St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-03-16
TINE AND 0vERTINE.


"Of the many changeswhich have bee
gradually taking place during the las
few years in the departments the quea
ton of time and overtime is one OF tn
most important" said an old govern
ment clerk to . Washington Star re
porter.
"Old residents will recall when clerk
were permitted to 60 out during ofic
hours and return, and no account wa
taken of it. Also If . clerk was occa
sionally few minutes late it was over
looked. This condition helped to d,
in the public mind the impression tha
a clerks berth is soft one, and thi
impression continues to hold good to
day.
'But times have changed. Now II
clerk is even one minute Late it il
charged against him, and in some o.
the departments he is obliged to maxi
a personal explanation to the chief o;
his division in other instances to the
chief of his bureau, while several of the
departments have even more stringent
rules, compelling a clerk to lose half
day if he is a certain number Of min
utes late. This is all right in the main
as some clerks are habitiualiy tardy. ol
would be if permitted, as others art
habitually punctual. II clerk be late
it is his misfortune and he should suf
fer, but it illustrates the Tightening OF
the regulations.
Now, for the other side. as it il Q
poor rule that won't work both ways
If . clerk is required to be on time tc
the second, as he is, he should be per
mitted to leave the Office on the second
at four o'clock, which il not always the
case. A division chief in the morning
will eat a clerks head OF for being
late, and in the afternoon, with indif
ferent complacency, give him, or know
that he has been given or already has
work which, to keep up his desk, ne.
cessitates his working like mailer all
day and remaining after four O'Clock
several days in the week. The chief will
in some instances go so far as to init
mate that the clerk may work aftes
hours, and will say: I am obliged tc
do SO myself or by similar insinuatioD
play upon the clerks fear of losing his
place or upon his good nature and will
ingness, as the case may be. He raise.
no objection to the clerks staying until
six if he pleases, forgetful that the
clerks obligation to work by statute
rule and practice terminates at foul
o'clock in the absence Of a general or.
der to the contrary, which the CHIEF
Of the division has NO power to make;
and if the work is 20 heavy that il
ant be kept up it is the chiefs bust.
ness to provide . means of handling il
and not the concern Of the clerk who il
absolutely without discretion.
IF the government deducts from
clerks pay If he Is late, as it will II he
has not the requisite leave coming te
him for ever: inmate he IL late, Just
Of the rule would appear e
De an allowance for each minute the
clerk Is required to work overtime. The
argument to meet this proposition that
he overtime work is voluntary on the
part Of the clerk is only partially true
n fact and not at all true from bust.
hess and equitable basis. It's voluntary
n the same sense that Q condemned
nan steps to the scaffold-because he
ant help himself.
Il don't mean to advance the propo.
'ition that the government should pay
'or its overtime, but I do mean to say
hat the work should be so regulated
md an adequate force maintained that
overtime work should be unnecessary
n other words. let the officials be .,
in terminating the hours oi
abor in these instances ~ they are il
BEGINNING them.'