Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-14


The ice near the Long bridge.
FROM . Clerks Standpoint.
To the EDITOR Of The Evening Star;
The impression seems to prevail in certain
quarters that the department clerks position is
a mere sinecure. with no responsibility at
tached and no more arduous duty than drawing
the salary with promPtness and regularity;
that the work in genera! Is 50 simple IN its na
turs that nothing above msdiocrity Il required
for its satisfactory performance. So that Its de-
tails be mastered IN a few weeks. and that
the clerks themselves take more pride in the
successful evasion OF duty than in its faithful
discharge.
whether this impression originated in glaring
instances Of administrative laXity in depart
mental Affairs under the old regime. or in the
Imagination Of some political Alexander look
ing about for worlds to conquer II 10 not
NV province 10 determine or inquire neither
do I regard 10 - necessary to trace its origin
60 seek its Justification in n system under
which appointments were often made less on
account Of clerical than political ability-less
BY reason % What the sppointee could do In
departmental work than what be or his friends
had already done outside
However this may be. such impression Ia
none the less erroneous. az least 80 far as II
relates 70 the present, and whoever believes or
Processes TO believe il true. Whatever be his
station wherever he NAV choose to air his
views, simply displays his own ignorance OF
the departmental requirements IS well as OF the
character and amount OF work demanded and
accomplished.
Yet Il l. quite certain that this errone Gus
view % the matter had much to do in influence
ing the recent action of the House when the
"eghi-hour bill Was passed
The clerks are, A. a rule, men ana women OF
character and inteil9e nee ana were so recog-
nzed IN Their respective communities before
appointment, and they would by no means
suffer ev comparison, from either q moral or
an intellectual point oi view, win an eqnai
number OF persons In any other GAZING 10
thi- iaet heads OF bureaus nave uniformly
borne witness
Irne, there are lew incompetents: ana
few. perhaps, who eyade their duties whenever
II - possible, and II would indeed be remark
hb.e IT. among 50 many. u were otherWlse- But
there could be no greater mistake IMAM 10
judge the many oy these Few. and no greater
injustice than To impose heavier task upon
tach OF the many with AView TO securing better
results from the indolent or indifferent few.
In every held OF employment judicious man
agcTnent VII ny the hours OF continuous LABOR
within the safe limits OF endurance, and ex-
perience and inteilgent Observation have, IN
most ea-es, clearly denionstrased wnat those
limits are
Any attempt 10 exceed them may result IN
slight temporary gain, but the ultimate result
VIII inevitably be greater loss, and SO 1t Will
most certainly prove In TINS case
hne OF WORK that has brought me into imme-
uiAie daily contact with scores OF clerks ut
Their desks and otherWise EMPLOYED has con-
vincsd me that the department clerk. rs a rule,
has fewer moments OF relaxation during work
Ing hours than one IN almost any similar en-
ployment outside. and the degree OF mental
exhaustion entaiicd By his seven hours work
cannot be less than that produced by nine or
ten hours work into which the elements OF
variety and mOmentsry relaxation more freely
enter. 90 say nothing Of the premature loss or
serious impairment Of eyesight common
among department. clerks. and this latter fact
constitutes one OF the strongest additional OBJ
teetions 20 the eight-hour day.
Few % our buildings are well lighted at best,
and even in the best lighted II is impossible to
locate more than two or three desk, in each
room favorably a. regards light, and when we
remember that the present seven-hOur day for
nearly half the wear ends but little before sun
Set IL II easy TO conceive what the effect Of
working an hour or even q half hour later
would be upon the eyesight, when there
even nov 80 many sufferers in that respect
IL Is claimed BY the advocates Of the eight
hour bill that the clerks are not earning their
salaries under existing conditions This must
mean either that they do not work so steadily
n they should and the extra hour is added to
make mp lost time or that the work is so easy
Of performance that they could work eight
hours continuously Just well seven.
Certain utterances upon the floor Of the
House when the bill was under discussion indi-
cate that a good deal Of the information con-
corning the departments and the work therein
has been obtained ut extremely long range. and
IL might not be amiss 20 suggest that the hon
oraele gentlemen may learn good deal more