Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-16

S had been at any time
before, and the COM
mission thought the matter of Sufficient
importance to make special comment on It.
The commission said, therefore, that while
this every decided increase in the proper
ton of women to men" was difficult to ac-
count for, attention is called to the fact
as one Of general interest, and as probably
showing that the prejudice which has here
tofore existed to some extent against the
appointment of women to the classified ser
vice is gradually disappearing" The COM
mission then called attention to the fact
that the same condition of affairs existed
in the matter of the promotion of women.
These promotions" said the report, have
been won on the basis of the efficiency rec
erds kept in the departments" Today the
commission is receiving reports from indi-
viduals that in at least one of the depart
ments women are being reduced, instead
of promoted, the reason given in one case
being that the appointment clerk believed
that no woman should draw more than
81 200 year.
So extraordinary has been the falling of
in the matter of the appointment OF wo-
men that there is now virtually no call for
women to fill vacancies. The head of de-
partment has the right to make distinc-
ton between the sexes. Men and women
are not certified together. When the head
of a department sends in a requisition for
male clerk copyist'' he gets list of
three males from which to make selec-
ton. If he calls for female clerk copy
ist'' q list of three females Is sent to him.
Thus, a department chief who had a pref
udice against women in the public service
would have no difficulty in combining the
appointments in his department to the male
sex. This has been done in the last eigh-
teen months to a remarkable extent. When
the facts come to the notice Of the women
who take an active interest In the advance
ment of their sex there will be lively pro-
test made to the President.
What the Record Shows.
Here are the figures:
Women in the public service at Washing
ton. 1893. 3,77O; 1894. 3,2O5; difference, 565.
Men in the public service at Washington,
1893, S,377; 1894, $500; difference, 2S3.
It will be observed that while women
were losing 565 places in the public service
men were gaining 2S3 places. The reduc-
ton in the working forces in some of the
departments accounts for the fact that
the gain made by the men was not SO
great as the loss by the women.
OF course. where removals were made, 1t
is not possible to say that determinations
were made against women on account Of
their sex. 1t is In the matter of appoint
ments that such discrimination would be
shown plainly. And here is the record
of appointments made:
Women appointed clerk-copyists year
ending June 80, 1894, 6; men appointed
Women appointed clerk-copyists July 1,
1894. to date, 0; men appointed clerk-copy-
lists July /, 1894, to date, IL. Total women,
q. Total men, So.
There were therefore nine times as MANY
men appointed to these minor clerkships
where the proportion two years ago was
only three to one. The change holds good in
stenographers and typewriters there have
been appointed since July 1 81 men and 5
women. In other technical examinations
in the same period there have been 50
men appointed to 1 woman. That one
woman was made an assistant in the divi-
sion of agricultural soils in the Agricul-
tural Department.
The greatest difference between 1893 and
1894 Is to be found in the Interior Depart
ment In the year 1893 this department
employed 1,530 women and 2 1870 men. In
1894 it employed ST. women and 1855 men.
Appealing to the Commission.
Many women have written to the civil
service commission to ask the reason for
the discrimination against women in in
dividual cases, not knowing, however, how
general that discrimination is. Many wom-
en- have applied to the commission for pro-
lection when their salaries have been re-
duced. The commission can do nothing
for these women. In fact, Mr.. Theodore
Roosevelt says there is no way in which
ton unless Congress makes a law requir-
ing that a certain proportion-say one in
three-of the department employees be
women. The question of granting the right
to department chiefs to call for men or
women in asking certifications for vacant
places was determined by the Attorney
General of the United States some years
ago.
The Pay is Better.
The women did not come into the public
service by grace of the civil service law,
though they have gained more considera-
ton under that law than they did under
the old 'spoils" system. Before the
war the land Office gave women copying
to be done at their homes, but they did
not hold regular appointments in the gov
eminent service until the war period,
when Gen. Spinner, the treasurer of the
United States, tried the experiment of put
ting women to work trimming the legal
tender notes by hand. Mr.. Spinner when
q banker, had learned that his daughter
could trim notes more deity and more
rapidly than man, and he recommended
to Secretary Chase the employment of
women experimentally. They proved of
value, and the number in the service in
creased rapidly from 1862, the date of their
first employment, until two years ago.
But before the establishment of the re-
formed civil service system women were
compelled to put up with smaller pay than
was given to men.
Gen. spinner nlIpSen gave as one OF his
reasons for employing women in the
treasury the fact that they could be had
at half the price paid for the service of
men," In the commercial world this ratio
holds good today. But in the government
service women are as well paid as men
who do the same work. That is one of the
reasons applications for employment come
in such large number from women. While
the number Of men appointed to clerk
copyist places during the fiscal year 1894
was seven times the number of women ap-
pointed to those places, the number of
men on the eligible list was hardly more
than double the number of women. In
fact, Secretary Doyle of the civil service
commission has been able at times to per-
suade heads of departments to appoint
women to vacancies when they had applied
for men, because he has been able to
demonstrate that the women who apply
for place as rule are of higher order
of ability than the men, especially in GER
tain classes.
In the Various Grades.
This is due to the fact that men of
ability can get more pay outside the gov
eminent service and women cannot. There
is this discrimination against women in