Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-30
LAST HALF HOLIDAY.
Government Departments Closed at ]
O'Clock This Afternoon.

| There was no rejoicing in the govern
nent departments this afternoon that the
\ last half holiday of the year was over. The
| thousands of clerks filed out at / o'clock
| bent upon different errands and missions,
and the remarks they passed to each other
were those of regret that the summer was
| closing and with 1t the ending of the Sat
| urday half holiday, which has permitted a
good deal of pleasure and time for attention
to business.
For the past two years the government
workshops in this city have closed at l
O'Clock on Saturdays during the months of
July August and September, and the
scheme has worked well that many of
the officials favor its continuance during the
remainder of the year. The shortening the
hours of labor on Saturdays followed the
adoption Of the new rule making the work
ing day from 8 am. until 4;30 pm, an in
crease of half an hour over the practice
heretofore prevailing.
Want It ALI the Year.
There was good deal of discussion of
the half-holiday idea in the various de-
partments today, occasioned by the fact
that this is the last of the half-hoiiday
series of summer Saturdays. Incidentally,
/. may be mentioned that there was scarce
ly any division of opinion on the main
point-that the Saturday haf-holday idea
should be put into effect all the year
around. One government employe of the
Treasury Department, who has been In the
government service for more than twenty
years. said to Star man this afternoon:
Il don't care whether you quote me or
not although I presume that If I allowed
my name to be used I'd be called a
grouchy, selfish and ungrateful kicker, but
to my mind the United States government
Is about the stingiest proposition this side
of New York. Formerly we worked from
. in the morning until in the afternoon
and got off an hour earlier on Saturdays
during the three summer months. Then
the closing hour was made half-past 4
o'clock and sop the powers that be In
vented this alleged half-holiday PROPOSE
ton. AS matter of fact it is not half
holiday. The first half of the day ends at
| II o'clock. but they keep us in an hour
| later as they do children at school when
| the teacher wants to bluff them into think
| ing they are getting grand holiday,
'In New York the halliday holiday idea
| is in operation all the year around. and 1t
| seems to me that IL private concerns can
| do this the government should be willing
! to follow suit. AS for me. didn't ask
| for this alleged half-holiday proposition.
| Id rather get off at o. clock all the year
| around than at 1 o'clock on Saturdays for
three months.
Some Conflicting Views.
All of the clerks don't feel the same way
about 1t, however. The Star man talked
| with number of employees of the Post
| Office Department, the Department of Com
merce and Labor and the interstate COM
merce commission, who declared themselves
willing to work until clock every after
noon in the week except Saturday IL they
| might get off at / o'clock on that day all
| the year around. 1t must be admitted
however, that the clerks who hold this
| view were all on the sunny side of thirty
| years and fond of golf and tennis and other
| outdoor sports.
| What's the use of kicking? 1t might
| easily be worse" expresses the attitude OF
| large proportion of the department work.
| ers. These employees compare their lot with
| that OF their friends employed in positions
| not under the government. and haven't
| much to say.
| But the most cheerful view of all came
| from the lips of a sweet young thing in
| the Post Office Department, who was heard
| to say as she trotted down the steps at /
| o. clock today:
Am / sorry the half holidays are ovef2
| Well, don't think SO. The government IS
| such dear sweet thing to give them to
| us at all, when We really don't work hard,
| you know. that I shan't mind. I'll just
| work hard to pay Uncle Sam back a little
| DIT. Isn't that the best way to feel about
| it?"
| The sweet young thing was talking with
| her division chief at the time, SO that may
possibly account for her rosy views.