The silver lance., 1898-02-04
VERY LAZY EMPLOYEES
CLERKS REMIss.
..v DO Very Little Work for Their Big
fn0 Vacations and Short Hours.

,ot;ng over the records Of the
ri.surv Department Secretary Gage
IL that during the last fiscal year
uno e Thirds of the employees availed
MsaIves of the thirty days sick
lneaNwhich. when applied for, is al
e@,a ea Nv an amiable law without re-
ww s.t;on in pay-in addition to the thirty
.s, vacation each clerk is entitled
Tn other words, two-thirds of the
oons ~ upon the pay roll of the treas
peleon served the government only ten
uIy y,ths and were paid for twelve. 1t
~ n-obable that a similar advantage
" ~ taken of the law and the leniency
~ the higher officials in other executive
a. Msanartments. Therefore the secretary
- Tho treasury has decided to recon-
aond that Congress limit the sick
lave to cases where persons are abso-
,rteIv unable to perform their duties
md can bring certificates to the erect
,hot their illness was occasioned by
,heir official service and not due to the
ardinary exposure and accidents of pri-
sota life. In other cases clerks who are
n, will be required to furnish subst-
,utos or forfeit their pay for the num-
har of days they are absent. 1t Is De
Iieved that this will check the cpl
aemic that seems to have prevailed last
year. .u,, tho .,, of
rbe department up 10 date, secretary
Gage and Assistant Secretary Wander
In have been embarrassed by the law
"p ND the custom under which the depart
ment opens at 8 o'clock in the morning
and closes promptly at A O'Clock in the
sf,arnoon. 1t is almost impossible to
induce the employees to work later than
,be latter hour, no matter what hap
mems. and the law protects them. But
aftor consultation with the committee
an appropriations and the committee on
The reorganization of the departments,
Secretary Gage has decided to recon-
mpnd an amendment to the legislative
and executive appropriation bill provid-
inc that chiefs of divisions shall report
IN heads of bureaus on the beginning
of every month the condition of busi-
ness under their jurisdiction, and heads
Of bureaus shall furnish summaries of
those reports to the secretary OF the
treasury. who, whenever 1t may be
found that any bureau or division is
behind in current work shall authorize
and direct the head of that bureau to
reouire his clerks to work overtime as
often and as long as it may be neces-
sary to keep pace with the business of
their offices. 1t is probable that the
heads of other departments will join IN
this recommendation, and the law will
be made general.
There will be a great kick" about
this. Uncle Sam is an easy taskmas-
ter and the average government func-
tionary dislikes to be hurried. But
Mr.. Gage proposes to treat the Treas
ury Department just as he used to treat
his bank. When there is work to be
done, he proposes that the employees
shall do it, just as he and the assistant
secretary do their work and stay all
night in the building if necessary. -
The opponents of this reform will
doubtless raise a point of order when
the amendment is offered in the House
of Representatives, but the Speaker
has promised to have a rule reported
that will admit of any amendments
that are designed to increase the eff
cheney and promote the economy OF the
public service.