Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22

made public a year
ago. The compilation of all of them has
been completed very recently, and the mat
fer is now in the hands of the pubic
printer 1t will form feature OF the an
pual report of the civil service commission
for 1894. which will he published in snort
time Two or three interesting summaries
have been made by the secretary OF the
commission, Mr.. Doyle, from the mass OF
facts accumulated.
In the first place, these reports snow tnat
in all of the principal countries OF the
world now an entrance examination poth
mental and physical, is required Ieioie az
pointment to the civil service. The tenure
of office is permanent. or during Sood pe
havior ard in every great country except
the United States, a. Ter the employe mas
become incapacitated by reason OF age,
length of service or physical infirmity. he
is retired with a pension which varies, WIN
the length of his service, from one-slNth
10 four-fifths of the salary he drew on re-
tirement. In some countries the employe
NAV ask fer retirement after fifteen years
service, ard in others he must serve thirty
to thirty-five years before he is entitled tc
retirement
The salaries paid in other countries to
clerks and other subordnates are lower
than those paid by the United States; bu.
the salaries of higher officials-such as
heads of bureaus and chiefs of divisions
are as rule, higher abroad.
The hours OF labor vary. In the more
northern, as well as in the tropical and
semi-tropical countries, the hours of labor
are short. In nearly all countries Includ-
ing the United States the postal employees
have longer hours than those OF any other
branch of the public service.
The time allowed for luncheon, the vaca-
ton time and the time allowed for SICK
leave varies greatly; but the United States
is less liberal than many other countries
in the matter of sick leave.
In the oriental countries there Is an un-
usually large number of holidays. Christ
mas and New Year day are observed IN
most European countries. In the oriental
countries the holidays are usually religious
festivals; in some countries national hol-
days observed.
In some countries women are not en-
ployed at all in the public service. while
as a rule their employment in other coun-
tries is limited to the work of teachers,
telegraph operators and postal employees.
Hours of Labors.
The government emplcye in the United
States Chat is, the department employe)
works from 8 to o'clock-seven hours
and has thirty minutes of that time for
luncheon. In the republic of Switzerland
the clerk works ten hours, according to his
schedule; hut he takes two hours of that
time for luncheon. The Egyptian clerk
works five hours and takes some time for
rest. The Bavarian clerk works nine to
eleven hours and takes two or three hours
for rest. The Austrian clerk works nine
hours. and if he is in the lower grades of
the service he is compelled to bring his
luncheon with him and eat il in his Office;
the higher clerks have an hour for rest.
In France there are nine office hours, but
two of these are for rest.
In Great Britain, as in the United States,
the office hours are seven, and there
is thirty minutes for rest; but office
hours in England usually begin at 10
four office hours in Manila, two to eight m
Asiatic Turkey, five TO six in the Danish
West Indies, four to six in Sweden, five in
Bolivia. Brazil and China. In Italy there
are six to seven Office hours, but two OF
these are given to rest Russia has six Of
fee hours, with indefinite time for luncheon.
Judged by comparison with the clerical
force of other countries, the government
CLERKS at Washington are neither over nor
under-worlled.
But the difference between the govern
ment clerk and the worker in commercial
life is shown by the statement of the
consul at Dublin, that while in gov
eminent offices the hours from $50 to
4:3O or 10 to o'clock, "tradesmen and
operatives work in summer time from q
am. to pm, with an allowance of an
hour for breakfast and another hour for
dinner; in winter from { am TO pm,
with an allowance OF an hour for dinner
only
The salaries in the government service in
Great Britain they range from $500 to S.
500, in Persia from Ssh to $1,000, in Holland
from S1GO to S1.52I, in Sweden from &S6 up
ward, in Austria from $3.50 upward, in Bel
GUM from $40 to $3.50. In about one-half
of the reports the rate of wages paid is not
stated, SO comparisons are not easy. In
Morocco it is stated that the wages are
.'brbes and presents"
These are peculiar conditions surrounding
the granting of salaries in many countries.
In Australia, for example, there is an
annual increase to each employe. In
the United States there is no increase
tional with the head of the depart
ment In Bavaria there is an Increase
every four or five years until the twentieth
year of service In Austria the salary is
increased every five years In Austria, Ba-
varia, Belgium, Italy and Persia appoint
ments are for life. In Colombia appoint
ments are limited to from one to six years.
In Canada, Australia, Egypt and SaXony
appointments are for life after probation.
The Number of Holidays.
The government clerk here has seven
holidays during the year. Qn addition there
is a holiday when cabinet officer dies
and sometimes when ex-cabinet officers or
ex-Presidents die.) The government clerk
in Persia has a pleasant time. He has
ffty-seven recognized holidays in the year
and the government offices are closed on
Mondays and Fridays. In British India
there are twenty to forty holidays. In
Bolivia there are forty-three. In Great
Britain there are seven full holidays. but
each alternate Saturday is a half holiday.
Some people who would like to see the
departments here run on business princi
pies have thought that thirty days vaca-
ton with full pay and thirty days sick
leave with full pay in each year was an
excessive allowance 1t does not seem to
be excessive, in the light of what other
governments do In Great Britain the gov
eminent clerk has fourteen to forty-eight
days vacation, according to the length Of
his employment tns the public service, but
he may have six months sick leave with
full pay and six months sick leave with
half pay.
In other words. If he Is sick for a year
he draws three-quarters Of his pay during
that period and does not lose his place.
In France the vacation Is fifteen to
thirty days; the sick leave, three months
with full pay and three months with
half pay. In Austria the vacation time
is six weeks; the amount of sick leave
with full pay, one year. In Holland the
annual leave is two to four weeks; the
sick leave is not limited In Japan the
annual leave is thirty-six days; the sick
leave, ninety days on full pay, forty-fve
days on half nav. In Prussia the annual