The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-05-27
A Very Annoying System.

A Washington correspondent of the
New York Mail and Express writes:
The employees of the treasury have been
in hard luck for a good while, owing to
the martinez placed over them in the
position of chief clerk. Anybody who
wants to be a treasury clerk should read
this. This chief clerk has to deal with
the rules and regulations of the office.
He is the man who stands between the
secretary and his clerical force. Mr..
Youmans is the gentleman who repre-
sents Secretary Manning in this capaci-
ty, and Youmans is just about as un-
popular with the gentlemen and ladies
of the department as man can well be.
By the side of Youmans the memory of
Col. Webster and his military system
rises like vision of departed Joys. The
last named official used to require a
military salute from the messengers and
watchmen. Youmans requires every
employe who leaves the building dur
ing office hours to have q pass. This
pass must be shown to the watchman at
the door or the employe be restrained
by force or reported for breaking guard.
The passes are granted by the chiefs Of
bureaus or divisions. In the monthly
report rendered it seems that the third
auditors Office headed the list with one
hundred and sixty passes in March.
This was too much for Youmans. At
first he thought of having the whole,
Office locked in after hours, but it was
doubtful whether this punishment so
etficacious when he taught school,
would work. He concluded to repri-
mand the officials who had granted the
passes 1t was decided to take away
the authority of the chiefs of divisions
in the third auditors office to grant
passes, and by way of making the pun
ishment fit the crime compel these chiefs
to take out passes themselves from the
auditor or his deputy. Now when the
division chief wants to go across the
street the clerk presents himself before
his chief uncovered. There he stands
until the chief deigns to notice him.
Then something like the following oc-
ours:
Clerk-Please Mr.. -, would like
to 90 out for few minutes.
Chief-Eh? What! 1t seems as if
everybody is going out to-day. What
are you going out forP
Clerk Gndignantly)-I-I haven't
been out this month, sir.
Chief-And that's why you want to
90 out, ehp
Clerk-Oh, no. Ihave little pri-
vate business which makes my presence
necessary. 1t is pressing.
Chief (grumbling)-1 suppose you
couldn't attend to your private business
| out of office hours. Well. here's your
pass. hope you'll enjoy the matinee.
The retiring clerk receives this sar-
| castle raking stern fire in silence and
| hurries off. If it is a woman she cries a
| little in her anger and modification,
but gets her coat and bonnet, and, feel
ing like she could scratch somebody if
that somebody were Youmans, she
breaks for the door. Here a rough
fellow blocks the passage.
Got a passP"
"Yes, I've got pass"
'Show it, then, and don't stand here
blocking the passage. Examining the
peper. This is good for half an hour.
Dear me! l shall never be able to
get back in that time," despairingly.
If you don't you'll be reported, :"
| growls the watchman, and he halts the
next
Imagine ladies and gentlemen SUBJ
| mitting daily to this sort of thing and
you will understand what dogs life
the government employe leads under
such regulations as prescribed by the
chief clerk of the treasury. Instead of
discharging at once the deadbeats and
loafers the whole force is placed on the
deadbeat and loafer level.