Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-02-19
WAR ON WOMEN.
Postmaster General Payne's Decision
to Remove Women Who Have Hus.
bands to Care for Them Approved
Mot All Women Clerks Affected.

washington letter. 1t appears
to be pretty we'll settled that the day
of the pin money" women clerk In
the government departments here is
about over. The action of Postmaster
General Payne in directing the remov-
al OF women whose husbands are 10
the government service, and in fact
OF all women who have husbands to
care for them, has been generally ap-
proved by the heads of departments
and bureaus. A canvass of the de-
partments reveals the fact that the
decision to lessen the number Of WON.
en- employees Is based upon the con-
clusion that men are in every way bet
ter suited for the work than women;
that women are demoralizing to the
service In many ways.
The fact that 1t has been very much
desired to keep women out of the SER
vice is demonstrated by the refusal
of appointing powers to select women
even after they have been certified by
the civil service commission. In ev.
cry case for more than four years past
in which batch of eligibles has been
certified to in any of the departments,
even where women had a higher rat
ing than the men, the latter have been
selected. Very few women have been
selected for appointement
j. 7. Doyle, secretary of the civil
service commission, gives 1t as his
opinion that one reason why women
are not wanted Is that while a woman
may do the work required of her as
well as a man her chief hesitates Just
because she Is woman to correct her
as freely as he would man, to make
as many suggestions or to require
extra work Of her. There is more or
less restraint felt that materially de-
tracts from mans comfort, in a de-
partment where women are employed.
IN hot weather he hesitates to remove
his coat, maybe his collar, when a
woman works in the same room.
Women pay more attention to out.
side affairs, and where several are
in an office they generally have q
great many matters to discuss that
have more to do with dressmaking
or kindred topics than with govern
ment work.
Women" says Mr.. Doyle, 'in some
way manage to use up all the leave
allowed by the government. Many of
them ask for leave at time most IA
vorable for themselves, while a man
would undoubtedly stop to consider
the condition Of the work in the office
and the demands being made upon It.
A chief would hesitate to put wom-
an off in the matter, while If q man
| nd ~ urls .rI. -. -
necessity for remaining he would be
required to do So"
"A man employee on a small salary
will generally work for better place.
A woman sets about making her plans
to increase her income from other
! sources. She gets place as stem
ographer and typewriter In a hotel
or newspaper office, or does piece
work. Not infrequently she teaches
out Of Office nours.
These things may help her tempo
rarily but they unfit her to a great ex-
tent for her duty to the government
She suffers bodily and mentally.
Then there are many women who
have families dependent upon them.
Such a woman is burdened with
household cares. She prepares In the
morning for the Office. Just as she
would leave her home matter arises
that annoys her intensely; she has
not time to adjust 1t nor power to
throw it entirely off. The result is
that she mechanically applies herself
to her breadearning duties while she
Is worrying about other things.
81 do not believe there will be a
concerted effort to remove women
from Office There Is much work for
which women are especially adapted,
and the heads Of departments are glad
to have their services in some posi-
| lions.
1T Is not the women who are ca
pable of filling the places referred to
by Mr.. Doyle that the heads of de-
partments want ousted, but 1t Is the
large class known as the pin mon
ey" girls and women-those who are
| in office simply to get money to have
good time. These are the ones who
are doing the harm.
"Such a woman has not the time to
learn her duties, is not interested in
anything save signing the pay roll and
drawing her semi-monthly salary.
These are the ones we want to see
CO." said an official of the treasury de-
partment. "They are Of no service
to themselves or to anybody or any
thing. They just work enough to en-
title them to sign a pay voucher;
! they have no earthly use for the faith
/ full and efficient clerk, male or female.
| They use their influence and pro-
pose to take every minute Of annual
and sick leave the government allows!
ut Is the women of this class who
has no business in office. One wom-
an in a roomful Of clerks can demora-
| lie the whole business.
Some Of the older women clerks
are just as trying as the younger ones.
They talk Of their former high posi-
tons life, and have contempt for
working for money, are simply In Of.
Ace to bridge over; but notice that
they are always bridgin' and hang on
like grim death. {
Postmaster General Psyne's deter
mination to weed some Of them out
should be followed by other depart!
ments. Il Is easy enough 10 pick out
the deserving ones, and there are lots
OF women In oflce whose husbands
| sbouid ha taking nara NJ them inaiaaA