Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-17
Unsuccessful Experiment in the Cen
sus Bureau.
PAYING OFF AFTER OFFICE HOURS
Old Plan With Notifications VIII
Be Adopted.
WHAT THE DIRECTOR SAYS

dnnOuHCeu IOudy lHdl lie WOulu tSSCiiio
the order recently promulgated, which pro-
vides that employees of the census office
shall receive payment of their salaries after
the close of office hours The method Of
making payments to clerks in vogue in all
the executive departments in Washington.
and which has been practiced in the census
Office on all pay days with the exception Of
that of Saturday last, will be resumed.
Certain notifications, however, will be
made in the old plan. it was said today.
Saturdays Experiment.
The innovation in the matter of payment
of employees, attempted by the census Of
flee authorities Saturday last. resulted in
confusion and general dissatisfaction. In
stead of being an economy, it is said to
have proved to be a waste.
A week ago an order signed by Edward
McCauley, chief clerk, was posted in CEN
spicuous places in the census office. This
order recited that hereafter the office or the
diSburSing clerk would be open for the pay
ment Of the salaries of employees from to
7 pm. on pay days, and that payments
would not be made to- employees during
office hours except in rare instances This
order caused general complaint among the
employees. The arguments advanced in OPP
position to the new rule were that 1t would
be a violation of precedent; that it would
discriminate against census employees in
that all other government employees in
Washington receive their salaries during
Office hours: that it would interfere with
the meal hours Of clerks living in the city,
and would be an inconvenience to those
clerks who live in the country and who
have to take suburban trains to reach their
homes.
The reason given for the PRONUNCIATION
of the order was that the payment Of en-
ployes during office hours interrupted the
work of the office and resulted in a loss
to the government.
An Exciting Occasion.
Saturday was the first pay day under the
novel arrangement At o'clock there was
an exciting rush of clerks from all parts
of the census office in the direction of
the office of the disbursing clerk, which Is
on the second floor. The corridors and stair
ways became congested with the 1000 en-
ployes and because of the heat, crush and
excitement three women tainted and were
removed to Quieter parts of the building,
where they were restored. In the corridor
near the disbursing office the glass over
the electric switchboard was broken, and
this tended to increase the confusion. A
large percentage of the persons in the
and sang songs, such as Onward. Chris
tian Soldiers" I'VE Won't Go Home Until
Morning and Praise Uncle Sam, From
Whom All Blessings Flow"
Some of the census officials made efforts
to restore order, but they were unable to
do this After three hours, and up to
the time of the closing of the disbursing
office. about % per cent of the employees
were paid. Director Merriam out OF
the city and Chief Clerk McCauley was
not at the census office.
What Director Merriam Says.
Mr.. Merriam said today that the new
method of making payments was tried as
an experiment, had failed and would be
| abandoned He had observed that on pay
! DAYS there was a marked decrease in the
amount of work performed by the force.
The work of the census must be done on
schedule time, he said, and it was sought
to avoid the delay resulting from paying
clerks during office hours
Mr. McCauley said that in addition to
the confusion caused by the new plan OF
payment his once had been thronged all
day Saturday by clerks seeking on one
reason OF another orders on the disbursing
clerk that they might receive their salaries
before o'clock
Comments on the Affair.
| To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
| Passers by the United States census
| office at o'clock on Saturday witnessed
| scene unparalleled in the history OF gov
| eminent life here. AS already cited in the
| columns of your valuable paper, the order
was issued that clerks would be paid after
on the last and 18th days of each month.
| AS the gong struck at a mad rush was
| made for the doors. as the clerks were nott-
| fed that they must pass out to the street
| around to the main entrance and then after
| being paid pass out on the opposite side of
! the building. In ten minutes nearly all
| of the $40 clerks We're fighting mad
| Iy for entrance, when on the in
| side what had seemed ludicrouS before as
sumed almost a tragic aspect. as fraiI wo-
| men fainted-one being severely injured in
! the fearful crush-and nurses and sick
| rooms were taxed to their utmost. The
| hooting, kissing and "cat calls of the men
/ added to the din and excitement made a
! scene of disgrace never before enacted in
/ a government building Had it not been
| for the gentlemanly conduct of the very
| efficient corps of waJchmen the results
might have been much more serious. Can
! nothing be done through the power Of the
| press to induce Director Marian to re-
! scind this unjust and obnoxious order?
ONE OF THE SUFFERERS.