Evening star., 1902-08-19
NO POKER PLAY|NG c
Three Treasury Clerks Re-
duced and Transferred.
THE SPORTY ELEMENT
THOSE WHO PLAY THE RACES
ALARMED.
Secretary Shaw Has Decided to Rigid
ly Enforce the Rules as to Be-
havior of Employees.

Secretary Shaw has decided that the
Treasury Department, the great fiscal
branch of the government, wherein much
responsibility attaches to nearly every
clerk, is no place for poker players and
those inclined to general gambling; for
clerks who play the races" fer 10 per
centers. those who deliberately swindle the
10 per centers and that class of men who
resort to bad faith and species of dishon-
esty in their dealings with their fellow
men in and out of the department. This
same policy has characterized the Treasury
Department for years, but Secretary Shaw
is showing renewed activity in Furnishing
clerks guilty of violations of the proprieties
that he thinks should govern employees of
the department. These are not new re-
forms that the head of the treasury is in
augurating, but he is fully enforcing the
regulations that have been recognized as
good ones by former heads of the depart
ment-
Sporty Element Alarmed
CONSERVATION reigns among the Sporty
element of the department because of the
recent reduction in salaries of three clerks
who have been too fond of poker. Besides
being reduced the clerks have been trans
ferred to positions of less Importance. In
case of a repetition of the offense they will
be dismissed from the service. In one in
stance clerk who has been drawing a sal
ary of S1,SOO year was reduced to 81 ,0O0-
loss of $500 per annum. He and one of
the other clerks were employed in a bureau
Where the currency of the country is ham
died.
The wife of the man who was reduced so
much in salary called at the treasury sew
eral days ago and requested that part of
the salary of her husband be paid to her,
as she was actually deprived of household
necessities. Another of the clerks wrote to
the Secretary complaining that a clerk
owed him S13 and would not pay him. When
the clerk alleged to owe the money was
called upon about the matter he stated that
he and the complaining man had been in
the habit of going out of the city each
afternoon to play poker and other games:
that they had lost considerable money, and
had difference of opinion to a proper
division of their losses. Investigation re-
vealed that three clerks used to take troll
ley car and go out of the city nearly every
afternoon to play poker, neglecting their
families and everybody else to indulge in
this most fascinating game. 1t was hard
question to decide what to do with the men.
1t was not desired to deprive them alto
gether of positions that would furnish bread
for their families. They would probab bly,
have been dismissed altogether but for con-
slderat1on of neglected wives and children.
So they were reduced in salaries and trars-
ferred to places that do not have much re-
spOnsibility attached.
Several clerks who have been in the habit
of playing the races at nearby tracks and
through pool rooms and other places have
recently been brought up with n turn that
almost took their breaths and spread fear
among them. During the racing seasons at
Bennlng and near by points number of
clerks attend regularly and lose much
money. They reserve their vacations until
that time and then get leaves Of absence.
The other clerks know when these men
have been losers by their returning and
wanting to borrow money.
Complaints Are Frequent
Complaints are frequently made to the
treasury and other departments about the
non-payment of debts by employees and
for years it has been a most delicate ques-
ton as to exactly where to draw the line
in taking cognizance of these complaints.
The most of them are investigated how
ever, and if creditor has good reason to
complain the offending clerk is informed
that he must make good There is, of
course. just as much honesty among gov
ernment clerks as in any other walk Of
life, but there, elsewhere, are num-
Der of regular dead beats" Secretary
Shaw is going to take a fall out CT these
fellows There are not over twenty-five
or thirty among the 5000 employees of the
treasury, but they must quit forever bor-
rowing money and making trouble for
storekeepers and others. They have been
business or lose their positions.
The 10 per cent money lenders grew bold
in the treasury several years ago. In and
out of the treasury We're men who thrived
on the weaknesses and misfortures Of
others. 1t was decided to stop this, and
so new rule was promulgated that moth
ing would be done by the treasury to assist
the usurers in collecting their money. The
dead beats heard of the rule first and
descended upon the 10 per centers for
heavy loans. They borrowed in great fash
ion and then refused to pay on the ground
of usury. The treasurer had to modify
this ruling in way, bet still has strong
rules against the usury people.
Some time ago a clerk drawing SS3 a
month went to a firm of real estate bro
kers and leased fine house for a year,
agreeing to pay $50 a month. In a few
months he walked in and threw down the
key, saying he didn't want the house any
longer. When asked what he proposed to
do about paying the lease money for the
balance of the year he nonchalantly an
swered nothing" and invited the real es-
tate people to help themselves. His case
was reported to the treasury, investigated
carefully and action taken. The real es-
tate people soon rented the house to an
other person, but the treasury decided that
the clerk Is responsible for the difference
in time between vacancy and again being
rented. The real estate firm will be asked
to let the young man off leniently, but If
they insist on the difference it will have to
be paid.
Not every case Of this kind is taken up
by any means, but In this particular case
the clerk had bad reputation for just
such capers. and that Is why he is being
punished. If he had never had trouble be-
fore the real estate people might have
been allowed to handle the matter as best
they could.
Secretary Shaw proposes to be stricter in
the matter of gambling than anything else
by reason Of the responsible work of treas
ury clerks. and poker playing and ether