Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-04
THE LADY CLERKS.
The Views OF q Treasury Official Re.
garding Women Ia Office

garding Women In Office
WHY THEIR EMPLOYMENT HAS NOT HITHERTO
BEEN ENTIRELY MISCONCEPTIONS AP-
POINTED By SYMPATHETIC OFFICIALS WITH
OCT REGARD TO QUALFICATIoN-THE CUES
TIoN OF THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF MALE
AND FEMALE CLERKS NOT FAIRLY TESTED YET.
''You are a friend to the gentler sex, are you
notS" asked STAR reporter of an official Of
long service In the Treasury department
How could be otherwise" was the reply.
''Well, then. tell me about the satisfactory
manner in which the woman clerks have per-
formed their duties and let us say good word
for them"
Il am afraid your expectations viii not be
realized. for, to speak canddiy in nv opinion
the lady-clerk business has been overdone in
this department. which can answer for the
others. The result is that nine chiefs of dvs-
ions out of ten never would select lady TO do
duty under them If they could help it. That
sounds harsh, doesn't it? But / will try and
explain how the state of things was brought
about and show YOU that the women are not
wholly to blame for it. Under the old patron
age system women were pitchforked into this
department without the slightest regard TO their
qualifications for the duties they were To per-
form. Now, with the men il was different
man of influence could not have the face to
strongly recommend man for position in the
department unless he was able to show that he
qualified in some way for the position
sought. That wasn't necessary, though. in the
case of woman. She could reach the SYM
pathies of the man who could get the appoint
ment, or the Secretary who could make it.
and nothing more was required. Women were
more successful in securing positions for them
selves than men. They seem to have no hest
fancy in showing their distressed condition, and
if they could satisfy the proper persons that
theirs were cases OF necessity, as they gener-
ally could, the fight was over. When a man
began to work on the necessity plan he seldom
met with much success. Thus it was that
the department was crowded with women.
more than were needed. and they had to be
given employment. The heads of bureaus
preferred to get along without them, but they
couldn't suit themselves in the matter. They
won't tell you so, but nearly all Of them will
acknowledge among themselves that women
clerks as general thing are nuisances. Now
I'll tell you why. One reason is that they can't
manage them. 1t often happens that one has
strong backing. Her chief knows It, and she
knows it. She takes advantage of her position
and does just about what she pleases. and her
has the best Of it, and does not
attempt to get the upper hand. But
even if there is no strong influence IN the
case. the chief often fails in enforcing proper
discipline. He makes up his mind that he will
deal with the women under him exactly as
divest himself OF the idea that they must be
treated differently because they are women
The champions of the wonans cause say that If
that is the case It's the fault Of the chiefs and
not of the clerks. The chiefs were there before
the women Clerks and YOU could hardly EXPECT
the secretary to change his chiefs because the
women were unsatisfactory clerks The trouble
mainly arises from the patronage appointment
system, when not the slightest regard was paid
to qualification.
no hot hoe oI, b.,
bear on the secretaries for the appointment of
women is something enormous. Even Secre-
tary F0lger always had large list of woman
applicants, which he called his distressed list. +"
and he never could reduce it. 1t resulted in
women working their way into the department
where they were not wanted or needed For
instance, il there was vacancy on the laborers'
or the messengers roll woman would be ap-
pointed and then put at some clerical labor, such
as copying. That was practically an evasion Of
the civil service rules. but nevertheless it has
been done time and again"
But there are some good lady clerks. are
there not?" asked the reporter
''Oh, yes, indeed there are but am speak
ing generally. The women are not responsible
for the state Of affairs. Now that the civil SER
woman branch Of the service will be greatly i'm
proved. Still it is a fact that where it is dis
cretionary with the head Of a division whether
he Will have man or woman who has passed
tue CIVIL service examination he VIII almost in
Varlably choose the former. He prefers to take
the chances of an unknown man to an unknown
woman. On the other hand, however. where it
is choice OF known woman clerk for promo
ton, Or an unknown candidate for q first
class clerkship. he will doubtless prefer to pro-
mote lady who has shown herself capable and
faithful. for there are plenty Of such. know
of two ladies in this department who are Just as
good as the best clerks ever saw and one Of
them is better than any clerk ever saw. Now
don't misunderstood me in this matter as being
unwilling to give credit to women clerks.
only mean that in this department the lady
clerk question has not had "a fair test Vet. on
account of the condition of affairs that have
described. / believe that women will make
valuable clerks where they have routine duties
to perform, or some set work. but | doubt if
they prove successful where they are given
authority over Others, or where it is necessary
for them to exercise judgment in the perform
ance of their duties"