The sun., 1899-10-08
TIE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
wouEY ~ GOVERNMENT sERTIoR
IyD WHAT IHEY HAVE DONE.

meats for "Getttng Rid OF Them"-How
They Have Served the Post Onioe-Tho
D,ad Letter once Run by Women
Equal Suffrage In south Australia.
The rerort that women are being gradually
a,,pIacei from the Government departments
a, Washington has given rise to much discus
sion. The heads Of departments. when a va
annoy occurs. have the legal right to specify
vbether It shall be filed oy q man or a woman.
and II is said that they almost always ask for
man; hence the number OF women employed
10 constantly growing less. Various reasons
are alleged all rejecting moro or less on the
sretency OF women as clerks.
The iaacy OF these excuses Ia shown by the
record women have made in one OF the Govern
nent departments which has treated them
with the most fairness and utilized their ser
vlc" most largely, that Of the Post once.
August W. Machen. superintendent OF the
Free Delivery System at Washington. d. c..
rave an Interesting address at the National
Suffrage Convention last year On Women In
the Departmental Service OF the United
stat.s" lie testiilel stronGlv to "woman's
worth. capacity and general Gtness" for such
work and supported his opinion by the ex-
perience Of his own department.
Women have been employed occasionally In
Government service from the earl est days OF
III. Republic. but until tho Civil War broke out.
thsy we're few and far between. According to
Mr. Marhen the employment OF women n the
departments during the war was due to two
eauses-First. necessity. 50 many OF ths clerks
leaving to go into the army that the Govern
m.nt had to bring in women to al their places:
and second. the wish 70 provide the widows
and orphan daughters Of soldiers with a means
@, lyel hood. At first the women were assigned
to tho lowest grades ot clerical work. such as
cutting coupons II bonds. counting bills and
10, md mn n then, reraiyai
$3.50 per year. only few getting $500.
Third Assistant General Beverley
frst introduced women In considerable num-
bers into the posi- service cary in the sixties.
Mr. Machen says: 1T is clear from the rec ords
that he regarded two women as Al out equal to
the task OF one man Asl.2OO position vasatsd
byaman would be filed by two women al 5000
each They were invariably assigned to duty
in the Dead Letter Orice In those days the
opening and returning OF 10 la'ters was con-
sidered good days work for "A man. lhs
women. greatly to the astonishment OF the
officials promptly ra sei the standard to 250
aday Mr. Beverley. II Ia said. served notice
on the men clerks that unless they showed an
ability to keen M to the standard fixed By the
women he would d,space them all"
The frst women IN the departments met
with much OPPOSITION. The proprety OF their
employment was questioned. The strict con-
BtTuCtlDnlStS he.l tIat IL was lleRal, dnQ
claimed that custom and usage had given the
word clerk the legal definition OF male
clerk" They appealed to Congress 10 sette
tha question. and It did 50 by provid ing specific
amounts for the employment OF mae and fe-
mae clerks
The struggle to turn out all the women still
wen. on. side by side with the Struggle to Sc
cure them fair pay. An examination OF the
Congregational Record, in those days the Con-
ore.siondl Globe. reveals many amusing de-
bates. At ono time, for instance. it was over
bill calling for fair play for the women in the
Post Office Department" at another over q bill
asking fair treatment for the women
In the Department Of Justice" Some
members OF Congress- advocated the
employment OF women on grounds Of
economy. Some opposed It on the Rrou nd that 1t
took them out OF their sphere. Others. and in
the long run they were victorious. fought tho
battle for women on lines OF justice and right.
After long debates. renewed In almost eve ry
session during the sixties. Congress fixed the
maximum salary for women clerks at $500 a
year; indeed, 1t reserved for women all posi-
tions ut and under that grade. In 1870 both
the friends and opponents OF the women
united 70 urge the dropping OF the words
male" and female" from the appro-
priatIon bill; the friends. because they
wanted to open all positions to wo aen who
could prove their fitness; the opponents. be-
cause they wanted to monopoze all the posi-
tlons for men. The result was an amen lmsnt
authorizing the heads OF tho several depart
ments to appoint women who were found 10 be
competent and worthy to any grades Of clerk
ship. with the com pensation belonging to the
class to which they were appointed. Hon.
Oliver ?. Morton OF Indiana. whose statu. has
is,ey been unveiled in the CaptoI. said in
supporting this msa sure in the Senate:
i am in favor OF this amendment il
Involves two great prime lpieB-flr,t. that all av-
enues OF employment which they are Tuaiined
TO NIL shall he opened to women and secondly
that they shall receive the same conformation
that noI Ten receive for the same KIND aud guam
In lS's women were hlling about 40 per cent
OF me cIerkships. and were earning nearly as
thy omen may be found in positions where
XII, diligence and tact are pre-. requisites. and
placed in pos,tions requiring a high grade Of
executive ability. As an example Of the prog
end Of the change Of or. nion viii re er to tn.
F., Free Del,Sery Division Of the Post ONCE De-
as,sfsd 70 f3ut tha, or I'VE ysars ago The women
oy pareIy clerical duties ths highest Of which was
Sss 1tsea E9rk S2 All the
ehiet clerk. and the consideration o. important
sIoects vas never intrustsd TO women
Io.dayit Is quite different. The work has been
rsS,.}u r.ETr3}nted among the clerks OF the division
aolity. tact and diplomacy is in the hands OF
th-se same women. One handles all matters
peralhlnR 10 the appointment. promotion and
removal ~ ietter-rarriers, dictates al the
cofrespondence relating thereto. ma krs rul ngs
an eGa passes unon lmportant questions that con-
Rnuaiiy arise; Another has direct charge Of
prepares and considers al! data r. at.nC to il,
Passes upon amp ications for additional SER
wee. scrutlnizrs the schedules under whi n
SarrerS are employed. aud con lucts the
corresnnndrnce bearing upon these sui
Iec,s The books and accounts OF the division.
SpSrrng The annua! expenditure OF about
SlovypOOu. are kept 10y an accom- he'd
!.lng woman whose fne executive ability and
spec!s qualifications have more than once
p.o-d ner n iulI charge as division suparln-
,ehient, act NJ IN he absence Of the SUPER. II =
arhl-nt AMI his assistants. Twenty tn yrs
HSe years ago. some people would have beer
snocE'd At the idea OF woman suge gerintending.
Nch temporarily, one OF the lnlDrta n !
sSpaGene' oi the postal service. But il has been
Sohe WNhIn ne past Two years. and II will be
unnS again whenever the occasion arises
lLe woman of the Free Delivery Djvisinn
TsttG ven reSrons tll!ty, and they acc7ptedi Il.
,hhey are daily proving by their efficient work,
snsr lathigneS1 and their loyalty mat the r
IWrIntelilpnt made IN a. IL hap ha