New-York tribune., 1899-07-15
WOMEN AND CIVIL SERVICE
THE PLACES THEY HOLD. AND THEIR
COMPENSATION
OFFICIALS COMMEND THEIR SYSTEM NEATNEss
AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN THE TREAS
URY DEPARTMENT

URY DEPARTMENT.
Women in Civil Service employ particularly the
stenographers and typewriters. are tubant over
the result Of the action brought against William
Dalton. Commissioners Of Water Supply. by Grace
Brickwedel Miss BrfckwedeI was appointed as
Etenographer and typewriter In Datons Office after
passing a Civil Service examination in 1895 and
was removed by the Commissioner without charges
on October T. 1896. The peremptory writ Of man
damus obtained by Miss Brickwedel from Justice
Bischon. of the Supreme Court now requires that
all her salary in the interim be paid. at the rate
OF s0 a week.
When Postmaster Van Cott was asked by a
Tribune representative regarding the tenure Of
Office Of appointees under Civil Service he said:
Removal from the Civil Service is only for cause
and postofice clerks usually hold their places a
long time This is apparent from the fact that in
the last years not more than five appoint
nents have been made in the New-York office
One woman has been at her desk in the inquiry
department for twenty-five years"
Another prominent official asked regarding wom-
ems efficiency IN the Civil Service, as compared
with the men had nothing but the kindes; things
20 say.
For thirty-seven years" he said, women have
been employed in the public service IN Washington
Up 70 the period Of the Civil War no woman held
place in the Governmental departments At that
time. because OF the demand for great quantities Of
paper money twenty were engaged TO do the
ROlk OF cutting ana running the notes GtItIdi
Spinner was then United States Treasurer, and he
conceived the idea that women could do the work
more rapidly than men. He had been in the bank
4ng business. and his daughter had clipped his
notss tor him in a most acceptable fashion. Ac-
cordngly a single woman clerk was introduced
into the Office experiment It claimed
that she did the work Of three men. That decided
the matter, and presently the entire force OF clip
pers and trimmers was composed Of women.
"Out Of their success in this line has grown the
regular employment Of something over three thou
sand women clerks in the departments Of the Gov
ernment"
Within the period mentioned. although there have
been many defalcations by Government clerks, only
one of these was attributable to woman She was
occupied in the redemption division Of the Treas
ury. and she invented most ingenious plan LOT
making nine notes out of eight, incident 70 the
work Of putting together fragments OF damaged
Next came the idea that women could do the
work OF counting money with greater quckness,
and experiment proved this 20 be true. So the men
in the redemption division were replaced by women.
and some Of the first employees are sun mere gTH%
ingly accurate, and mistakes are e1ceedtsS az LaiT-
OF that they could be had ior nan c me
vice regulat tions women nave received ne ,1 9i ~
salaries as This rule mas governed IN all the
X is True. however, that many women Of superior
abilities are glad 10 accept places wnich cQuln nor
because clever men can earn more money in lines
of work not connected with the Government 49,,
Treasury Department the sheets OF nbre paper
used for money and for bonds are counted ana eA a
see that there are flaws in them Ihis w9rk Is
done by women 10 [ne Eyes erene 4s enc IN thousands
OF sheets Of this paper. but the expertness OF tn
sheets annually returned TO the manufacturers.
Fver greater expertness is shown by me coun'eITs
has been found that they much more clever at
this work than men They mus De cneS ,1to
fheir hands Much 0. the spoiled cash that comes
into the Treasury ror ntepY hopeless TO the novice
Sometimes It has been chewed ~ na6'Gr @ in ~ ma
sometimes passed through washins an" "0"'"e '''"
chimes or partly burned
One Of the women in the redemption DIVISION u
the Treasury is said 70 be the greatest H'i"s "a
pert in Identifying and restoring ou'neu 'non,S'
Another is more skilful at detecting copnterrslts
than any man in the Government employ she
says 1t is intuition.
The clerks at the Postoffice Department who de-
cipher nlegible addresses are women. one OF these
women Is considered the foremost expert IN ner
line in the world. and some OF her ue9'P"e'7'
look Ike miracles.
Lately women have been making their way INTO
the scientific branches Of the Government SERVE
Two women ethnoogists OF recognized reputation
are employed by the Bureau Of Ethnoiogy' Inc
Smithsonian Institution has a woman experl III
Holsters and crabs. In the National Museum Is
woman who is an authority on mammals. and one
OF the most skilful entomologica artists IN Inc Ine
world Is a woman employed In the bureau oi LII
tomology. So. ,,o,.s ts a
woman IL was but recently that the bureau "
American Republics required couple OF raliS, H
lators Of French and Spanish. TWO mere slIIs %
the prizes in competitive examinations. . 80
are The highest paid women IN the GoVernIi'e. ,hs
vice Zach receives 500 a year. few moh'nS NOM m
ago A woman expert in grasses was appoli'eu III
the Department OF Agriculture.
The Postofice Department employs A great army Z
Of women Among these 900 are postmlsTesses'
and there are about $1,000 women 10 whom the /