Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06

That is to say, this has been the general
rule, and no exceptions have ever been
officially recognized. But under the
| system which has recently been
| inaugurated by direction of the President the
work done is now to be classified and arranged
| 80 that figures representing the aggregate of
the daily, weekly and monthly toll of each en-
| ploye can be etdown in columns and preserved
| In permanent form. For some months past
| the employees of the Post Office Depar tine mt
have been put under a similar system and so
have the employees of the other executive de-
partments. The Interior Department en-
ployes have not. therefore. been singled out
| and distinguished above the employees in other
departments. The order of the President re-
quires the application of this system to all the
departments.
FORMER ATTEMPTS AT REFORM.
The projection OF such a scheme into the off,
cial lives Of the clerks might have caused con-
siderable CONSERVATION and alarm had it not
been for the fact that all government employees
are more or less accustomed to measures OF
| this kind. Sometimes it is the idea of the head
of the department, then again it is chief clerk
| or more commonly it Is some bureau chief or
his satellite, who, inflamed with the ambition
to make the world of his official life little bet
tea by his having held office for time projects
some scheme of reform, which dies out with the
official breath of the author. A clerk who has
been In the government service for ten or if
teen years can recall good many examples Of
the f1eeting course Of reforms and reformers in
| the departments.
| The policy pursued by bureau chief who
| fourished not many years ago is often re-
| called. After he had made sure that he really
| had the place and that his name was on the
| roll kept by the disbursing clerk, he called the
| clerks together and notified them that he pro-
posed to have the work done promptly and
| that he did not intend to permit any idling.
They were to be in their places in the morning
| at 3 o clock and they were not to leave until 4
| O'Clock. If there is any loating to be done in
| this bureau" he said, II want you to under
stand that it is to be done by the chief
He was as good as his word. He came and
| went as he pleased and did no work, but he ex-
acted the utmost in work from the clerks and
was rigid in demanding the strictest punctu-
| atty.
| Probably. however, the successor of this
disclplinarian was an easy-going man and I'M
| der his rule the clerks had what is commonly
called a soft time.
These changes In policy have been the rule
| IN department life and no doubt large major
| ity OF the clerks look upon the system recently
introduced as another ephemeral movement.
| At any rate the new rules have become part
of the department routine without causing any
friction.
THE RECORDS OF THE CLERKS.
The record now made in the Interior Depart
| ment shows in the case of each clerk the esti-
nation placed upon him in regard to the fol-
lowing particulars: Punctuality attendance,
industry. accuracy, aptitude. conduct and
ability. The object is to consider when a pro-
motion is to be made the rating obtained by
him on these points in connection with an
examination. As the appointments are made
through the civil service and are based on
merit rather than influence it is the purpose to
| make promotions on the same grounds. So
that the merit which brings person into the
| department service will attend him as he ad-
! vances through the different grades.
1t remains to be seen whether this system
which is rather elaborate in its details. will be
carried out or whether it will be abandoned
after while. Judging from the past some of
the clerks look upon it as only temporary.
But Whatever Its future may be there is no
doubt that this system marks a phase in the
movement which has been growing feature
| OF the departmental service since the war and
| which has all the time been gradually tending
| toward better results from depar trnent en-
| ployes. At one time there was a very general
| idea, and in the main 1t was no doubt correct,
| that government position was practically a
sinecure. The pay as compared with that
given by private establishments was looked
| upon as large and the duties were believed to
be light. How near to the truth this concep-
| ton OF government position was say twenty
or thirty years ago, it is no longer true. Gov
eminent employees are now obliged to work
hard for their living.
| THE INCREASE OF WORK.
| The volume OF business has increased in a
ratio that is much greater than that Of the ad-
ditions to the clerical force. The situation il
that the business of the departments has been
growing constantly and it is now absolutely
| necessary that the present force of clerks
| should be worked up to its full capacity in
order to keep up the current business. OF
| course there are places where the work is
easier and there is less OF it to do than in others
| but a general it ia safe m hat a
eminent position in this year of grace Is nc
| sinecure. 1t used to be the case and some OF
the veterans in the service remember those days
| when the clerks were practically free from all
the good old days and that was tc
do the work. II that was done il
| did not matter to the department
officials at what time in the morning 6
clerk reached his desk or when he wen
away. There was no record kept of tn,
daily goings and comings of the clerks aut
no questions asked. IT, however. in addition
to the enjoyment of these privileges. a clerl
failed to do the work assigned to him. ther
there was apt to be trouble. In the day
long before the the departments wer,
small affairs and only a handful OF clerk
employed. If clerk wanted to spspd few
hours III the morning or in the Afternoon
shooting reed birds along the river front i
was not necessary for him to ask permission I,
go. He simply went.
WHEN CLERKS WENT TO THE RACES.
The free and easy discipline which prevailed
in departmental service in the early years il
aptly illustrated by the following story which
was told by the late James Lawrenson, q vet
eran clerk in the postal service:
About the time he entered the department
service an organized effort was made with tn
approval of the Postmaster General, then W
l. Barry, to induce Congress to increase tn
salaries. committee went before the prope
congressional committee and represented I,
them the arduous duties the clerks were obIige,
to perform and the meagerness of the com
pensation. Their representations proved 81
, effective that subcommittee was authorize,
to visit the department and make an examina
ton of the methods OF doing business with tn
view Of being able to determine exactly wha
was needed. The committee OF clerks, thu
assured that their petition would receive atten
ton, retired, and when they reported tn
facts to their associates in the depart
ment there was great rejoicing Thi
Joy was somewhat dampened by the fact tina
the weeks rolled around and the committee ha,
made no effort to fulfill their promise and Their
was . general feeling that their little matte
had been forgotten. However, the congress
sional committee did appear one day at the de
partment and, calling uISn the Postmaste
General, informed him that they had come +
see for themseiv IS the work that was being don
by his clerks with the purpose OF making sue
recommendations as would tend to relieve thei
burdens. The Postmaster General expresses