Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-07

Complaints About the New Regulations
From Department Clerks.


Complaints About the New Regulations
From Department Clerks.
The new regulations respecting efficiency
and ''faithfulness" in the departments Of the
government have already excited q great deal
of adverse and even indignant criticism. Many
clerks assert that the freshly adopted marking
system 10 so applied Is to occasion them the
utmost possible discomfort 1t is in the power
of any chief of division to SO employ it as to
render the lives of those under his official
control utterly miserable. To speak to
fellow employee, or to a visitor, on any sub
tect save the business of the office is a mis-
demeanor and costs the perpetrator SO many
bad marks. Likewise with any other such
petty ofiense against discipline. In short, the
clerks claim that they are treated as If they
were at school, under the eye Of a harsh master
Most.of the division chiefs, it is said. will not
enforce such rules, and every one under their
control gets rating Of 100 as a matter Of
course. But there are not few petty tyrants
who take advantage of the opportunity to be
unspeakaby oppressive.
REAsoNABLr ATTENTION REQUIRED.
Complaints on this subject come from the In
terror Department, the Department of Justice
and elsewhere, even from the census Office,
where discipline has always been exceptionally
strict A STAR reporter yesterday spoke about
the matter to Chief Examiner Bayly of the
board Of promotion in the Department of the
Interior. He said:
There is nothing in the new rules that can
reasonably be regarded as oppressive. They
state that prompt and reasonable attention to
duty from day to day shall receive the maxi
mum credit Of 100.' Failure in this respect
causes a deduction from the maximum monthly
csedit OF loo' In the discretion of the head Of
tho bureau or division. Now. it is not expected
that the chief OF division shall SO apply this
regulation as to render the labors Of those un-
der his authority irksome. All that is required
OF them is reasonable attention to duty. This
does not mean that they are to be forbidden
all conversation that has no relation to official
business.
LIKE BUSINESS HOUSE.
"These rules we're originally suggested by
President Harrison, for the purpose OF increas-
ing the efficiency of the clerical service in the
departments. 1t goes without saying that
some clerks have more Or less inclination
to shirk their work, just as is the case in
any large business establishment. The
head of such establishment may
in its character which he considers likely to
improve the quality of the labor for which he
pays. That Is precisely what the government is
trying to accomplish. BY this new method due
credit is given to the employe who works hard,
while the lazy person is brought up to the
However, there are some persons in official
authority who do not possess judgment They
may apply the regulations harshy, SO as to
occasion discomfort to those under their con-
troll That il not general, l am sure. There is
no intention on the part Of the government to
Cypress its employees. 1t is not expected that
they shall submit to any sort of discipline
which does not ordinarily govern In o we'll
managed business house"
THE CLERKS SIDE.
The STAR reporter next referred the question
to clerk in the same department, who said:
Il am perfectly willing to admit that the in
tention which inspired the new rules was rea-
sonable enough The chief objection to the IN
is that they put it in the power of anv petty
judge as to what constitutes prompt and rea-
sonable attention to duty and any one under
his authority whom he does not like can be
made to suffer. You will observe the regula-
tons say that deductions from the monthly
credit OF 100 shall be made in
the discretion of the head of the
bureau or division Furthermore, as to
aptitude and ability the petty official estab-
lished according to his own pleasure the rating
of the inferior employe. He is made the sole
judge as to whether the subordinate is ready,
quick and expert to learn or whether he is
deficient in the quality of aptness for the duty
assigned to him. in which case there must be
taken from the credit of 100 such an amount
as III the Judgment OF the head OF the bureau
OF division shall, and no forth.
why, don't you see how these rules place
the subordinate absolutely in the power OF his
chief. Upon his rating depend his prospects
for advancement and even the permanence of
his employment. How then can it be consid-
cred just to allow such control to every petty
official. who is exceedingly likely to abuse il.
Favoritism is only one Of the evils to which
such a system gives rise. You must remember
that the heads Of divisions and bureaus are
VIGOROUSLY in many cases inferior in every
qualification to those under them their own
appointments having been secured frequently
by influences which had nothing to do with their
ability or fitness for the places they occupy.
Yet the regulations 60 even so far as
to make the petty official critic of the per
sonal habits and department OF those under
his authority, and he marks them accordingly.
deducting not less than TO- for every derelic-
ton from what he comedies to be good man
ners. Just think what high judicial capacity
| this petty official must possess, inasmuch as,
according to the wording of the regulations
he must form accurate estimates of the talents,
mental gifts or endowments' of his subordi-
mates, duly discover whether the latter are
capable Of easily receiving an explanation.
find out their faculty to readily detect errors
and finally to criticise their personal behavior,
including personal habits 4"