Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-10
The New Discipline for Government
:, Clerks.


Clerks.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
The recent orders issued in the Treasury.
| and In the Adjdtant Generals office, re-
strcting in various ways the employees excite
very lively comment in those and the other
departments of the government, and the
general impression among the best class OF
employees is that while abuses have existed
which should be corrected, the best method for
their correction has not been adopted.
Concerning the orders issued by the Adjutant
General torbidding the reading of newspapers
during office hours and limiting the time for
lunch to fifteen minutes, &c. &c. little may be
said perhaps except that it would have saved the
many gentlemen in that bureau the modification
of being treated like thieves if the head of the
office had taken the course which would have
suggested itself to man conducting his private
business, who would most likely have quietly
informed those who We're misbehaving that
continuance Of their actions would result in dis
missal. 1t will surely not be claimed that all the
employees of this office have been so neglectful
OF their duties as to call for such severe rebuke;
| then why not weed out the offenders.
The order issued in the Treasury, however
forbiddng clerks receiving visitors on any &C
count whatever. are likely to be still acre OBJ
jectiOnabe to the attentive and honest EN-
plOye
To say that an employe shall not be seen dur
ing office hours by relatives or friends on any
account is introducing a discipline not CON
sldered necessary even in the case of jail-brds.
unless in exceptional cases. Shall a clerk be
denied the privilege of seeing his wife or child.
who perchance is the bearer of telegram of
much Importance, or shall the citizen who may
be passing through our city, and who has a
moment to spare before continuing on his jour
ncy to distant parts, be denied the privilege of a
moments interview with a friend because that
friend holds, what should be, the honorable
position Of a government clerk?
There is one class who will doubtless glory
over this'order fOrbidding visitors as it will de-
prlve their creditors Of sight of them unless
it be in transitu. for they are necer home when
creditor calls. Many honest employees believe
that the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury
has been imposed upon and Influenced to issue
this measure. which will have a tendency to
shield to quite an extent the dishonest public
servant The right to contract debt cannot
well be denied, but the authorities can let it be
understood that only honest men can remain In
office, and then an emplOye having contracted a
debt and knowing to whom he is indebted and
the business place of his CREDITOR will go there,
as he should, and pay. Failing in this. however,
the creditor should not be denied the privilege
OF seeing his debtor, even in a public office,
should it be necessary; and when such calls of a
creditor or creditors upon an employee, of what
ever grade, become so frequent as to interfere
with the performance of his official duties, the
service OF such employee should be dispensed
with, and his place given to one Of the many
able and honest men who are willing to serve in
the capacity even of a government clerk.
Ia the Treasury and in the office of the Adju-
tant General, as in every government office there
are gentlemen who will no doubt feel keenly
the injustice Of orders subjecting them to treat
ment bordering on that given to convicts 1t is
bad enough to be compelled to associate with
that class who impose upon the government by
taking pay for which they do not render ade-
quate service, and that other class who hold
their reception of creditors on the LIST and 18th
OF each month. without being subjected to the
modification Of being treated themselves as
though of those classes.
Let something like the same rules be applied
to government employees that are found to
operate best in private business establishments.
The worthless only will then suffer. and those
who faithfully attend to their duties, live hon
estly, and pay their debts will be properly APP
preciated. Yours, ''HUMILITY."