The Washington times., 1905-12-07
Mr.. Shaw and the Clerks.


head Of the Treasury Department will
not soon be forgotten. But nothing
he has done or said in the course
OF that service could be more re-
markable than the grounds he urges
in his annual report in support of a
scheme Ito inculcate within the de-
partments principles of economy
such as Benjamin Franklin taught
by the establishment of a mutual,
departmental Governmental, savings
bank
Six savings banks in Washing
ton, he says, report deposits of
only $3,000,000," while in Detroit
there is one savings bank with de-
posits of $7,500,00O and Minneapolis
has another with $4,000, 600, and
Cleveland another with SAC. .00O. 900.
That from a banker What of the
other banks In Washington? Why
not count the savings of Washington
where they are deposited? AS
matter of fact, in the District of Col
umbia the tide Of bank deposits has
long been~set toward the national
and larger banks and sound savings
banks have only recently begun to
make their way against it.
Six thousand dollars" he SAYS
again, lis competency in many por-
tions of the United States and actual
wealth in some"
What of iC? The clerk must live
in Washington while he remains in
the departments, and his inclinations
will be TO remain here when he quits
the departments. The income from
$4,000 at per cent is S24O a year.
That might be competency in Den
nison, Iowa, but the whole body of
clerks would like to see Mr. Shaw
attempt TO live on it in the National
Capital
Accordingly, the Secretary would
establish Governmental savings
bank As the institution could be
operated almost without cost TO the
clerks, he thinks it's earning should
be not less than per cent. That
earning is directly dependent on the
help of the Government. Yet in
the discussion of this very project
he says: Nothing would so surely
sap the self-reliant independence of
clerk as TO regard the Government
as his voluntary and benevolent
guardian" "
These premises and conclusions are
all hung on the general observation
that the atmosphere of the depart
ments is not favorable to the ac-
emulation of savings" The obser-
walton is well enough founded-but
not for the reasons Secretary Shaw
seems to have had in mind.
The chief reason is that the stand
ard of living set before these clerks
and the cost OF that living are both
unusually high. If it were true. as
the Secretary contends, that their
salaries were 'fuiis % per cent high
er. all things considered, than is
which statement is offered without
proof and in the judgment of com
Petent statisticians cannot be proven
1t would still be true also thai the
clerk must have a better house than
the average workmen, pay more
rent for il, buy better clothes for his
children, and live on a more costly
scale generally. Why? Because he
1s OF 4 selected class-a class particu-
Iarly chosen for its intellect and
culture. And intellect and culture
nave been known to make il difficult
for some members of the Cabinet
10 live in Washington on So 600 a
year.
Little will be gained however bv
arguing this proposition in detail
1t has its very basis in a rnisconcen-
tion OF the Government cle~l< of To-
day. He may have been once all
that now some persons think him 10
be. But, in fact, he is punctuaI. in
dustrious, prudent, and OF q higher
grade intellectually than the repre-
sentative employe of any other insti-
tuition in America even part way
like the departments. His pay is al
most never available for his own
use, alone. If he has no children. il
is the almost invariable fact that
he helps support dependent sisters.
or parents He is as anxious to save
as Ar- Shaw is to have him. But
10 do SO he must overcome difficulties
which the frugal Secretary seems
utterly unable TO understand.
Evidently the Gar has reached the
late McGin;y's opinion that 1T is time
for disappearing" Wonder IL he will
bob up serenely?"