Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-07
ONE PER DIEM CLERK
A CHANGE IN THE METHOD OF
HIS PAYMENT.
Col. Biddle Investigates the Matter and
Makes Proposition Which Com
missioner West Approves.

A change Is to be made in the method of
paying one Of the per diem clerks employed
in the office Of the District disburs.ng
officer. Heretofore the per diem men have
been paid from appropriations for the en-
gineer department. as their work has con-
sisted largely in paying off the day laborers
employed on engineer work. On July 1
new clerk was appointed and it was pro-
posed that his compensation should be
taken from the appropriations for street
work, sewer work and water department
work.
Colonel John Biddle. the Engineer Com
missioner. came to the conclusion that the
engineer department should not share the
entire burden Of these clerks and has set
about to secure a more equitable adjust
ment of the matter. AS a result the street
cleaning department and the electrical de-
partnent will now share in the expense of
the new clerk
When the papers appointing the new
clerk reached Col Biddle's desk. he made
the man would be paid. Commissioner
West, who has supervision of the disburs-
ing Office, inquired Of Mr.. C. c. Rogers,
the disbursing officer, as to the appropria-
tons and was informed that the compen-
sation could be equitably charged to the
engineer appropriations for street, sewer
and water work. Mr. West then, at the
request Of Col Biddle. inquired to
whether the engineer department was pay
ing too large a percentage of the expendi-
lures for per diem employees in the disburs-
ing Office.
Mr. Rogers replied that the disbursing
officer. his deputy. the detailed police off,
Ger and messenger are paid salaries on the
annual roll. The two per diem men re-
quested from the engineer department ap
propriations will be engaged almost ex-
clusively on work for that department. in
paying LOO employees every two weeks.
Mr.. Rogers added that nearly IS per cent
of the work in the cash room of the dis
bursting Office Is for the engineer depart
ment.
Col. Biddle's Proposition.
Col Biddle was furnished with this state
ment, and he has now submitted a propo-
sition to the District board, in which he
says:
LAS I understand the situation. the an
nual officials in the disbursing officers Of
fee are employed mainly In making
payments which are made by checks,
such as the fire department. police depart
ment, schools, etc, and the per diem de-
partments do not get large share of their
services, except of course, the disbursing
officer himself, who has all the responsible
ity of payments and, to a minor extent, his
deputy.
This cannot we'll be avoided, as contin-
gent funds are not allowed to pay salaries
except by detailing men for the purpose
from the departments as IS done In the
case of the police department.
THE work necessary for the payment
of laborers has. therefore, to be done most
ly by per diem men detailed to the dis
bursting Office.
LAS stated by the disbursing officer
nearly seventy-five per cent of the work
in the cash room is for the engineer de-
partment there being LOO employees who
are paid.
IF this number is rs per cent the total
number Of employees paid would be nearly
$500. The street cleaning department has
go men. the electrical department about
forty men, and the others, to make the
total, are scattered apparently among the
different branches of the government. such
as the workhouse, ETC.. which branches can
not very well be called upon to contribute
to the payment Of this extra man. Money
for his services would. therefore, have to
be approximately pro rated among the
funds Of the different departments which
can furnish funds for the purpose.
ION this basis the engineer department
Including the water Department. would be
called upon to pay about IS per cent, the
street cleaning department Ii per cent and
the electrical department the remaining 2
per cent. The per diem employees in the
disbursing office Will be two, one at s. and
one at $1.5O, making the year thirty-sx
months at S1.50. On this basis the engi-