New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-15

stamps. The National Bank Redemption Agency
in the Treasury has some remarkable
women counters. very large part Of the clerical
force in the Dead Letter Oiic3 is made up oil
women. The Census Bureau, while 1t was IN full
operation, contained a large numbcr. Women are
employed in the QuartermasteTs Department. under
the War Department III the Judge-Advo ,aie-Gen-
erals Offer under The Navy Department in the
Uvdrographic Office: IN the Assistant Attorney
Generals Office Tor the Pest Office DEPARTMENT;
also in the Topographic Division and Blank Agency;
in the Land Office. Agricultural Department,
Bureau Of Education ETC.. TEN all these usually
as copyi3ts and writers To tho Government Print
ing ONCE large numbers are employed as feeders,
folders, sewers etc. Among all those are many
who are as expert in their work as the men, and
quite as useful-pTacticIl, buslness-llke women,
who have earned promotions by proficiency.
Here and there may be found some Who combining
Intelligence. experience and feminine nlInbleness
have shot aheai of the men. One OF the heavy
items Of WORK in the Pension Office last winter was
the preparation of the answer to resolution of in
quiry by Senator Beck One of the women made
out 2 ZOO slips day, the average for the others,
men and women, being 900 day.
There is considerable diversity Of opinion among
heads of departments and bureaus on the subject OF
increasing the number of women employed, and
also on the general subject of their employment.
Some say that for the grades of work to which they
usually assigned women do quite as well as
men, and express satisfaction with their work.
But, on the other hand, some of the
chiefs, who do not seem to have any
unfrendly spirit toward the women,
express some dissatisfaction with the
average OF women's work. and seem to think 1T
would he a mistake to increase the present proper
ton of them in the service. The difficulty, they
state il. is that women are more often taken into
the service from considerations of pity than men.
woman in distress and need-and there are only TOO
many of them-wIll naturally appeal 10 the benevo-
lent impulses of Congressman or Secretary far
more successfully than man. The result is that
many women find their way into the service who
are not really qualified. The answer made to this
on behalf of the women is that no such consldera-
lions can influence appointments under the new
law and that the women who show themselves |
competent on examination should have the |
places without regard to their sex Then comes |
the reioinder that while there many |
excellent women clerks the feminine temperament |
and feminine training ara not always suited to |
promptness and accuracy and there is n good deal |
OF friction and delay among the women, which |
would not be found among men. Altogether the |
woman question promises to cause more agitation |
than any other phase of the new Civil Service sys-
TEN.
book could be filed with pathetic histories Of |
the women in the Civil Service. Many are soldiers
widows. As rule the single women. as well as
those who have been married, are supporting Others
young brothers aud sisters. some
times aged parents. sometimes large family,
and sometimes there is q drunken husband
lowering about and trying to get the earnings that
are needed TO keep his children alive. Not
few of the women that SIT down to their desks
promptly with their fellow clerks in the morning
have been al work for hours dressing their children
getting their breakfast and hurrying them of To
school. and they 60 back to their home work when
the days routine at the Department Is over. Such
women look forward 20 a holiday not for rest and
pleasure, but for the amount of home work they
can get out of 1t. They are much more fortunate
than many of their sisters who are struggling for
existence. but there is a good deal of commonplace
herOisIn in their lives nevertheless. d. ID. l.