Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-12
The Grievan ces Of the Government Clerk.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
II any one mortal can thoroughly sympa
| thize with poor Joe, when he complains that
| everybody sis allus a-chivying on" him it il
the government clerk. When the member from
anywhere, who wishes to distinguish himself in
the House, looks the field over he finds that tc
wrestle with the tariff or money question means
not only q stupendous amonnt of hard work for
himself-or somebody who must be paid for il
in some shape-but also danger to his political
prosperity from some quarter or other; every
other question of moment is also hedged abou.
with danger signals, and finally he would be
obliged to give up in despair if the
government clerk were not there, On
ever read! and, moreover, safe subject
to hang a bill or at least a
speech upon. Then the moral educator takes
compassion OH the clerks neglected condition
and sets to work to mold him into thing OF
beauty and a joy forever; tine schoolnaster in
terests himsely to tho extent of seeing that he
keeps his educational Notifications in thorough
repair; the philanthropist rigidly guards him
from an undue love OF lucre by relieving him
OF all he can spare, or not spare, tc benefi: this
or that favorlte charity or scheme. He is i'm.
proved, experimental upon, regulated, short
ened here and heightened there till every trace
OF the original sinful being ought, in all con-
science, to be obliterated.
Just now he is laboring under effects of the
looks harmless enough. but assumes differ
ent aspect when viewed by the light Of the bill
introduced into the House last week, which
provides that at least per cent OF the classified
service shall be dismissed every year, said per
cent to comprise those ranking lowest in
ability, &c. This specification also looks per-
| fectly fair on the surface and would be SO in
deed were the correctness Of the rating fore
gone conclusion. But alas, those who do it are
human, to say the least, and where such abso-
- Ia Al - L..
there is always more or less danger OF injustice
being done.
The division chief need not be Of the species
portrayed in q recent story of official life in
Washington. 10 give his marking doubtful
character, unless he is a man of unusual nay,
marvellous ability himself, how can he properly
gauge that subtle quality in his subordinate
whom he does not, perhaps come in contact
with once O day? And yet this one item out
| weighs all others and can be used with fatal
effect against the best clerk in the service or
be made the lever to elevate the merest non.
| entity.
| There is letter now lying before me in
which chief accuses a clerk OF being cap
pable," and some Of the readers of HE STAR
will no doubt remember the one who, when an
appointments was made to meet him at $50
pm, Complained that it was too early in the
morning to attend to anything, and who wanted
| to know what In something his correspondent
meant by talking OF o proximo.
No. q man may be perfectly honest in his in
tentions and yet do y grievous wrong; and to
prevent this there should be some feature added
to the system which would at least give the
clerk reasonable chance OF getting his deserts.
| There should be board OF review, consisting
OF one clerk OF each grade-.hese to be selected
by the members OF their respective grades
whose duty it should be to review the rating
and rectify all errors before the averages are
| sent to the examiners.
think / may safely say that today nine
clerks out OF every ten feel bitterly indignant
and dissatisfied with the results OF the system
as at present administered, and would hail with
pleasure any thing which would make it what
the President intended it to be-a fair and
/ Just record. Miss BRowN.