National Republican., 1886-08-27
wu1cn DoEs THE MOST WORK .
The Men or Women CLERKS In the De-
pnrtments During Working Hours


The controversy which has been going on
in the papers for some time between men
and women clerks IN the departments as TO
which do the most work, induced reporter
Of the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN TO take
some observations in the patent office yes
terday afternoon. In the first room
noticed there were two women and one
man at worlS-at least the women were.
They were young and quite pretty, but
their faces bore m expression of extreme
weariness as they bent over their desks and
pegged away with their pens. For ten
minutes or more neither Of them looked
up, not even the entrance OF the reporter
attracting their attention. But the lord OF
creation, how did he work Not weary,
by any means. lie did some figuring, II ls
true, but II was accompanied with such lean
ings back and gazes through the window
that he actually seemed to be trying bis
best to while away the time. Whether he
was an expert at the work, and therefore
more rapid In execution, or whether he had
less labor to perform than his fair com
panions, deponent sayeth not. Anyhow, the
girls put in fully twice the labor, while
the reporter was In the vicinity. In the
next room, woman with iron gray curls
was sorting lot Of documents with
rapldity that recalled Byrne, the treasury
wizard who manipulates the treasury
checks. She seemed wholly bent In getting
through a certain amount OF work and
frequently glanced at the clock with alarm.
Directly across the room was a short, COM
Portable looking young man who was deep
In the news columns OF newspaper, with his
feet resting luxurously on q low chair.
Aftera while he dropped the paper and setto
work In q half-hearted way. He looked at
the clock, too, but II was evident he was
only longing for the hour OF 4 TO arrive. In
other rooms men and women both were
toiling hard, but throughout the building
the women seemed to be almost over
whelmed, while the other clerks generally
appeared to take things easy. or course
there is great deal In the claim OF the men
that, on account Of their superior ability,
they can accomplished more within given
time than the women can, and that, conse-
| quently, they are not pressed, but the fair
| ones will allow no such claim. Said one
| Of them to the reporter after
working hours 1--WE have fully one
| fourth more work to do on an
average than the men. There is no secrect
about the fact that the chiefs would like to
| get rid Of us, and try to work us into
| resigning. That is all nonsense about men
being able to work faster than we can.
Many Of us have had long experience here,
and can work with as great speed as any
man, but the trouble is, we have more to
do. That article in the paper the other
evening about women loafing in the depart
ments was the most shameful misrepresen-
tatlon / ever saw. Just look In at the offices
any day and you will see how false 1t is.
You won't see women leaning back tanning
and reading, can tell you. We WORK
straight along from till 4, except at lunch
time, and II Is happy thing for us that the
hours are short; otherwise the chiefs would
be successful in forcing us to resign"