The silver star., 1898-02-03
VERY LAZY EMPLOYEES
GOVERNMENT CLERKS REM,ss.
rnsy DO vsry Little Work for Their Biz
Rny-Long Vacations and Short Hours.

In looking over the records Of the
treasury Department Secretary Gage
auds that during the Inst fiscal wear
two-thirds of the employees availed
themselves of the thirty days sick
leave-whlch, when applied for, is al.
lowed by an amlable law without re-
duction in pay--in addition to the thirty
days vacation each clerk is entitled
%. In other words, two-thirds of the
persons upon the pay roll of the treas
ury served the government only ten
months and were paid for twelve. 1t
Is probable that a similar advantage
was taken OF the law and the leniency
Of the higher officials in other executive
departments. Therefore the secretary
Of the treasury has decided to recon-
mend that Congress limit the sick
leave to cases where persons are abso.
iutely unable to perform their duties
and can bring certificates to the effect
that their Illness was Occasioned by
their official service and not due to the
ordinary exposure and accidents of pri-
vate life. In other cases clerks who are
III will be required to furnish substi-
tutes or forfeit their pay for the num-
ber of days they are absent. 1t is be-
lieved that this will check the epi-
demic that seems to have prevailed last
year.
In their attempts TO bring the work of
the department up to date, Secretary
Gage and Assistant Secretary Wander
lip have been embarrassed by the law
and the custom under which the depart
ment opens at 0 o'clock in the morning
and closes promptly mt 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. 1t is almost impossible to
induce the employees to work later than
the latter hour, no matter what hap
pens, and the law protects them. But
after consultation with the committee
on appropriations and the committee on
the reorganization of the departments,
Secretary Gage has decided to recon-
mend an amendment to the legislative
and executive appropriation bill provid-
ing that chiefs of divisions shall report
to heads of bureaus on the beginning
of every month the condition of bust
ness under their jurisdiction, and heads
of bureaus shall furnish summaries of
these 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
require his clerks TO work overtime as
often and as long as 1t may be neces-
W
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 n 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 1t, just as he and the assistant
secretary do their work and stay all
night in the building il 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 n rule reported
that will admit of any amendments
that are designed TO increase the effi-
cheney and promote the economy Of the
public service.