The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Filming of employees as a means of en-
forcing discipline in the, postal service, q
system that has been in operation for
many years. is to be abolished.
Assistant Postmaster-G General Hitch
cock, who has jurisdiction over all post
office employees, after years observation
of this means of discipline, has reached
the conclusion that it is detrimental
rather than helpful. He proposes to es-
tablish in its place a uniform system Of
efficiency records, which will be put into
operation as soon as perfected.
The existing practice of subjecting
$50, 600 or more employees to the liability
of being46aed for making errors in hand
ling mail or misconduct is believed by
Mr.. Hitchcock to be type of punish
ment rightly termed humiliating and de-
grading. and which should not be i'm
posed on men and women. AS there is
no definite schedule of fines applicable to
specific cases of defeliction, their impo.
sition is sorely matter of discretion on
the part of the administrative officers.
A wide variation inevitably occurred in
the relative amounts of fines imposed by
different officers. The system frequently
led to resentment on the part OF employees
receiving the heavier fines.
Under Mr.. Hitehcock's new plan,
which will be used as basis for all in.
creases and reduction in salary, employees
will be given to understand that when
they become generally carelessor iuefic-
lent q reduction in salary will follow.
The. periodical promotions that are made
at the beginning of each fiscal year will
go only to employees who merit advance.
ment on their efficiency records.
The amount of reduction in the salary
of an inefficient or delinquent clerk will
not be lostto the department, as in the
case of fines, but will be used in the pro-
motion OF the most deserving.
*.*
Hereafter the spelling in all messages
from the President and all other docu-
ments emanating from the White House
will be according to the reformed method.
President Roosevelt issused the neces-
sary orders Friday, indorsing the Car
negie spelling reform movement, and in
structing Public Printer Stillings that all
his official documents be printed in ae.
cordance with the recommendation Of the
Spelling Reform Committee, headed by
Brander Matthews, professor Of English
at Columbia University. ~
1t will no longer be Through" and
'thoush, :" but ''thru" aud ..'tho." But
this is merely sample of familiar words
reformed. The Presidents official sane.
ton Of the seforu movements regarded
as the most effective and speediest meth
cd of inauguratinR the new, system Of
spelling throughout the country. Not
only will the printed documents emanat-
ing from the President utilize the reform
spelling. but his correspondence will also
be spelled in the new style. As the
Spelling Reform Committee adopts new
reforms they will be added to the Presi-
dents list and also to that Of the Public
Printer.
While the order to the Public Printer
does not contemplate an immediate re-
form in the spelling of official documents
from the executive departments 10 Wash.
ington it is regarded as more than likely
that the respective heads Of the depart.
lhents will fall 10 line with the Presidents
IDEAS and have their official documents
printed according to the new spelling.
49,
According to Consul General ReVndal.
of Dawson. q gold.dredging epoch is
dawning upon the Klondike.
The rich. early discovered creeks have
already been worked over. he says. by
crude and wasteful methods and they are
now being subjected to more scientific
treatment. A prominent feature Of the
new system is gold dredging. which has
proven successful in the Klondike 10
spite of such difficulties as high cost OF
installation, frozen gravel and short
seasons. It has passed the experimental
stage and become an established and
promising industry. Extensive areas OF
low. grade ground which have been lying
idle are being made productive through
the use of dredges handling 5000 or more
cubic yards every day.
1t is expected that introduction Of
dredges will greatly increase the output
of gold in the Klondike. So far most OF
the capital invested in dredging opera
tons in the Klondike is by citizens of the
United States and most of the gold clean