Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12
TINE AND OVERTIME.
Change of Conditions in the Executive
Departments.

"Of the many changes which have been
gradually taking place during the past few
years in the departments the question OF
time and overtime Is one Of the most i'm
portant," said an old government clerk.
"Od residents will recall when clerks
were permitted to go out during Office
hours and return, and no account was taken
of 1t. Also If a clerk was occasionally 4
few minutes late it was overlooked This
condition helped to fix in the public mind
the impression that clerks berth Is a
soft one, and this impression continues to
hold good today.
But times have changed. Now II q clerk
is even one minute late it is charged
against him. and In some Of the depart
ments he is obliged to make a personal
explanation to the chief OF his division.
I'm other instances to the chief Of his bu-
reau, while several Of the departments have
even plore stringent rules. compelling a
clerk to lose half a day II he is a certain
number Of minutes late. This IS all right
in the main, as some clerks are habitualiy
tardy, or would be if permitted. as others
are habitually punctual. If a clerk be late
1t Is his misfortune and he should suffer.
but it illustrates the tightening Of the reg
ulations.
Now, for the other side. as it is a poor
rule that won't work both ways. II clerk
is required to be on time to the second, as
he Is, he should be permitted to leave the
not always the case. A division chief In
the morning will eat a clerks head off for
being late and in the afternoon, with in
different complacency, give him or know
that he has been given or already has
work which. to keep up his desk. necessi-
tates his working like mailer all day and
remaining after 4 o'clock several days in
the week. The chief will in some instances
go so far as to intimate that the clerk may
work after hours, and will say: I am
obliged to do so myself or by similar in
situation play upon the clerks fear Of
losing his place or upon his good nature
and willingness. as the case may be. He
raises no objection to the clerks staying
until IL he pleases. forgetful that the
clerks obligation to work by statute. rule
and practice terminates at o'clock In the
absence of general order to the contrary,
which the chief OF the division has no
power to make; and IL the work ia SO heavy
that 1t can't be kept up 1t Is the chief 8
business to provide means Of handling
1t and not the concern Of the clerk who Is
absolutely without discretion.
"If the government deducts from a clerk 8
pay II he is late. it will if he has not
the requisite leave coming to him for every
minute he is late, Just corollary Of the
rule would appear to be an allowance for
each minute the clerk Is required to work
overtime. The argument to meet this prop
osition that the overtime work Is 'vOlun-
tary' on the part of the clerk Is only par
TALLY true in fact and not at all true from
a business and equitable basis. It's volun-
tary in the same sense that a condemned
man steps to the scaffold-because he can't
help himself.
Il don't mean to advance the PROPOSE
ton that the government should pay for
it's overtime. but 1 do mean that the work
should be so regulated and an adequate
force maintained that overtime work should
be unnecessary. In other words, let the
officials be as punctilious in Eliminating the
hours OF labor in these instances as they
are in beginning them"