Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29
Number About a Third Of
Uncle Sans Employees.
MAKE FINE CLERKS
LINES OF WORK IN WHICH THEY
ARE BETTER THAN MEN.
Ability Counts for More Than Infiu-
ence-Some Erroneous Ideas
Corrected.


written Iuf Inc Evening Slar
About One-third of all employees in the
government departments at Washington
are women. Several receive over $500
per annum about fifty receive $1,000 per
annum. 100 receive S1.4o0 per annum, $50
receive 1900. 800 receive 81, coo and the
remainder receive from $3.50 to 5000 per
annum.
The government employee at Washington
is always regarded by the outsider with
more or less envy. Every woman who cam
not play the part of one of Solomon's Ill
les of the field, but must toll or spin
looks with jealous longing at what are
supposed to be the snaps at Washington.
The snaps are just waiting to be picked
up-by the right people; and with that
coId-blooded institution. the United States
civil service commission, in prime work.
ing order, the right people are very easily
selected. Just open THE Manual Of EX-
aminations for the Civil Service of the
United States, Revised TO January /. 1902
and glance over the table showing the num-
Der of applicants examined, the number
that passed and the number appointed to
ONCE during the past three years. The
male and female are nicely classified, and
just at first there appears to be an appall-
ing array of blanks on the female side. This
goes to prove that woman is not invading
mans work as rapidly as some have
feared Still she is doing very well. and
it is somewhat surprising to find her rep
resented opposite such occupations that
of immigrant inspector. weather observer
and deputy United States marshals How
ever. there are plenty of positions in the
government service that she never will try
for because nature never intended she
should 90 that particular work
The civil service commission records for
last year show that BOSE women were ex-
amined for the various positions open to
them under the civil service. OF these 24T6
passed and IN wera appointed: 351 of the
applicants examined came under the head
Of skilled labor" This is the easiest ex-
animation given. and the lowest salaries
are paid to those appointed under it, the
remuneration ranging from - cents an
hour. amounting to from $50 to $40 a month
to $50 month. The higher salaries gem
orally go TO the men employed from this
class; the lower salaries paid to the
charwomen.
A Steady Demand.
The most popular examination for women
Is that for stepOgraphers and typewriters
Good stenographers is the ceaseless de-
mand Of the department official-not medic
cre-but good par excellence. On stem
ographic examination days the big. dreary
examination room at the commission is
crowded with the trembling applicants.
Nowadays the stenographer is of necessity
a typewriter and the preliminary tinkle
and click Invertebrates from every known
make of writing machine. The men pre-
while the women had little more than half
that representation-3O1: yet the average
passing was larger on the female side But
when ii came to the que stion of annoipt-
men ~ out Of the Ia men who passed re-
ceived good positions, while only thirteen
or the 100 women on the eligible list We're
appointed; These positions carry a salary
OF from $3.50 to $1,000 year: the stenosra-
phers of bureau chiefs receive 81 500 and
those of the heads of departments 81 500
Inc commissioner of pensions employs
woman stenOgrap her, and MANY of the
lower oflcials refuse TO have male stenog-
rapherS in their offices
In those classes which are open TO the
competition of both men and women the
RECORDS snow much greater ability on the
side OF the latter. Last year there were
5"S3 male applicants and 2, 10 female for
these examinations The successful COM
petltOrs numbered l. 1S5 male and I614 fe-
male. and yet three times as many men as
women were appointed. This preference
for the male clerk in the departments will
tnGure as long as the sterner sit in the
nlgh places A thousand reasons are urged
why men should have the preference The
very poorest is that a woman in an office
lnterferes with the freedom OF It's male con-
tingent. As freedom is frequently construed
10 mean an absence Of coats in warn,
weather. and an atmosphere of plutonian
density In cold weather, then by all means
let US have the interference The hast
reason offered is that the AVERAGE goyarn
men salary Is big enough for two, and
therefore, should go to a head of family
or prospective head. All very well and
good as lar as the present head of q family
goes; but as for the prospective he'd h.
is apt to think very long time before he
IealIy confesseS that 800 a month divided
us Two or more is quite as pleasant.as the
undivided whole. Furthermore this reason
might serve as equally good ground for en-
pIoylng women Hardly one woman ONT of
every fifty in the departments Of We except
me girls IN the census bureau) but is either
the head of a family herself or one of its
main props. A great many have mothers
whom they care for. while the brothers arc
married or perhaps not doing so well.
Erroneous Ideas.
10 the hard-working office girl Of Chi
cago, New York and many Of the tie
and little cities of the country the gov
eminent clerk who draws generous SALARY,
on the first and fifteenth of every month Is
regarded with almost v;ndictive envy. An
erroneous opinion prevails that she is
soNee mo position by an influential mem
per OF congress; that her working hours
are a sort of quiet resting time and that
congressional backing is constantly nusT
Ing her a notch higher on the salary roll
Vow Vow she Is no more fit subject for jeal-
ousy than any other successful woman
She works Just as hard-and harder some
limes-than her sister on the outside In
,he nrst place all the influence at Wash
ington won't put her on the eligible list
OF the civil service commission Tn tho
second place. when she has secured a place
she must work to keep it. and expert work
lor SIX hours and half day is not easy.
mere must be no errors in accounts no
mistakes in letters, misstatements of
lacts- Government work IS well paid only
when well done. In the third place. promo
lions are the award of merit A very
striking Illustration of this occurred last
winter when young woman was made
chlef OF one of the divisions In the Post
CHlce department. because she knew more
apout the work Of that particular division
than any other employee in it. She receives
salary Of s2.24O one of the best maid "a
any woman in the service
MISS Thora Stejneger Of the Smithsonian
institute Is another woman who Is earning
large wages Miss Stejneger is Norwe
gan who has devoted her life to the study
OF animals. She has charge Of the c,assi-
ncatlon of all animals received by the
smithsonian and many are the queer speci-
mems that she examines and labels with
the skill of an expert day after day, year
in and year out.
Miss Estelle Reel, superintendent OF In
dian schools, does the work AMI cniures
the hardships that are supposed to be :he
lot of men exclusively. Her work takes
her all over the west and through many
eastern states.