Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-30
The Four-Thirty Order.

When suddenly. few months ago. some
body In Congress discovered that the law
was being fagrantly violated because the
department clerks were not kept at work
from 0 o'clock until fOur-thirty. with half
an hour for lunch. and consequently an
order wss issued compelling the govern
ment workers TO put in half an hour extra
daily, The Star entered protest against the
unheralIed departure from a custom that
had hxsd itself with apparent permanence
as a feature OF Washington's departmental.
business and social life. 1t urged that the
addition of half an hour to the clerks work
ing time would not yield the government
corresponding increase in services. that 1T
would wear out the energies of the clerks
without resulting in any advantage to the
federal offices and that 1t would seriously
disarrange the relations of this great body
OF people outside of their working hours.
The Star granted that IL the government
were IN serious need of the extra services
and could in fact secure them by such a
method the disadvantages should be disre-
garded. but 1t claimed that without such
need any expectation of real gain in eff
cheney the cost of the change would be I'M
justihable.
A trial of the new system has verified the
forebojings. The clerical force of the gov
ernment has Jagged wearily in harness. The
net gains have been offset by the increase in
the total of sick leaves. 1t has been amply
proved that in this climate a combining task
such as that set by the government for it's
employees is sufficiently wearing on the basis
OF seven and half hours of actual work to
warrant a return to the old style. Certainly
In summer the four O'Clock system should
be adopted. giving the clerks a chance to
escape fl ON the baleful influence of crowd
ed rooms and nerve-trying tasks in season
to recuperate for the morrows routine.
In view of the general results Of these
few months of test the plea of one of Wash
ington's merchants printed in today's news
columns for return to the four-o' clock
closing during the summer Is deserving of
serious consideration by the department
chiefs. 1t is for the benefit of the clerks as
well as the business men that the plea Is
entered. Leaving office at four o'clock they
will have chance to attend to the neces-
sary details of purchasing before dinner.
Half an hour later they must rush immedi-
ateiy to the stores or lose connections. For
the merchants of this city. In obedience to
the dictates Of humanity, have adopted a
rule closing their stores at five o'clock In
summer This season the early closing be-
gins next Tuesday. 1t Is obvious that the
clerks cannot attend to all their shopping
errands In that half hour. The capacity of
the stores will not permit. Consequently
many OF them must go about this business
in the morning. before office hours, and
they reach their desks fretted with the
anxiety of making time.
What business Washington asks the
clerks Iced and deserve and the govern
rnent can and should grant. The promise of
an extra-early closing on Saturday in sum-
mer does not meet the case for very
large number of the retail establishments
of the city close at noon on that day.
return to the four-o'clock closing through
out the week. at least during the next three
months. is required by every consideration
of humanity and business, both public and
DrlVate.