Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-06

The order which Secretary Charles Foster
issued yesterday before departing ON his sum
mer vacation, changing the regulations in the
method Of reporting tardy clerks at the Treas
ury Department. which was published in THE
star, was hailed with delight by the employees
Of the department.
Since the days Of Secretary Manning and
Chief Clerk Youmans . rule has been In opera
ton which has been = constant thorn in the side
Of the clerks
HOW THE OLD RULE WORKED.
Under this rule if . lady clerk should arrive
at one Of the doors Of the Treasury Depart
ment one minute after O'Clock she was halted
by the Waterman, who demanded her name and
the bureau in which she was employed. The
Waterman then made out report Of the occur
watch. That functionary forwarded the re-
port to the chief Of the bureau In which the
unfortunate clerk was employed. He in turn.
after being thus apprised OF the fact that one
Of his clerks was sixty seconds behind time,
handed the report down to the chief Of the
division, who was thereupon obliged to call the
tardy one up to his desk and demand An ex-
PLANTATION of this breach Of discipline.
MORE TINE WASTED.
by this time half of the force in the bureau
was aware Of the fact that one Of their number
had lost minute belonging to the government
A number Of officials who had weightier mat
tiers to attend to had spent "a dozen more min
utes of the governments valuable time in en-
deavoring to ascertain why that one minute was
lost The matter wound up by the harassed
and annoyed clerk making satisfactory explana-
ton of the occurrence, or il the failure OF that,
having the time charged against her annual
leave. Then, this important matter settled,
the wheels of government were ready to move.
This one regulation has probably caused more
annoyance, more justifable grumbling and more
hearty swear words than any other dozen rules
Of the department put together.
The clerks muttered heartily against what
they called espionage" and factory hand
regulations" If new Waterman came on
duty he seemed Immediately impressed with
the importance Of the duty he was rendering
the government in keeping group OF tardy
clerks fuming and frcttiny in the hall while he
took their names and addresses to make out his
official report.
When the attention Of Secretary Foster was
called to the matter he concluded that it was
useless inniction and could be dispensed with
while discipline could be maintained at the
same time, hence the order Of yesterday.
HOW THAT RULE ORIGINATED.
"Chief Clerk Youmans was generally credited
with issuing that old order of espionage" said
today, but that was not the case, in fact
happen to know how it came about
when Manning was Secretary of the Treas
ury he came down to the department one
morning about $50 and couldn't get into the
elevator on account OF its being packed full Of
tardy clerks. So he stood cooling his heels in
the hallway while his delinquent employees were
hoisted up. That was slow old elevator. and
by the time it had discharged its load and re-
turned to the basement another batch Of tardy
clerks had congregated, and he had
to struggle with the rest Of them
to get in. until the elevator
man caught glimpse of him and nearly fell
through the floor of the car to see the Secretary
of the Treasury iostled about so unceremo-
niously by his employees When the elevator
man shouted, Make room for the Secretary
there, most Of the clerks suddenly decided to
walk up.
MANNING AND THE ELEVATOR.
Secretary Manning took the crowding good
naturedly and didn't mind that. but he was
struck with the number Of tardy clerks. When
he reached his room be sent for Chief Clerk
Youmans and asked him how many clerks came
late every morning. Ioumans was all easy
going. good-natured fellow, and he said he had
no idea; he supposed that once in a while some
of the boys might be little late in the morn
ing, especially after Fay day, but that was all
right.
Secretary Manning was not satisfied to let
it go at that, however. he quietly directed
the captain of the watch TO have his men count
the late arrivals next day. The count showed
800 people who we're more or less late. The
count was kept up for several days and this
average maintained 1t was then that the order
was issued, and poor Youmans has received the
blame for it ever since. 1 don't doubt that
enough anatheuas have been heaped upon his
head to sink him to the bottom of the sea-"
SATISFACTION AT THE NEW oRnER
The new order Of Secretary Foster went into
effect today and is said to be already giving
satisfaction. 1t does not relax the rule reg
ulating tardiness, but simply saves annoyance
and time. the clerk making his ex plantations di-
rectly to his superior officer and not being "held
up" by the Waterman at the door.