The Washington critic., 1890-02-23
Mr.. RUSK'S BUSY HIVE
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT BLUE
BOOK SAYS OF 1T.

Cnte-Allcged Unfair Distribution
oi the Ofiices-Women Complain of
InjuStice-SCIcntists and Copyists
How many people read the Blue
Book!-a work of no great merit in a
litcTniy sense, yet one on which the
Government has spent much time and
has gotten up with very great care and
elegance. The Blue Book makes no
prGlcnsc TO fine writing or furnishes u
line Of poetry. 1t is on the method Of
its compilation and accuracy of its
figures that the Government, as author.
takes credit to itself
The Blue Book Is divided into chap.
tcrs, one Of which is often found
mcaiy enough for an evenings enter
tainmcnt. Take, for instance, one of
the middle chapters, entitled "The De.
pariment of Agriculture" and while
II resembles the others in its various
di,isions and subdivisions, the inter.
prctaiion Of The figures will be some
what surprising to the investigator
Under the comprehensive title above
named are grouped the several divisions
of accounts, statistics, chemistry,
botony, entomology, ornithoogy,
mammology, forestry, pamology, micro.
scopy and seeds; also, the experiment
station, experimental garden and mu-
scum, and the banner division of the
Department, called the Bureau of Ami
nal Industry. There are employed in
this Department about 700 people.
The first item of interest in relation
10 the Department of Agriculture is the
amount Congress provides for its ex-
penses. Last year Congress appropri-
ated for the running expenses and saa-
ries about 5000, 600 and this amount is
supposed to be expended with impartial
care for the interests of all the United
States.
There is general idea abroad that
these great governmental Departments
make really honest effort TO not only
distribute the benefits of its labor in the
States with equal impartiality, but to
distribute the Offices subject 10 its au-
thority with equal fairness among the
forty-two contributing States.
II one were to say to his neighbor that
out Of this 5000 600 in 1889 appropri-
ated New York State got nearly 500
000 his ncighbor would be inclined to
think he was joking, or had been mis-
informed or that unfairncss had been
practiccd by som ebody somewhere
The Blue Book never lies, aud the
Blue Book is responsible for anything
rejecting upon public institutions.
Not only was nearly 500, 600 given TO
| New York men, but for most part to
men who were returned to their own
State to put their salaries in circulation
! for the benefit of that State. Every
body knows that Uncle Jerry Rusk, the
most popular officer in the Cabinet, is
! Secretary of Agriculture. Naturally
| the public would think that his Depart
ment would be swarming with Badgers
| This Is not the case. Secretary RuslS,
| it seems, was permitted to have a Wis
consin man for his own private clerk
Besides this gentleman there are only
six others in the entire Department from
the Secrctary's State. There are in the
Department nearly 100 from New York
which, considering even the superior
population and merits of that State,
looks like pretty steep figure The
State of Iowa, in matter of offices, sees
Wisconsin and goes one better-divid-
ing the Offices (but not the salarics)
among four men and four women.
IT may not be inopportune Mt thi!
point to note a peculiar working o
civil service rules. There is common
belief among the people that not NOR,
than two persons of the same family
can secure offices in the same Depart
ment. This is very great error, as
will be noticed by the distribution oil
the Department among the Vcscy
family. DR.. George Vescy, Miss Flora
Nesey, Mr.. George Vcscy-father, son
and daughter, appointed respectively
from Illinois, Washington Territory
and Washington city--arc not only in
the same Department but the same di-
vision, that of botany, and their com
bined salaries of $500, 5000 and
81 500 are S640 more than all Of the
salaries paid the entire State of Iowa
throughout the entire Department.
Speaking of salaries, il may not bC
out of place to remark, in passing. thai
many of the women employees claim
that there is no justice in Department
work, and that the class of work and
salary depends very much upon tho
chief of the division, and that there art
people doing work for 5000 for which
others get 81, 400 and 81 500. There i,
one woman, scientist, who docs the
difficult work assigned her with re
markable care and accuracy for $500
while almost at her elbow a mere
copyist receives $1,000, while the mer
who do similar work receive 81 600 and
81 500 salaries.
The Bureau of Animal Industry Il
particularly choice division, as mos
of the work is outside of Washington
commands fair salaries and generou
travelling expenses. The Bureau o
Animal Industry is soft berth, fac
which is apparently appreciated by New
York.
New York, with some encroachmcnt
by New Jersey and Maryland, may b,
said to have literally "scooped" tn,
offices in this division. With salarie
ranging from 1,400 to $1,000, ther,
are in this one division siXty-four New
York men. This is inclusive of eigh
extra men, four of whom are eXper
veterinary inspectors at $40 and $l2
day, with expenses.
Iowa, the banner hog State Of thu
Union, has not solitary veterinary sur
geon or inspector employed There /
not one from the beef raising district
Of Texas, nor one from the wool grow
ing States of Michigan and Ohio. Tni
of itself Is singular, but not nearly 81
peculiar as the fact that these appointec
from other States are not distribute,
over the needy regions of swine plague
cattle fever and sheep rot. Out of tn
siXty.four men from New York, siXt
are sent back to study the animal in
dustry of their own State, Out Of tn
lO3 names starred in the Blue Book a
entitled to travelling expenses, the SiNl
New Workers are found Of the IT
naming forty three, nearly all are /
the States Of New Jersey and Mary
land,
. Not only are Iowa. Texas and Obi
left out in the cold as to offices, bu