Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-24

he. Of course. took that leave in the next
fiscal year. and II then after the lapse of
eight or ten months in that second fiscal
year he should resign or be discharged he
would be paid in full for all leave that had
accrued to his credit. They but followed
the custom that then prevailed, and stin
prevails in all the departments.
Judge Motifs Decision.
'In a case that was taken to the Court
Of Claims by a printer to get pay for thirty
consecutive days, not excluding Sundays,
Judge Mott. rendering the adverse decision
Of the court on that point. held also. obiter
dictum, that the public printer could not
grant more than thirty days leave in one
fiscal year with pay. To show the injustice
OF carrying out the provisions of that law
according to Judge Motifs interpretations.
1t Is only necessary to state a case accord
ing to the practice in the departments
Suppose a man should go to work in any
department, say, on the 10th Of July, near
the beginning Of fiscal year. At the ex-
piration Of one month he could take two
and one-half days leave of absence. But
II. instead. he chose to let his leave ac-
emulate for one year he could, on the
10th Of July following his appointment, ap-
ply for and receive thirty days leave Of
absence with pay. Then, at the expiration
of that thirty days, he could apply for and
receive two and one-half more days leave
of absence But If. instead of doing that.
he should go back to " ork at the expiration
of his thirty days leave and remain at his
desk for nine months. he could. on the 10th
Of May following. apply for and get twenty
five days leave with pay. Or, II he should
resign or be discharged on the 10th of May
he would be allowed twenty-five days leave
with pay, such resignation or discharge to
take effect at the expiration of the twenty
five days leave. Altogether. he would get
fifty-five days leave of absence with pay
in one fiscal year. thirty days Of which had
been earned in one fiscal year and twenty
five in another. Such cases can and do
frequently happen in all the departments
And 1t is In a similar position that we find
ourselves with the important exception that
when discharged We are not paid what is
due US.
Theirs by Right.
"In the fiscal year that is now nearing a
close most of us have had thirty days leave
with pay. We earned that leave in the
preceding fiscal year. In this fiscal year
we have been earning another thirty days
leave. Had we remained in Office until
July 1, 1894. we could have applied for and
secured that leave. There is no question
about that fact. We have earned II by
service. 1t belongs to US. A law or Con-
gress gives us our right to II. II Is no fault
of ours that we cannot get II now. Con-
gress never intended that we should be de-
prived of it, In fact. the sundry civil ap-
pre- priation bill, which passed the House
March 20. 1894. and is now pending in the
Senate, carries an appropriation OF $lSO.OOO
to enable the public printer to pay leaves
Of absence earned in this fiscal year. Con-
gress is appropriating that money for us.
Those who may be appointed after July L.
1894 cannot get leave OF absence with pay
until they shall have served one year in
office. Therefore no part of that appropria-
ticn is for them. But because our connec-
tioE with the office is involuntarily severed
the public printer cannot pay 1t to US out
of that appropriation without special au-
thcrization from Congress.
II am reliably informed that Mr.. Benedict
believes we are entitled to 1t and should
have 1t, and that he will do all he can to
secure 1t for US. Our committee should re-
quest him to communicate with the appro-
priations committee of the Senate, recon-
mending that the sundry civil bill be 30
amended as to give him authority to pay US
our leave money.
Friends in Congress.
chairman Richardson Of the House
printing committee also believes In the JUS
tice Of our claim, and he Is ready to help
US with all the weight Of his influence. He