Milford chronicle., 1905-11-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.

did the politicians during the first months
of his first term when ne snubbed them
right and left as they came to the White
House asking soft places and promotions
their cousins, brothers, sons and ne
phews, in the army, navy and civil ser
vice. "His upstart Accidency" denied
the requests of influential Senators in a
loud voice, in full view of an audience
and in a most tun-MeKinley-like way. The
average Washington Government clerk
has no use for a President or a boss who
will make him wOrs. About two years
ago when Cabinet officers were making
their annual reports and sending in their
requests according to immemorial GUS
tom, for more clerks Roosevelt said i:
MAKE the clerks that you have do more
work" Such an unheard-Of simple rem
edy came like a horrible revelation. 1t
completely upset the Capital of the Uni
ted States. There was a cOmmingling of
yels and walls, encouraged by the localf
press which Is OF course, iargely y depen-
dent upon this clerical clientele. They
would be too late for dinner if thirty
minutes should be added to the days
work. Those who lived in suburban
places would not be able to catch their
accustomed trains, and would have no
time to shop and other reasons as grave
and potent were presented with futile
impact But the additional half hour
was added, and the poor Government
clerk is compelled to work or to be more
exact must be in or about his office for
seven and half hours day. The din
ner hour has been showed down and the
railway schedules tinkered to accommO-
date him and the bargain counters are still
accessible to the overworked civil en-
plOye. But this Pharoah was not through
with his expressions, for just before he
started South he issued an order which
though brief is of startling import, the
order makes it possible for the President
or any Cabinet officer to dismiss peremp-
torially or without hearing any Gov
ernment clerk whose inefficiency may be
brought to his attention.
When it is known that large number
perhaps thirty per cent of the Govern
ment clerks, are cOEspicuously inefficient
the far-reaching potency of this order
will be appreciated. Heretofore when
the dismissal of clerk was proposed
charges we're preferred against BIN, and
he was given time in which to show
cause why be should not be dismissed.
This gave him time to get his Senator and
all his Influence" at the department and
before the service was rid of him the
question had become one of politics and
National issue. Il is not to be imagined
by the most preiudiced that the Cabinet
Officers are going to slay right and left.
They have not delivered the order for the
purpose of subverting the Civil Service
rules of which every one of them is de-
fendant; but merely taken to themselves
the right that the most obscure employer
enjoys to dismiss his employees when they
are inefficient, or obstructive to the work
for which they are employed. That the
dismissed clerk or officer will not be
given a hearing does not mean that he
will not be allowed to know why he was
dismissed. Hundreds of clerks who are
bowling against the new rule know that
they SHOULD be dismissed now and also
know why. The distressing part of it is
that not half of these will be reached. |
The small cases of petty theft from the |
time, services and supplies of the Gov |
ernment that nineteenth of the clerks |
engage in will never be heard of by the |
Cabinet officers. Only the most fragrant |
cases of inefficiency and misconduct can J
possibly be acted upon. 1t may be sup
posed that few pitifslly superanuated
clerks may have to give their places to
younger and more capable persons. A
man of seventy or eighty who is suffering
from locOmoter ataxia and senility, wEo
comes to the office in a chair pushed by
4 servant, and who must be assisted in
eating, cannot be a very efficient servant
If the Government, and yet there are
such cases in each department, retained
here year after year because they have
powerful Influence" For reasons of
entiment and pity it will be hard to
lisplace these clerks but there is no room
or pity in Government business for
which the public furnishes the money,
nd the Government departments can
lot he run as charitable institutions or
hospitals. In many of the department
bureaus there are chief and clerks who
re notorious drunkards and who could
ot transact a months work except for
he assistance of other clerks who are
fraid of losing their places or of missing ,
promotion if they fail to cover up the
racks of the inebriate.
Mae Wood, whose sensational charges
gainst Senator Platt, of New York, have
lade that old mans life dismal for about
lfee years, is type OF many women
ept in the Departments by Senators, Bu-
,au Chiefs and the representatives of
owerful newspapers. The varieties of
and dishonesty could not
, enumerated or illustrated if this en-
re sheet were devoted to the subject and
le few mentioned above are typical
ther than exceptional in every depart
ent. If such as these are reached and
cir places filed by capable, industrious
ID conscientious men and women, the
acing effect throughout the departments
II make wholesale dismissal necessary.
terary and other work pursued with
lvernment materials and in Govern
ent time will be discouraged The petty
t in the aggregate, costly theft of sta
mary, books, penknives, rubber bands
d such Government supplies will be
ecked. The waste of time in receiving =
itors, in sick leave falsely certified to
paid physicians, in vacations adroitly
tended beyond their proper time and
tardiness will be reduced. The spirit
old clerks in using every means short
nanaon IN. Travant now ones from oiv-