The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-05
ON E-THIR D MI ST co.
Secretary Lamont Ready to Dismiss a
Number Of Clerks.
Reorganization of the War Depart
ment Goes Into Effect Aug. Most
Competent of the Employees Re-
tanned Politics Not Considered.

tanned Politics Not Considered.
From the Chicago Herald
Washington, July Secretary La
mont's proposed reorganization of the
war department has been postponed until
Aug /. He intended TO re-Organize it to-
morrow, but the action of congress in ex-
tending the existing appropriation laws
one month has delayed the contemplated
reform just that long.
The pending appropriation bill, which
affects the war department, reduces the
clerical force of the record and pension
division about 300 and the secretary has
already made 100 reductions. Some of
these, it is true, We're due to deaths res
ignations and transfers, but the most of
the remaining $50 that must 20 Aug
will likely be plain dismssals This divi-
sion or bureau Of the department has
been oVercrowded with clerks for some
time. II is in charge of Col. Ainsworth,
and it was portion Of his force that was
in the wreck of the old, Ford's theater
building year ago. The work in which
this Office has been engaged for many
years is. now nearly completed. The old
muster rolls and records of individual
soldiers, which were bulky and hard to
examine, and in danger of wearing out
from the handling to which they were
subjected, have been copied into easily ac-
cessible forms, and a system of card cata-
loRues adopted by Col Aiusworth which
has worked a wonderful change In obtain
ing information from this bureau.
Under the old system it would be some
times two weeks before information could
be hunted up and furnished TO the party
desiring 1t. Now 1t seldom fails that a
senator or congressman, seeking to know
the record Of a soldier, gets his informa-
ton the day after he asks for it.
The copying of the old records and mus
ter rolls and the classi fcation under the
new system has required a large body of
clerks for many years. That work being
| done, they should naturally have ex-
pected TO be discharged, since one-ffth Of
the number can answer all applications
for information under the new system
where it would have taken all of them
under the old.
Other bureaus of the department are
also congested with employees. The en-
tire number is about 800, and it is OK
pected that fully one-third of the en-
| ployes must 20. These will all be "let
OUT on Aug. /. They will have a full
months notice. Many of them have al
ready received their notifications, and
! the others will be notified this week
! These changes viii not be made public al
present None but the person dismissed
and his chief will know of the dismissal
! until the end of the month, unless the un
! fortunate clerk himself tells it,
! In making the changes Secretary La
mont will be governed by the records OF
! efficiency of the clerks. Probably the
most of those dismissed Will be republi
Il.
! great ma iority Of the clerks in the de
partment are republicans. The most com
petent employees will be retained whether
! they are republicans or democrats, and
the changes will be made, not only re
CARELESS of politics, but without REGARD
TO age, sex or term of service. This will
undoubtedly result in hardships in many
instances, but the good of the service will
not permit of any general exceptions.
Secretary Lamont, in beginning his eX
animation Of the records, made some in
quires regarding the private life ant
condition of some of the employees, with {
view to the possible retention of thosc
having families dependent upon them for
support He found that nearly all OF
them had families and were in poor con
dition to lose their positions but as thu
limited appropriation would not permi
the retention of all, he determined I,
treat all alike Long notice has accord
ingly been given, and it is expected tina
many Of the clerks will be able to find EN-
ployment outside OF the government ser
vice
The reorganization of the official fore
of the department has already been made
and the surplus star officers are, most o
them, now on their way to their respec
tive regiments. The reorganization it /.
estimated, will save the government con
siderably over $500, goo a year The say
ing in the item of clerk hire alone will b.
S445, 600