Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-07-19
TIME AND OVERTIME.
Change of Conditions In the EKecu-
tive Departments.

Change of Conditions In the EKecu-
tive Departments.
'Of the many changes which have been
gradually taking place during the last
few years in the departments the ques-
ton of time and Overtime Is one Of the
most important" said an old government
clerk.
"Old residents will recall when clerks
were permitted to go out during Office
hours and return, and no account was
taken OF it. Also if n clerk was occasion
ally n few minutes late it was overlooked.
This condition helped to fix in the public
mind the impression that clerks berth
is soft one, and this impression con-
tinucs to hold good today.
But times have changed. Now, if a
clerk is even one minute late It is charged
against him, and in some Of the depart.
mcnts he is obliged to make a personal
explanation to the chief Of his bureau,
while several Of the departments have
even more stringent rules, compelling
clerk to lose half day IL he is q certain
number of minutes late. This Is all right in
the main. as some clerks nre rs habitually
tardy, or would be If permitted, as others
NAG uuuAAulli1 puuCiuiAs II tlcEk w
late, it is his misfortune, and he should
suffer, but 1t illustrates the Tightening Of
the regulations.
Nov. for the other side, as it is a poor
rule that won't work both ways. If a
clerk is required to be on time to the sec
ond. as he is, he should be permitted to
leave the office on the second at o'clock,
which is not always the case. A division
chief in tho morning will eat n clerks
head off for being late and in the after
noon, with Indifferent eomplacency. give
him to know that he has been given or
already has work which to keep up his
desk necessitates his working like a mailer
all day and remaining after 4 o'clock sew
eral days in the week. The chief will in
some cases 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 insinuation play uDon the clerk S
fear of losing his place or upon his good
nature and willingness. rs the case may
| be. He raises no objection to the clerks
staying until If he pleases, forgetful
that the clerks obligation TO work by
/ statute, rule and practice terminates at 4
/ o'clock In the absence of n general order
to the contrary, which the chief Of the
| division has NO power to make, and IL the
work is so heavy that 1t can't be kept III
it is the chiefs business to provide {
means of handling 1t and not the conccrI
of the clerk who is absolutely without dis
erection.
IF the government deducts from {
clerks pay If he is late. as it will IL h,
has not the requisite leave coming to hin
for every minute he is late, just cOrol
larry of the rule would appear to be an al
lowance for each minute the clerk is re
quircd to work overtime. The argumen
to meet this proposition that the overtime
work is voluntary on the part Of tn
clerk is only partially true In fact and no
Mt all true from business and Cquitabl
basis It's voluntary in the same sens
that condemned man steps to the scat
fold-hccausc he can't help himself
Il don't mean to advance the PROPOSE
ton that the government should pay 10
its overtime. but do mean that the wori
should be so regulated and an adeQuat
force maintained that overtime wor
should be unnecessary. In other words
let the officials be as punctilious in ter
minating the hours Of labor in those in
= stances as they are in beginning thcm."-
I Washington Star