The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-02
THE POOR, CENSUS CLERKS.
Onnecessnry Discomforts in the Mcr-
iriam Building.
fFrom the New York SUM

Unnecessary Disccmforts in the MGR
iriam Building.
(From the New York SUM
| Washington. jane 30.-Sympathy is as d
rule expressed With the men who take the
census. but people overlook the trials OF
! the thousands of;clerks in Washington wno
are tabulating the information obtained by
the erumerators. The actual work is not
| so firing and difficult, but the surround
ings are much worse than those OF an
enumeration in the worst part OF New York
or any other city. The enumerator can get
up above the ground floor and into the
shade occasionally. The Washington taDu-
lator can do neither.
| The situation within the low-roofed one
story building would be intensely funny
| if it wasn't really pitiful. The Roof OF the
| building consists of two thicknesses OF
| glass; and while the structure would be
admirable as dollhouse it is execrabie as
a workshop When only few clerks were
, employed and during the winter and early
| spring it was not so bad, although the
| glare at all times has been severe on the
eyes, but with the first hot spell the folly
Of such a building was only too apparent.
1t has now become almost uncomfortable.
and ore can only imagine its condition
when the full quota Of clerks get to work.
The sun shines with great splendor
| through that glass roof and its heat falls
on the heads CT the unfortunate clerks.
AS there is considerable unoccupied space,
when it gets too hot for endurance in one
spot baton Of clerks can be moved to
spot where there is little shade. but
even that relief will be denied when the
floor is entirely filled, as it will be after
the first of July.
After several women had tainted and
men had added to the probability of sun
stroke by working themselves into pro-
fame rage at the situation, one level
headed clerk raised an umbrella and man
aged to fix it to her desk SO as to afford
immediate protection for her head. In
less than five minutes umbrellas were Up
all over the vast floor space. 1t presented
very odd sight, and there was good
deal OF discomfort in trying to work in
such close quarters, but 1t saved many
from being overcome by the heat. Within
a few days efforts have been made TO rig
up some kind of an awning. but the
clerks despair of much improvement.
since the same master mind that planned
the building must be getting up the avn
ings, for they are made OF thin pure
white material resembling cheese cloth
and will be but one degree better than
the sun on the glass roof.
Some persons never have their sense of
humor dimmed under even the most ad-
verse circumstances, and woman whose
seat is in the population division was
lately telling Of some of the happenings
In the Bureau occasioned by the intense
heat. She said
'Of course in the sprng when we fist
went on the work 1t wasn't so lad WHAT
were We doing then? Why, punching
Porto Ricans at 30 cent? an hour. You
know we use punching machine. which |
are really a great invention for acce.erat- |
ing the work. but terribly trying to
nervous person. We got 80 cents an hour |
at first and as the speed increased cent |
or two more at a time was added to cur |
income.
Now 1t Is very different. II only had
capital and push and influence l would try
to make some money out Of the arcii-
tectural mistakes of the building. The
clerks are constantly in that stage of
Turkish bath known as the steam room.
Now I know they would all gladly pay a
small amount every day to have noise
less attendants come up at stated intervals
and put cold cloths on top Of their heads
as they do at the baths. The Government
really ought to do that. but since it do 8
not, private enterprise would make 30
wasted. There is only enc thing the building
is really useful for. and that Is to bic h
linen. The chief OF my division is very
stout man. and as he has TO be moving
around inspecting the work. he can't
under en- umbrella like the humble 81 rks;
he has to suffer on account Of his holoIs.
Yesterday he came in in the morning vita
a beautiful blue and white striped shirt OF.
BY o'clock there was hardly a veStige CT
n ttn trty Ipff hin md Ni-ot haI |
bleached the color out and he was white
shirted man when going home time ar
rived.
las is generally the case the women are
more ingenious about protecting them
selves from the awful heat and glare than
the men. but though they do not complain
half as much as the stronger sex. they
get exasperated too. l heard a young girl !
accounting for all her mistakes because Of
the heat, and certainly q great many err
rors are made while the brain is fairly
Keeling with the suns rays In this parti-
:u!ar instance she had failed to punch two
relative to the female child
aged months of John Smith. The over
heated clerk had failed to state that the
female child was single and not the mother
If family. When the omission was call
I'd to her attention she re3lied:
Yes l did leave 1t out AMI why? Be-
,ause I'm SO warm l can't think of any
hing but shade trees and iced lemonade
And If could think. seems to nae I'd have :
eft that out anyhow-somethirg must be
eft to the imagination. and even al idiot | {
would know that seven-moEths- old girl |
vas neither matron nor mother
But the fact is that a census tabulator
las to make fool of herself, according to
ideas. on an average once in ten ! {
4.