The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
RANK DISCRIMINATION.
COIOred Women Not Wanted in the
Treasury Department..

Treasury Department..
WASHINGTON, Feb 16.-The Civil-service
Commission has just made public CORE
spondence with the Secretary of the Treas
ury respecting alleged discrimination on the
ground of color in the removal OF women
as plate printers assistants in the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing. Following is
the statement concerning the matter made
by the commission:
These women were appointed through
competitive examination under the civil SER
vice rules. Since Mr.. Johnson has been chief
OF the bureau on July !, 1898, there have
been lightweight women removed, who were
appointed through examination, and of these
eighteen We're white and seventy colored,
leaving only ten cOlored women remaining
in the service This was out of a total
force of 1857 printers assistants. This nearly
clean sweep of colored women extended also
TO appointments from the certifcat lions of
the Civil-service Commission from the reg
lister OF eligibles In the year ended. June
30, 1894, forty-five women were passed
upon certification without selection. of whom
at least ten were colored. Under Mr.. John
ments were made in the order of grade.
practically none being passed over. Under
MI Med et ~ there wer re only eighteen dis
between 1883 and 1898, as compared with 8S
dismissas to 534 employed in year and a
half under Mr.. Johnson. At present there
are only eight colored women remaining
OF the women dismissed by Mr.. Johnson
twelve white were reinstated and one col
pred:
1.-THE fact of this large number of dis
charges of colored women and of passing
them over on certi6cation has greatly re-
duced the number of colored women apply
ing for examination. During Mr.. Mere
dith's term, under President Harrison's
administration, there was only one colored
woman removed. No allegation has been
made to the commission that the colored
women were removed for any misconduct"
In stating these facts to the Secretary
of the Treasury the commission said:
From these facts it would appear that
under the administration of the present
chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing there have been very marked discrim-
nations on grounds of color merely, not only
in the making of appointments from the
eligible register, but In the dismissal of
as recited are not accurate the commission
would be pleased to have the real facts given
IT: If they are correct (and 1t is believed
that the actual number of colored women
disseminated against is greater than has
here been stated then the commission would
be pleased to receive from the Secretary
or the Treasury any statements he may be
willing to make in the natter
The letter of the commission to the Sec
1894. The reply of the Secretary was made
on Feb. 5, and refers to copy of a report
from Chief johnson, dated Dec. 26, in which
he states that the statistics submitted by
the commission may be correct, but that
the inference sought to be drawn therefrom
that there has been marked discrimination
on the ground of color alone is erroneous
inent and recommendation for removal made
by him has been made in the discretion
vested in him by law, and solely in the in
tereSt of the public service,