Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-21
THE PENSION OFFICE
Some of the Clerks Must Turn Over a
New Leaf.
What COMMISSIONER EVANS SAYS
No Going Out for an Hour or Two
During the Day.
POINTER FOR DRINKERS

The 1,6Oo clerks of the pension office will
Eave to turn over new leaf; that is, those
of the 1.6OO who have been in the habit of
taking an hour or two off now and then
for the purpose of attending to private
business during office hours, and those
members of the male sex in the building
who have been accustomed to seek a re-
spite from their arduous duties of the day
by resorting in the evening to places where
they could drink beer and other liquors
that are IN violation of the temperance
pledge and continue such indulgence into
the small hours, with the result that they
wake up in the morning with a headache
This latter restriction On the clerks is not
accompanied by any claim that there are
such. but is merely made as the result of
rumors that among the LOCO are some who
spend their evenings in a manner calcu-
lated to unfit them for efficient work dur
ing the daytime. If there are any hard
drinkers" in the pension office they will be
obiiSed to turn over a new leaf or make
way for men of temperate habits.
A Few days after Commissioner of Pen
sions Evans took charge of the office he
looked out of his window, and noticed dur
ing all hours of the day clerks going and
coming He inquired what this meant and
was informed that it had been an old Gus
take an hour or more off during the day
In order that he or she might attend to
private business down town. He was told
that this time was taken from their annual
loser thereby. But Commissioner Evans
thinks otherwise.
Must Stop the Practice.
There is no bank or other business house
in this city, said Mr.. Evans to a Star re-
rt0 tp1a tho.
ployes leaving the house during office hours
in order to look after private matters, ex-
cept in very urgent cases. The practice
must be stopped in this office, and shall
see to it that in the future, except in
urgent cases. employees are at their decks
during the entire time of office hours. It
has also been the rule here to some extent
for certain officials to reach the office after
o'clock now and then. Sometimes men
come In and go to work at 10 or IL o'clock
without any special reason for their tardi-
ness.
The hours of work which the govern
ment requires of its employees are not long.
They are less than is required in private
employ. 1 see no reason why the clerks of
this bureau should not be ready to go to
work promptly In the morning and continue
work without interruption throughout the
day. A clerk who drops his work at 2
O'Clock, goes downtown for an hour and
d y
the government justice by performing his
work promptly, for the reason that the
case that he was examining ar O'clock
when laid down for an hour, is taken up
cn his return without that continuity of
thought which the examination of most OF
cur cases require. i shall certainly make
ii my business while am in this bureau TO
see that this custom is stopped.
On Business Principles.
Il am afraid that / shall not make my
self very popular by introducing the disci-
pline which / think is necessary for the
proper conduct of this bureau. but as l
understand it, my business here is TO see
that the governments work is transacted
with the same business principles that
would be expected to conduct the affairs
of a private business concern. In order to
do this there is one other thing that 1 pro-
pose TO make it my business to look after.
The men employed in this bureau must
not only be gentlemen in their conduct
but 1 understand there are some who spend
their evenings, frequently into the late
hours, in saloons. Many men Justify them
selves in taking what they regard as harm
less recreation by indulgenees which they
regard as moderate, but which tends to ur-
nj tnem Tor their work. / am told there
are instances in which men who spend their
time in this way until 1 O'Clock or later in
the morning come to the Office with a
head that Is far from clear, and is not cal
culated TO give the government the char
acter of work for which it pays. / want to
say right here that anything of this kind
Will not be permitted in the pension office
willie 1 am commissioner. II 1 learn of
aEy one in this office, If there are such.
VINO drinks TO his disadvantage / shall see
that MS place Is given to some one else"
Will Reinstate Ex-Union Soldiers.
Are you doing anything toward the re-
Ms'atement Of ex-Cnion soldiers?' Mr..
Evans was asked :
Yes; l wish to reinstate any ex-Union
soldiers who have been unjustly removed
from this bureau. But before doing so :,
Is my purpose to examine the records tbev
FAD while in the office. and their character
MS being the soldier bureau of the gov
efhment. think it is eminently proper 1ba,
soIdlers should be preferred here But. of
course. only those whose records are good
preference"