The times., 1901-03-15
COLONEL SANGER'S FIRST TASK.
To Revise the Clerical System OF the
War Department

One of the first subjects which Assistant
Secretary of War Sanger will take up Tor
consideration Is that of proposed improve
ment of the clerical system OF the war
Department. Secretary Root has already
had several consultations with his assist
ant regarding these reforms. For some
time it has been apparent to the Secretary
of War that the Clerical system was not
the best. The temporary clerks and those
on the classified list will be placed ON an
equal footing.
The principal reform to be established
relates to the efficiency records OF the
clerks 1t is the purpose of the Secretary
of War to have clerks paid according 10
their work which will be graded ana
classified. The work will be graded ac-
cOrding to its character. Clerks doing eN-
ecutive work will receive salaries COM
mensurate with their ability, while stenog~
raphers and typewriters will be PAID as
skilled workmen. The most difhculI
question involved in changing the system
refers TO the marking of the clerks on the
work they perform. At the present ufne
the chiefs of bureaus keep record OF the
work performed by the clerks under them
and mark them according TO their work.
the time lost and ability to perform difil-
cult work.
1t is admitted that there is nothing to
prevent a chief of a room giving a good
rating to one clerk and a low rating 20
another. There is nothing to prevent his
giving one clerk work which will show up
better in results than the work given some
other clerk To simplify this and reduce
the opportunity for unjust discrimination
to a minimum is one of the problems 10
be solved by Colonel Sanger.
The conspicuous feature OF the new SyS,
tenn will be that each desk will be grad 20
as worth so much salary. and that the
occupant of it is to he compensated ac-
cordingly. There have been instances
where upon the death of $l,2OO clerk q
5000 clerk was assigned to his desk ano
performed the work. There nave aIsS
been cases where $500 clerks performed
work of d nature entitled TO great ColI
Densation. 1t is proposed to remedy theSt
| defects in the present system. 1t mas al
ways been customary for the ASSIST II
| Secretary of War to control the appoint
ments to the clerical force OF the depart
/ ment, but Secretary Root Will act IN con
junction with Colonel Sanger In institute
| ing the new system.
| Colonel Sanger will also be given con
| troll of all contracts to be mace pV tn'
| War Department or the army AS q law
Yer he will be able to pass upon questions
| involving purchases, thus relieving sec
retary Root of this work. He Will als'
! have complete charge of the reorganlza
| ton of the artillery corps OF the army
| Colonel Sanger has made specially o
| artillery subjects and spent some tlm'
! abroad inVestigating the artillery system
! of the principaI European countries. Fo
several weeks past he has been studyini
| the artillery organization OF the Cnlte'
| States, and when he takes up TINS SUP
! ject he will be familiar with all the de
| tails connected with it. To a great eX
| tent he will also have charge of the wori
| of the army war college with parucula
! reference to the departments IN conhec
! tion with the militia organizations OF IN
| States.