The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-06-23

themselves. Once n Govern
ment clerk, always Government
clerk, is a maxim VOL recognized
everywhere.
Several clerks and messengers in
the public service arc more than
ninety years oil. Fully tte-- f-fve
per cent. of the $4,000 mcn ADD wo.
men in Office registered more than
fifty years of age when tho last census
of the departments was taken. In the
history of the Government service dis
ability has never been considered a
valid reason for removing clerk.
All the Government clerks are well
paid. Their salaries range from 5000
10 $500 year. The statement of the
employees in the custom service in New
York recently that the Government
employees receive ''meagre pay" is an
swered by this statement: The clerks
Ut Washington work only six and one
half hours a day, and the law protects
them from any demand for work out
of the regular hours. They are en-.
titled to thirty days leave of absence,
with pay, every year, and to thirty
days sick leave, with pay, in addition
to this, and, may add, most of the
clerks are sick nearly, if not all of the
thirty days each year. The made
quacy of the service rendered for the
pay they receive was illustrated by
the statement of the Chairman Of the
Postoflice Committee of the House re-
Gently that if the postal service was In
the hands of business man he would
make so, 600, GOO year out of it, in
stead of showing deficit elch wear.
for part of the deficit is due to the
short hours and good pay of the clerks
of the departments.
Working from 8 o. clock in the morn.
ing until O'CLOCK in tho afternoon.
this great army OF clerks lit is nearly
three quarters the size of the standinr
army of the United Stntes) has amaz-
ing opportunities for gratifying am
bltlon. An inventor employed in one
OF the departments could devote four
or five hours day to developing me-
chanical ideas without undue cxertion.
A man of literary tastes could spend
rs many hours writing, and the best
literary work Is done in MS short n
space of time by we'll known writer's.
y student could gives almost rs much
lime to his books az though the Gov.
crnment had no claim on him. And.
IN fact, the medical and law schools OF
Washington draw great part oftheir
pupils from the departments.
But the doctors who graduate while
they are in the department service do
not resign their cierkships. They re.
main in the department., doing c!eri.
sal work, and if they practice medi-
zine at all they do it after office hours.
Might doctors" they are called, and
shutdown DOCTORS and so seriously
nave they interfered with the practice
II regular physicians that under this
Administration the heads of DEPART
nents have issued an order forbidding
hem to serve two masters.
AS to the lawyers who graduate
While working in the departments,
hey stick close to their desks, and if
hey make any use OF their profession
Il knowledge, it is to obtain promo
ion to n better salarIed position
perhaps as law clerk.
When Mr.. Wanamaker YVES Post.
naster-General he said that if Congress
would only pension the old employees
the department he could get mt
east twenty-five per cent. more work
out of the Department. force.
AT intervals tho clerks ngitate n
proposition to have n PERCENTAGE de-
iucted from all salaries, to be appIied
20 the establishment of n fund TO he
Kept in the Treasury and used for
2ensioning supcrannuated or disabled
department. employees. Such n plan
was put before Congress in n shape of
lpetition from some of the Govern
ment employees. They want two per
cent. of their salaries withheld TO form
q fund for disabled or superannuated
clerks.
OF course there nre exceptions TO
the rule of improvidence among de.
partment clerks. Tho chief OF n di.
vision in the Treasury who was con.
sidcred one Of the department fixtures
was removed three or four years ago.
inquiries among his friends by those
who were disposed TO sympathize with
him showed that he hand fully $50. 600
invested in real estate. A colored clerk
'N''E HNN iA'u lAt Treasury OenWTt-
ment few years ago because no had
not time enough after department
hours to attend to his business inter.
ests. He had entered tho Department
OF Justice MS clerk, md ont of ms
salary there and in tho Treasury De.
partmcnt he had saved enough 60 make
some fortunate investment IA real
estate. He was worth S75, 900 when
he left the Government service. Some
clerks own the houses in which tbov
live. But most OF the clerks 1.-Two in
rented houses or have rooms IN the
boarding houses which are common TO
every part of this city. Some olIthcm
have houses in common; others keen
boarding houses aud rent rooms TO
Congressman md To- other clerks
Many Of the bachelors live Mt small
hotels. Comparatively few have homes.
and those who have keep them not in
n spirit OF economy, but TO indulge n
rather expensive taste for society.
Many Of the clerks in tho depart.
ments belong TO distinguished fami.
lies. Senators and members and even
cabinet officers find the departments
and excellent dumping ground for
poor relations, and many represeut,
ti7es OF impoverished families which
have a place in the history of Amer.