there no more work done on account Of the
addition to the working time, but some Of the
Clerks were made sick by the interruption to
their meals. AT another time the plan was
tried OF taking an hour or two tor dinner and
returning TO work until p. m. But this. too.
was abandoned as impracticable. He is salts
ned that SIX hours day is as long as one should
De confined To the department desk: leaving IL
however. discretionary with the heads to re-
quire extra hours of service as the public inter-
est may demand. AS Mr. King, when Post
master General. and for years before. when he
was the virtual head of thedepartment. had the
Official. Keeping the work promptly up to time,
ms opinions on the question are of Importance
The Proposed Eight or Ten Hour Law.
To the Editor of THE EvESISo STAR.
1 have been urged to state my experience in REL
Pos and hnE a so iSAa he a oRe en- e sae
eetive departments require service of the officials
from or a. i'll p. IN. 1t Is SUFFICIENT perha1s
to say that the experiment failed utter anu was given
Up after rial of only few months Ii WAS toup5 -,
not only MAS there no work done on ac ount ~
this addition TO the working time but some Of the cierts
were sde sch IRON having to drag through the as
the plan tried Of liking hour or two for iinner
At or ar ~ o. lock, and returning to work until D.
NJ, bat th!s, ass. MAS abandoned still more
impracleab be From long experience aud oiservat,,u
sm eonyinced that the rule which has generally PRE-
% winter is The true course. ana T. ibe In
the departments much the incon yenience 81
persons psrtieuia y from disanee-cai ing on busi
hess; Would not nowe.sr say that few minute,
'hi- usually be done wi.hou, ncon venienoe
The fast is. every ciei as well as head Of bureau
70 duty he can perform hi WORK Within the ho9r
when this Is the If . True aud faithful, servant
and none others should be appointed continued in
70 avoid getting behind Onethird oil the labor In
oftces may be saved by keeping fully up instead o.
allowing i; to be Constantly In arrears And gen
40 one should be confined these de,ar trnsnt IL SKIS
IcaNnS IL however discretionary witt the heads q
extra houfs u service as the pnb inter ut
demand. Hosarfo KING.
A boy in Mobile. Ala, burned down two build.
ings to win two bets aggregating a. that there
would be two fires in the city before certain
specified dates.
A iady In Norwich, Conn. p years of age. has
just begun to take lessons On the p.anoforte