Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-24
sssTRICTLY BUSINESS
The New Regime At the Treasury.
ALL HANDS HARD AT woRK-FULL TIME Ex.
ACTED AND no LoAFING ALLOWED

Chief Clerk Youmans has found that after
three or four days of improvement among the
Treasury clerks as to tha Hour of their arrival
the number of delinquents has begun to in
crease again, and he has notified them that if
this state of things continues dismissals will
surely follow. He is bothered very much by
chiefs of divisions and other small officials who
come to him TO get their delinquent clerks ex-
cused. There is . very general inclination to
resist the enforcement of the rules, and much
annoyance and delay in work is occasioned by
1t. Mr.. Youmans says he finds that the chief
occupation of some of the clerks is to devise
some means,of doing nothing. Those who were
favored by persons who had it in their power
to protect them from exposure came late and
left their offices early and did as little work as
possible while there. These are the sort of
clerks the enforcement OF the rule strikes. The
good clerks who attend to their duties faith
t%l' l,s viii have no cause eau ,i to complain
sion say that they keep the time OF their
own clerks and complain that that ought
to be sufficient without making them account
able to the chief clerk and placing them under
the surveillance of the watchmen. but "A curious
feature of the case is that no one was ever re-
the new method Of keeping their time was
adopted. The effect of the new system is being
felt in the amount of work that is disposed of,
ana the department is assuming more the APP
pearance OF q large business house. Fewer
clerks are seen in the corridors and those few
are generally passing quickly from one room to
another instead of standing around talking, as
formerly. There is a marked decrease in the
number of Office seekers and congressman who
Visit the building during the day.
SECRETARY MANNINGs ROOM,
which, early in the administration, was crowded
nearly all day long, is given up nearly entirely
to business, and the callers are only few who
come on business The Secretary keeps closer to
MS private room, where he sees his bureau
ohcers and transacts the general business of the
department, and Is just now busy with matters
connected with his report. He devotes his per-
sOnal attention to the department work and at
the same time keeps a comprehensive outlook
upon national finances, and watches the COM
merclal and financial fluctuations closely. His
desk in the main office is given up to his private
and type writer has been introduced into the
Office The whole place has an air of business
about 1t. and all three of the occupants OF the
room are Kept hard at work.
THE SECRETARY's ASSISTANTS.
Chief Clerk Youmans and the new Assistant
Secretary have taken hold of the business de-
tails of the department and are getting il down
to prompt and steady business methods Most
persons from the outside having business with
the department are referred to them. A great
change has taken place in their offices. There
is a business air about everything and work is
done promptly: Mr.. Youmans, being longer in
the department., is more familiar with the de-
tails OF the work, and keeps the machine well
oiled and running.
Mr.. Smith has taken hold of his new office in
quite q practical way, and Is already hard at
work. He is surrounded by people having
business with the office. and is Kept pretty
hard at work all day long.
CHANGES IN MR.. HIGGINS OFFICE.
Quite a change has come over the appoint
ment division. The mad rush for office is all
over, and they have got down to the regular
legitimate business. The female clerks, whose
presence frightened up the place, have been
transferred to other branches Of the service, the
crowds of Office-seekers is nowhere to be seen.
and the whole office has quite matter-of-fact
business-like aspect. Mr.. Higgins has a desk in
one corner Of the room surrounded by high
green screen, where he sits TO look over his mail
and Messrs. Rose and Albright occupy desk
In the middle of the room, busy with the rou-
tine work of the office.
The whole department looks as if it had been
turned into big banking house.