St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-13
SOFT SNAPS.
Places at Washington That Require Little
Work-The New Policy.


Work-The New Policy.
Special to the Globe.
WAsHINGToN, March 12.-To a gentleman
who spent nearly an hour with him this
morning President Cleveland said that he
was going to render the government service
less enticing than it has been heretofore. In
other words he proposes to make the hours of
labor proportionate to the pay that is re-
ccived. His action in cutting the clerical
force in the White house exactly in half is
regarded as an indication Of what will
be done in the departments after the admin
istratiye machine gets fairly to running.
One Of the White house clerks, whose ser
vices will be dispensed with on the 18th
inst, was known as the Exchange Editor. -
His duties were merely nominal There
was not work enough to keep him employed
FIVE HOURS WEEK.
He was given the place by Hayes, and his
salary was 81, 500 year. Another one of
these clerks was telegraph operator, who got
81, 400 per annum. He was frequently
Rbscnt1 from the executive mansion for
months at time, but his salary went on
with increasing regularity. 1t is not stating
Il too broadly to say that the work in the de
partments here could be accomplished with
Onc-third less force than is at present en-
poyed. Col. Lamont summed up the situa-
ton very aptly in connection with the White
house clerks when he said zone week has
enabled me to see the manner in which
short days and complicated ways have been
resortcd to in order TO make the places here
and | doubt not that the same
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
will be found to exist in every department" !"
Although Mr.. Cleveland has not said so In
so many words, it is clearly his intention to
make sweeping changes in every bureau ex-
cept possibly the patent Office and the sixth
auditors office, where the work is very heavy
and the number of clerks relatively small
In the war, state and navy departments the
work Is never Of n pressing nature, but is
confined entirely TO matters Of routine. The
clerks sit In handsomely frescoed,
high-studded and elegantly appointed
rooms. The strictest construction of the
rules only requires that they shall be
AT THEIR DESKS
between the hours of 9 a. m. and 4 p. m =,
with generous half hour for luncheon.
Notwithstanding these short hours they find
ample time to read newspapers and lounge
in the corridors aud chat with their friends
The average salary Is probably 81, 600 per
year. The same condition OF affairs exists
in the other departments, except at the in
terror, where the work In some Of the
bureaus is little heavier and in others a
tTiAc less
Recently young lady who had been trans
ferred to the land office found herself half an
hour late in
REPORrtSG At HER DESK.
She went to the chief Of her division in some
embarrassment aud apologized for not reach
ing the office before $50 o'clock in the
morning. my dear child" exclaimed the
chief in fatherly fashion, "you alarm
yourself unnecessarily. 1t is always
9 o'oyck here until it is 10"
The young lady took the hint and has ever
since consulted her pleasure as to the proper
time for reporting for duty. 1t is this sort OF
thing that President Cleveland proposes to
abolish, but there are grave doubts If he will
ever wholly succeed. 1t is task which has
failed OF accomplishment so often that there
are few who believe that the iron -willed
Cleveland viii prove an exception to the
rule