The National tribune., 1904-01-14
WASHINGTON o. Thursday JANUARY Il 1901

JANUARY IA, 1904.
~ Washington last month. II Ii probable
that the. sessions Of the committee will
be held in Washington some time this
month.
Postmaster General Payne has appoint
cd former Representative Eugene r. Loud,
of California, as the United States Dele
gate to the Internnti onal Postal Congress
to meet in Rome, Italy. next Spring. A
Congressional appropriation of $500 is
available for the expenses of the Dele
gate. Mr.. Loud was Chairman of the
House Committee on post Offices for some
years.
The Department clerks in Washington
are up in arms over a new. order which
was promulgated last week, and went into
effect Jan. II, adding half an hour to their
days labor. The law demands seven hours
work from Government clerks. They have
been doing but six and one-half all these
years, as half an hour was taken out for
lunch.
Mr.. Gillett, of Massachusetts, an old
bachelor. by the way, is responsible for this
overturning of moss-cOvered rules. He is
a, member of the Committee on Appropria-
tions, and that Committee has been be-
sieged by the Departments for additional
clerks, all saying that it was impossible to
keep the work going unless there was an
addition to the clerical force. The Com
mittee positively refused to add more
clerks, and began to cast about for some
other way to relieve the congestion in the
Departments. Then Representative Gill
lett very innocently asked if the clerks were
working the full seven hours required by
law! My, but it was a bombshell!
y
The Attorney General was asked to give
his decision in the matter, and he declared
that the clerks were only working six and
one-half hours, and playing the other half
So now the President has issued his order
that hereafter the Departments will work
till half-past four, instead Of quitting at 4 !:
as has been the practice for the last 40
years or more.
The statement is made by the Presi aat
that 100000 employees will be affected.
The Government, by the new order, will
gain $4,000 hours of work per day, equiv
alent to adding 7,143 clerks to the working
force. The Government will gain the equiv
aient of 100000 in wages in year.
These figures are ample justification for
the sweeping change. but such hokl as
has gone up from the poor, overworked"
Government clerks you never did hear.
They go to their desks at 8 o'clock, and
work on prepared matter that requires
very little thought, and only mechanical
skill. They have half hour for lunch,
then do the same work for three hours and
half. and the days work was done. The
average salary is ~ working day for this
tenths of those employed by the Govern
ment at salaries as above could not get
above SO week clerking in store, or
copying in law Office. They have 30
days leave, on pay, and 80 days sick"
leave, on pay, il the days at playing sick
bring a Doctors certificate, and they al
ways do. Mighty few of them show up at
the end of the year with less than 60 days
leave to their credit. 1t is very easy to
fix up ones clothes at home on a physi-
clans certificate, or to take the "rest cure"
at. the expense of the Government.
Some of the very funny excuses which
the poor injured members of the Govern
ment forces put forth for not having. the
half hour added is that .sthe dinner hour
will have to be changed" sThe baseball
schedules will have to be changed. so that
clerks can attend the games" Society is
much purturbed by the change. 'The time
changed from 4 80 to 5, which will not
give time for dinner and to Dress" Re
ception hours will have to be changed"
There are a great many Government
clerks who are attending courses in coll
leges here in the city. and they complain
that their plans are all upset blythe action
of the President and that their class hours
will have to be changed, and that the SHOW
ing of the hour later into the evening viii
leave them no time for dinner or to dress
for the theaters or receptions
8 Now doesn't it sound funny, all these
puerie objections Of people who seem to
think that the Government business ought
to stand still for their little teas and recep
ions. golf meets, and ball games? The
average Government clerk seems to be up
der the impression that the Government
exists simply and solely for the purpose o.
supporting them. and Congressman and
Senators are being worried to death by the
of the small army here in
Washington who object to the change. and
insist that the Government can much more
easily afford to spend 100000 more 9
wear in clerk hire. than they can afford to
have their small plans changed.
And Mr.. (bachelor} Gillett, of Massa
chusetts. is to blame for the whole bust
ness. His life won't be- worth living for
a time, and you can just bank on that
'..t he is a regular Horatius at the bridge
just the same.