Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-25
THE SUNDAY LEAVE QUESTION.
Further Comm nicntions on the SUBJ
Jcct by Those Interested.

communications on the sun.
Jcct by Those Interested.
Interest in the question of Sunday
leaves" seems to continue. ]. Z. writes to
The Star in reference to the statement
that the employees Of the bureau of engrav-
ing and printing receive no sick leave, al
though apart of the treasury force, as fol-
lows: so
Some time ago this matter was brought
to the notice of the solicitor of the treas
ury, who decided that said employees were
SO entitled. Notwithstanding this decision.
however, it has never beeh granted. An
other injustice is that only, twenty-six days
annual leave are given, the Sundays being
deducted at the beginning of the fiscal
year, although the law expressly provides
for thirty days leave, and makes no stipu-
lation as to how they shall be taken"
JUS Civile returns to the subject, refer
ring to Mr.. Donaths letter. and saying
that IT was information, Yand not advice,
that he wanted. He adds: =
MANY clerks, having hundreds of miles
to travel, In order to reach homes which
they can visit but ONCE a. near are unable
to take few days at >rlme>a1fd I'm the
way that he sHgBeSts. OF, from Monday
until Saturday, inclusive, comes in just
what We complain of-S,iflday coufted as
one day of absence. Four or five counted
out of months leave make a worlds diff
ference in shortening these annual home
visits. Now, as a fellow countryman of
Mr.. Donaths. and one also ignorant of the
law, may / be permitted to hazard an
opinion that the financial turmoil will
not be affected. as he SO greatly fears,
either by my question of the construction
o. the act of Congress or by a competent
opinion thereon"
H sends the following communica ton:
1T seems as if Jus Civile must be new
conner, not aware of some facts on the
governmental service, and more anxious 10
t-nt1 han n got vi inSt
now Is a pressing demand over the coun-
try. It is an exceedingly inopportune time
to agitate a claim for additional excuse
from service, especially as the excuse or
leave now granted is by favor and not by
right. The secretaries are not required 10
grant leave, but they are permitted to
grant it. There is a crowd Of people vino
will be very glad to take any place in
Washington with no more leave than has
become customary. There is also goodly
number of economists who will be very
glad to give the clerks all the Sundays and
deduct them from the days paid for. AT
present the clerks are liable to serve on
Sunday without extra pay in an emergency.
Such case occurred in the last admits
tration, when hundreds of clerks were call
ed by messengers from their homes on a
Sunday morning. By curious coincidence
an eloquent clergyman, who was supply
ing prominent pulpit in this city. preach
ed the same morning upon the preservation
of the Sabbath, and his remarks indicated
very plainly that he did not know what
was transpiring at the time in one of the
government bureaus.
ut occurs almost every year that govern
ment employees in some department have to
work over hours, and they are not entitled
to pay for it, except in a few cases, like
that of the letter carrier, expressly pro-
vided for by law.
Gen. w s. Rosecrans was a strict Sab
batarian and saved his soldiers from duty
that day, as far as practicable, but some
of the heaviest fighting his soldiers had to
do was on Sunday, notably, the second day
of the Chickamauga battle.
Congress manages to sit on Sunday ev-
cry year or two, covering it under fiction
of an extension of the legislative day OF
| Saturday. Jus had better be thankful for
small favors, unless he would like Monday
and the rest of the days Off as we'll as Sun
| day. Leave without pay can be consider
| ably extended under present law"