The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-26

the city or Washington. who coui1.wltfi
profit TO the government, and without
Injury TO themselves, work the full
time required by The glaw. ~ there IS
lsufllclent work for them to do ls,.2s, a
Z Questlon--H any, department Of
sbuledtis Introduced the seventh hour sys-
ten. not including the halt.hour fof
Elunch2 "A tlIt
siAnswer.-i know ffnone, althoushIn
oil OF the departments aud bureaus ex-
ira work Is required Of tho employees at
times. ! This Is especially true OF the
civil service commission when the
work Us llargcly In arrears, and much
extra time Is put In by the employees.
W Questlon-What. IN your opinion,
would be the sal.i In tlf.ie and money
TO the government ~ oil the govern
nient employees in this city we're rcluir-
ed TO work the full seven hours as re-
yquired by law
s AnBwer--rhe requirements OF the law,
Reinforced In the cases OF the employees
engaged uponiroutine work, would, on
the basis of, {, 900 employees SO engaged,
near, q gain to the government OF one
half hours time from each employe, or
$500 extra hours q day. which would
be equivalent to the time OF iGi3 en-
ployes each year working seven hours q
day. As the average salary OF the
clerks In Washington Is $3.50 saf year.
this would mean a saving TO the gov-
eenment OF over $500. 900 q year for clerk
hire. = & - z &, Z. (.
&Questlon--How many outside OF
Washington work only six and one
half hours, and what would be the gain
In time and money to the government
,if all employees outside OF Washington
were required to work the full seven
hours? q Il ~
b i.Answer-The employees In the GUS
toms and Internal revenue services. and
other miscellaneous employees, number.
about 5000. The work OF quite q mum
Der OF the employees outside of Wash
ington Is regulated by the conditions OF
the service, the amount OF work fluctti-
atlng from day To day and from week
TO week. This is true OF the work OF
good many OF the employees In the GUS
toms and internal revenue services. So
IL Is difficult to say to what extent the
government would gain by increasing
the office hours for the employees out
side OF Washington. 1t Is quite certain,
however, that the government would
not gain in the same proportion as It
would In this city, where the work Is
more regular. X e,5 & e
Question--Ho many days in the
year are the departments open, and
what is Ethe~average number OF days
each employe works during the year?
Answer-The departments are open
every day. except Sundays and holli
days. declared by law or executive orr
der. The departments are. therefore.
usually open about 3os days out OF s655.
and each employe is required to work
this number OF days unless he Is absent
on account of leave or sickness.
CONCERNING LEAVE.
ouestion-How many days OF annu-
al legal vacation are granted to en-
ployes2
Answer-The number OF days of an
nual legal vacation granted to the en-
ployes differs in the different branches
of the service. In and outside OF Wash
ington. In the departments the en-
ployes are granted thirty days leave
with pay each year, II their services
can be spared. whichtisj nearly always
the case;. in the government printing
officeEthe employees are granted thirty
days, leave, although the hours OF la
Dor are longer In that office than in the
other departments. The same is true
OF the bureau of engraving and print
Ing. Outside OF Washington the en-
ployes in; the customs and Internal rev.
enue services are granted from fifteen
to Thirty days leave with pay. IN the
postal service. however, the employees
are granted only fifteen days leave, al
though the hours Of labor are longer
than in the departments. 81,
* Questiofi-Eow many days With
pay, are allowed for sickness?
Answer-The employees In the depart;
ments may. under the law. be granted
thirty days sick leave. with pay, in
any calendar gear, which may be ex-
tended to sixty days with pay, In ex-
ceptIonal and merltorlous cases. II is a
noticeable fact that nearly NIL the cases
where extensions OF sick leave are re-
auested are regarded as exceptional
and meritorious, and employees are per-
mitted to be absent for sixty days on
account OF sickness whether they, IRE
entitled to 1t on the score OF efficiency
or not. 5ils. M 4, (, q ~ KS x
Quest!on-Does not the Law require
that the employees In the; departments
shall work seven hours day?
bAnswer--The law now In force fixing
the hours OF labor in the departments is
contained in section 4. OF the act OF
March 8, 1883. The sections reads Y as
follows: =
~. That hereafter 1t shall be the
duty OF the heads OF the several execu-
tive departments, In the interest OF the
public service, to require of oil clerks
and other employees. OF whatever grade,
or class. in their respective depart
ments, not less than seven hours OF Ia,
Dor each day, except Sundays and
days declared public holidays by law
or executive order. y
NOT AUTHORIZED By LAW.
This is a matter that does not come
within the province OF the commission
except in carrying out tho requirements
OF the law with respect to the hours OF
labor ot;its own force. 1t WILL there
fore. be understood that i am giving
only my personal Views on this sub
|; ject, MS the commission has OF course
| nothing TO do with the hours Of labor In.
the departments, each department av-
| Ing It's own}reguiatIons on this subject.
1t seems. however, that although the
law requires that employees shall work.
or render seven hours OF labor each
day, It Is the practice in oil OF the de-
partments to consider one-hnlf hour
for lunch as a part OF the hours OF la
Dor. and consequently the great bulk OF
the employees In and outside OF WASH
ington, except those employed In the
postal service, are required to work
l5only six and one-halt hours daily. It.
does not seem to me. that this, prncticeis.
authorized; by the law. which provides
that stherc shall be ut least seven hours