New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-22
WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
A WOMAN'S VIEW.

N THE GOVERNMENT SERyICE-wHAT WOMEN
LOOK FORWARD TO IL THE REFORM MOVEMENT
tPKos THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE,
WASHINGTON April 2l.-1he vie US OF prae''cai
woman. who has been many years IN the Uo'ei"-
nent service on the interesting ouestloh OF 'n0
eouslity OF women with men before tue Wv" S
ice Commission. and the vexed question OF "o""H
efficiency are as much entitled tn he hearu' H' "
90 ,h. o,onnd of fairness as those of men. 80 Natl-
ma noipts were nut the other day to lady "no 10
known as one of the most capable CLERKS III no'
v,,ion. aud who has had the boneht OF ions W
s,ryation in the service. she saiu piouhp'' -
the practical women wanted no iaVorS' a"u w."
.,,i,rs "a men could be TO keep Incompetent women
ont Said she al hope the Commission won "V
teu,u, to discriminate against women in The exam
;,;o,. The law places limit, and IL VIII
lilly do for the Commissioners to open the ooor
= or,cL where the law throws il wide open' WOMEN
shopld be allowed to compete with men as LILO ID"
nsrmits and they should stand or fall by Tue result
II is the probationary period after the examine 'on
,,, "a the trus test after all, fer both men ana
women"
These were among the things said by This lady,
and are worth setting down " what we women
In,L forwaro 70 IN the Civil Service Reform move
meut is not only the opportunity 1t gives capaoie
women for appointment and advancement III the
Rpr !
minister the la properly in preventing the appoint
nent of incompetent women. The odlum vi 'heir
in.fficiency falls on all of us-for men Judge them
eel ..s "a individuals and women as "A class man
WIN ia useless as clerk incorporate and good Tor
nothing generally is often kept III once DIV poIIt'
ical influence as a woman who IS lnemcieh'' iho
incon venence to the office Is equally great ou' you
never hear the remark. 1t is great nhstake 'o
appoint men to these places Those OF US whose
sef demands that shall earn every dollar
we roceiy O. ana who take pride IN having goou
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
wears andihave given the matter some attention. that
there are as many incompetent clerks among men as
amono women Indeed, am not snre but That the
nronortion OF worthless clerks is greater among the
men. The employment OF women Is an experiment.
and because 1t is an experiment they arc more
closely observed than men. and their pDor'coh'ns'
of whatever KIND whether physical or mental arc
more surely noted. When you consider the manner
in which appointments have been made. 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
/
| men have been appointed for what may DO called
| similar reasons The question of ability has not
heen considered, but they have been appolnted
simply because they were soldiers In the war ms
| sentiment may have been higher than the other but
| il was none the less sentiment. The grautude oi
the country ought to be expressed In Increased PEN
| sions rather than appointments that demoraiize
| the service.
4Tbe most pressing duty upon each head of de-
| aaaI ~
| both sexes. and 1t Is duty the performance oil
which should not be delayed. Taking women IN
the service AS they now they wonld 10 Tar
| better clerks If their immediate superiors-who are
| man in almost every case-knew how TO make them
| 40 Women are disseminated against II they uiu
but know It, in the character oi the WORK assiBheu
| To them | consider that every woman ls discrim-
mated against when she is gwen the easiest WORK.
and is thus made 10 feel that not much Is eApe6'eu
| of her She is also Disseminated against when she
ia accorded greater privileges than men in the way
| az sbor,er hours etc Heads of bureaus allow
| irresponsible women to do as they Please. ana then
| 90 about weakly complaining that women IN gen
| eral are not as good clerks men. This policy o.
official coddling alternating with Official dsPafage-
men does not tend 10 increase the einclehcy vi any
| class of clerks.
| aTbe very general assertion that women are not
so available as men for Ocs work. Is hard to meet
rnlass some illustration il given and that ~ seldom
| the case | know Que case however. IN which the
| obiecton was clearly stated. stonographer 10
bureau in one Of the departments who was hoou' W
| resign his position said to woman. ai'o stenos-
| rapher ana IN the line of promotion. - am sorry
Won can't have this place. You are perfectly com
netent TO al the work connected with II, but yOh
know Won conldn't say a Senator. for instance II
| one snOnd come 10 the absence of yOnr chei' "oOd
| mornipo. ar Senator WHAT can do for yon. Mr..
senutorP This woman was. of course. too de7ply
IMPRESSED with the Importance and difficulty OF thlS
duty ever to apply for the POSITION or 10 oe III al
surprsed to find when the appointment was given
to man that such trifles accuracy 10 spelngaHd
in grammar had been overlooked in making the
selection.
al know OF but one man in the Treasury Depart
,nent who knows how To bring ont all there IL III
:, clerk, man or woman and while the clerks in ms
division differ as ability they are all EN- ;ient IN
their several degrees not the least efficient are
| tbe women There are better clerks III the Treas
| nrv Department to-day than the women VINO were
| apnointed and promoted under the CiVil Service
| rpIe. IN oueratiuu i'm General Grants time. When
,yooen have n fair field and no favor IL will be III
order 10 determine of what value their services are
and what shonl1 be their status in the civil estah
lishment. Under these conditions haVe no zeal
what the verdict will bc. If the civil service n"
carried out as it shouid be-as all thinking clerks
hone il will be-then faithful and capable men and
women will work side by side. sharing an equal 10
accessibility ana receiving equal pay for All equa
| amount of work performed" d. d. L'