Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-06-03
HONEST AS A CLASS.
There Are But Few Malingerers
Among Government Clerks.
Most of Them, both Men and Women,
Cheerfuliy Attend to the Duties
which They Are Engaged
to Perform
Especial Washington Letter.


THE proceedings of congress are
carefully reported by the
most skilful stenograp piers;
and every word uttered in debate is
noted down, typewriter, set into
type and printed in the Congress
sional Record. These proceedings
are accurately. published, and copies
are preserved in the Congressional
library, the library of the senate,
the library, OF the house of repre-.
sentatives and In the library tof the
department. of state. Thus, from
lS4e. when efforts were first made to
secure accurate and complete re-
ports, the uttcrances of our states-
men are recorded SO that quotations
may be made forever; and complete
reports will always be made
The legislative appropriation bill
was under consideration recently,
and Mr.. Hemenway, of Indiana, hav-
ing charge of the bill, was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Robinson, of Indiana,
with inquiries which led up to an in
teresting subject. The debate was
carefully reported. and it appears in
the Congressional Record as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Robinson-I desire to call the
attention of the gentleman to the
subject of the sick leave of employees
in the departments, a subject to
which the committee addresses itself
largely in the report. understand
that in the executive departments in
Washington the heads of those de-
partments may require not less than
seven hours service of employees and
not more than eight hours, and that
these employees are granted an an
nual leave of 80 days with pay, and
in addition TO that they have 80 days
sick leave with pay each year.
Mr.. Hemenway-I want to call the
gentleman's attention to this fact,
just to correct the statement he
makes. The law requires that they
shall perform not less than seven
hours service. The head of depart
ment may call upon them to put in
II hours q day if he is so disposed.
Mr.. Robinson-Under the law, can
they be required to perform more
than eight hours work?
Mr.. Hemenway-Yes.
Mr.. Robinson-Now, the gentleman
has said that there is no abuse of
the sick-leave privilege in Washing
tom
Mr.. Hemenway The gentleman
does not want to 1pisquote me. say
that In Instances there is abuse of
the sick leave In Washington. that in
many instances there is abuse OF It;
but on the whole the result is not
bad.
Mr.. Robinson-The gentleman does
not hold the heads of departments
responsible FOR this. because he says
they are doing the best they can I'M
der the law. This is only the position
In which desire to place the gen.
tleman. l believe he says that; but
the fact nevertheless remains that
this abuse exists, and l want to ask
him if his committee have considered
this branch of the question. that the
government employees here in WASH
ngton have 60 days leave of absence
with pay, while the employees of the
government outside of the city of
Washington many of them have no
leave of absence ut all, while others
have but Is days leave of absence,
and none have the sick-leave privi-
leges unless they are connected with