Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-13
APPLIED TO DISTRICT
ORDER MAKING CHANGE IN
HOURS OF SERVICE.
Decision Reached Today-Ofices Will
Open at S:45 O'Clock,
Close at AIS.

Beginning with next Friday morning,
January 10, the employees of the District
government will be required to work from
S:i5 a. m. until 4:15 D. m. with a half
hour at noon for luncheon. The closing
hour on Saturdays shall be 5 o'clock, ex-
cepting during the months of July, August
and September, when the hour of closing
on Saturday will be / O'Clock.
This change in the hours of service of
the employees of the District was decided
upon by the Commissioners at a board
meeting held shortly after noon today.
The matter was brought before the board
by Commissioner Macfarland, president of
the board, and after IA thorough discus
sion of the different phases of the ques-
ton by all three Commissioners the
ton previously mentioned was agreed
upon. --. !5ts~ba
1t was deemed advisable by the Dis
trict authorities that the hours of en-
ployment for the District clerks should
not be coincident with the, schedule re-
Gently put in force in the government de-
partments, requiring an additional half
hours service each day from the employees.
The Commissioners stated that there have
been complaints at various times from
government employees. to the effect that
they have been unable 10 transact their
business with the District government be-
cause of the coincidence in the opening
and closing hours of the departments and
of the offices of the District government.
In view of this, phase of the matter the
Commissioners concluded that it would be
more convenient for the District offices to
be ready for business fifteen minutes prior
TO the opening of,the departments, and then
the departmental clerks VIII have an oppor-
tunity to pay their taxes. secure their dog
tags and pay water rent, etc, before the
time appointed for beginning their clerical
duties.
But Little Change for These
AS stated in The Star several days ago, a
great many of the District employees have
been working until after O'Clock nearly
every day, because of the large amount of
work necessary to be done by the various
branches of the District government. Near
ly all the employees of the engineer depart
ment, it is pointed out, work eight hours
day, and many other employees in other
branches of the District service remain at
their desks in some instances until o'clock.
The clerks at the District building have
been anticipating some such action as that
determined upon today by the Commission
ers ever since the announcement OF longer
hours for government emp loyeS was made,
and the decision of the Commissioners did
not occasion any great surprise on the part
of the clerks at the District building. Some
Of the clerks who have been accustomed 10
working overtime regularly expressed in
difference at the PRONUNCIATION of the order;
others while not exactly pleased with the
idea of working an additional half hour
each day, entered no vigorous objection to
the proposition.
1t is stated that about 800 employees of the
District will be required to work an addi-
tional half hour as the result of the adop-
ton of the order. Many employees of the
District are in the per diem class ana are
not affected by the change
The closing at l o'clock Saturday after
moons during the hot summer months
strikes the employees of the District as an
agreeable feature of the new order. Here
tofore the clerks have been obliged to re-
main at their desks until 3 O'Clock Satur-
days.
Text of the Order.
The motion for the change in the hours
of service made by Commissioner Macfar-
land. and approved and issued as an order
with the approval of his associates, is as
follows
Il move that on and after Friday, Janu-
airy Is, 1904 the hours of labor for all
clerks and other employees of whatever
grade or class in the service of the govern
ment of the District of Columbia who have
heretofore been employed from am. to
pm Except on Saturday, when they
have been employed from a. m. to 3 p.m.),
with an allowance OF 'one-half hour for
luncheon shall be from $40 am. to AIS
pm, except on Saturday when, during
the months of July August and September,
the hours of labor shall be from S:45. a. m.
to / pm, without any allowance for lunch
con, and during the other months of the
year the hours shall be from $40 am. to
8 pm. with an allowance Of one-half hour
for luncheon. I'D