Evening star., 1898-03-25
LEAVES OF ABS ENCE
Effect Of Paragraph in the Legislative
Appropriation Bill.
Post once Department Has Put IN
Into Operation at
Once.

The clause in the legislative bill concern.
Ing the leaves Of absence Of government
employees has gone into effect as far as
the Post ONCE Department is concerned.
although the remainder OF the bill does
not become operative until July I next
The bill IL win be recalled PASSED Con-
gress and became a law March IL. II con-
tained this paragraph:
Section L. That section five OF The act
making appropriations for legislative. ex-
ecutive and judicial expenses, approved
March 3. 1893. is hereby amended 10 read
as follows:
Hereafter it shall be the duty Of the
heads of the several executive depart
ments. in the interest Of the public service.
to require of all clerks and other employees.
OF whatever grade or class In their re-
spective departments. not less than seven
hours OF labor each day, except Sundays
and such days declared public holidays by
law or executive order: Provided, That the
heads OF the departments may. by special
order, stating the reason, further extend
the hours of any clerk or employe in their
departments, respectively; but I'm case OF
an extension il shall be without additional
compensation: Provided further. That the
head OF any department may grant thirty
days annual leave with pay in any one
year to each clerk or employe.
And provided further. That where some
member of the immediate family OF clerk
empoye is afflicted with q contagious
disease and requires the care and attend
aLce of such enploye, or where his or her
presence in the department would jcopar-
die the health of fellow clerks. and In ox-
ceptional and meritorious cases, where a
clerk or empioye is personally in. and
where 10 limit the annual leave to thirty
days in any one calendar year would work
peculiar hardship, Il may be extended, IN
the discretion CT the head of the depart
nent. with pay, not exceeding thirty days
in any one case or in any one calendar
year
The passage of this bill was Immediately
brought to the attention of the d.sbursiug
offlcer of the Post Office Department by
Chief Clerk Taylor with Instructions not
to pay any employe for sick leave until the
same has been approved by the Postmaster
General.
In the meantime the treasury oficials
were asked for q ruling as to the operation
of the Law. The decision came back that
the bill became operative upon its passage.
Urder a strict Interpretation Of this law,
government employees will only be entitled
t. thirty days leave of absence with pay.
In exceptional and meritorious cases
where the clerk is personally ill., the head
of the department in which the clerk Is
employed may allow thirty days sick
leave.
1t is the wording of the law that has set
the clerks to wondering what will be con-
sidered an exceptional and meritorious
case
According to the head of a well-known
department, the passage of this law was
the direct outgrowth of an abuse OF the
sick leave privilege. The clerks looked
Upon IT as something which belonged to
them, and with great regularity used every
hour of the time. Under the law IL is i'm
possible for clerk, no matter how III he
may be, to receive compensation for ser
vices for a period longer than sixty days
that is, thirty days regular and thirty
days sick leave.
The law. IL in operation at the present
time. works hardship upon those who have
not yet taken their leave.