Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-14
MARRIAGE AND OF FICE
How It Affects the Female Clerks in
the Departments.
Permission to Enter Wedlock Asked
and Given-What Some of
the Clerks Say.

There are several cases in the DEPART
ment of the Interior where husband and
wife hold office. There is no rule Of the
department to prevent this, but there is
strong opposition to it in high official cir
Giles. 1t Is looked upon as bad policy. Mar
ried women. it is supposed, are provided
for by their husbands. The places which
they hold might be filled with widows or
unprotected women, who would be just as
efncient as clerks. Thus. there might be
a blending of business and charity. 1t Is
now the practice of the department in the
matter OF promotions to give preference to
unmarried female clerks over their mar
RED sisters, provided, of course, that the
record Tor efficiency of the maiden is not
DeioW that OF the matron. A case of this
kiho arose not very long ago. In one of
the divisions there was a clerk who aver
aged daily 40 pages of work Near her
were two clerks. one married, the other
not They were of equal ability Each
averaged about 6S pages per diem. One
mad to be reduced in order that the clerk
OF greatest efficiency might be promoted.
The matron was the victim. Some opposi-
ton was made to this arrangement by the
influence of the reduced clerk and the
answer was made by the department that
the married woman was most able to bear
reduction.
Permission to Marry Asked,
Marriage is considered a dangerous ex-
pertinent by the clerks, and they often ask
permission to wed from their superior off,
Gers. only few days ago the chief clerk
OF the department received letter from a
young female clerk stating that she con-
templated matrimony. Her parents were
dependent on her and the man of her choice
mad just entered his profession and had not
as yet struck the combination to fame and
fortune. She loved him, and although he
could support her she would not like to
have to impose her parents upon him. She
did not desire to jeopardize her position,
and therefore asked the consent and the
pressing or the department. 1t was given.
Mr.. Daniels, it is said. wrote to the young
lady and told her that neither he nor the
secretary of the Interior would enter any
protest against the course Of true love, pro-
vided they were invited to the ceremony
and permitted to kiss the bride.
What Some of the Clerks Think.
Some of the department people declare
that any rule of the department tending to
discourage marriage would be void at law
Department people were human, had
common right to choose their mates with
out being meddled with by the department,
and that If Barkis and Pegotty were willin'
1t was none of the Secretary's business.
The department should be run on business
principles. and the officials should abstain
from interference in the domestic relations
and private affairs of their clerks. The de-
partment should not be turned into an asy-
lum for widows and orphans. The Secre-
tary of the Interior was not an overseer to
the poor, was not the guardian or prochien
ami of the ladies of the department, and
that the Department of the Interior was
neither charity lodge. an aims house nor
an institution run in the interest of the in
digent.