The evening times., 1897-12-16


Senate today, calling ON the Secretary If
the Treasury for information as to super
anuated employees in his department.
Treasury clerks are wondering at the de-
cision of the Treasury officials that the
names of ancient clerks who have been
put on the honorary service roll' shall
not be given to the public. The mere fact
of the reduction of these clerks has raised
| more din in the Treasury Department and in
Congress than anything that has occurred
there for years. The clerks, for some rea-
son OF other, are as close as CLAIMS. They
will not talk about the matter for publica-
tion, possibly through fear Of the guillo-
tine.
One of the clerks who has been reduced
is Mrs. McCIeary, who has been in office
twenty years. A call was made n
her this morning, and she was asked some
questions. The lady, who doesn't look as
old as forty, promptly but politely refused
to say anything except To get the inrorma-
ton that ber interrogation wasa representa-
tive of the pIess. She would not even say
who Were t he others or any others, and yet
there are others-at least nine others. sp
plication was then made at several of Ices
in the building. in which were noted some
very venera BILE looking people.
They looked wise and sad, mostly sad,
but they were ST rick ell with lingual paraly
sis when the matt er of the honorary service
roll was referred to.
1t is fairly well understood now that
will I.. r,rf unity when thu.
rule is carried out that between sixty
and seventy clerks will have q chance
to be promoted. No one can say whether
this was the object OF the change, but the
charCe has at least been made.
One OF the clerks to lie affected is still
said to be an expert accountant. and was
appointed under Treasurer John c. New
AS general rule, the clerks who Will
suffer are ii:en aid women who have grown
gray in the service. One OF them, who
legged that his maine be not used, asked
that the suggestion Ire made tnat longer
notice should have Teen given of the con
t,iuplatcd change. He said that it was
talked over by three of the clerks last
night to prepare petition 10 the effec;
that they all he allowed to remain until
next summer, at the least. He believed
tudt IL al tu- dtti Si'ih' iA'ANc 'e'"
plea it " ould he listened to facorabiy.
One messenger was asked IL he would
be affected hy the new order. Ee said
that he understood from the language
of Major Brc cchett that clerks are 'or-
hidden to speak on the subject. He was
asked if he had any pesonal orders on the
subject he said no, but that the inference
was plain from the language of the ap-
hot ll.IQ Shn t-t Eta
the official view of the matter.
A G. a r. man was asked today II
the organization would take any action.
He said It was not likely that any foriE ii
protest would be made. There were two
views of the question to be considered.
1t was eviGent, he said, that the Treasury
officials wanted to make places, and that
it was either to be Gone by turning out oid
clerks, like old horses, 10 grass, or by ie-
,lucing the salaries Of such number that
good sum would be realized with
which to reward other clerks.
For instance, taking $500 as the aver
age reduction-and in some cases it is
81 200 each-there is S2l 900 ~ lie -asei
in the promotion of friends of the Gov
ernment, as 1t is to be assumed th.it
Government friends are to lie benefited.
IL Is Hbt dl al that tsiN hh-iNS'
politics and circumstances of all IF the
clerks reduced Will reach the public. 1t
was stated today that one of the Jerks,
a Republican, would ask Republican Sen
ator to call for the names and circum-
stances at oLoe. He did not think it could
ne done before I he holida We. bur ne felt ffiat
it would be done by resolution.
Secretary Gaee's proposition reached the
,f Ee.,, mt n ivaS r-pSfa The
ball was started rolling by Mr.. Moody Il
Ma ssI Ichnsc:ts, who accused Mr.. Gage with
taking the first step toward a civil pension
list. He dema nded that Congress meet this
step at once to ascertain il it is true that
the meri, system established civil pension
list. and declared tina IL such is the ca Sc the
American people stand ready by vote OF
100 to l to wipe it from the statute book.
He did net believe, he said. that the civil
service law fostered such an idea. He de