The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-05-22
Heads Of Departments Try
ing to Establish Habits Of
Punctuality Among the
Clerk
EMPLOYEES RESENT DISCIPLINE
EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN
FAULT THINK PUNIsHMEN,fS
ARE TYRANNICAL-CUPID BUSY
AT THE CAPITAL

WASHINGTON. May q, 19o6.-Tar-
diness of clerks employed in the large
departments of the government is a mat
ter which gives the chiefs of divisions
considerable concern, and they are at
work on different schemes to break it
up so far as possible One of the schemes
which has been found effectuaI is that
of charging the clerks who are late with
half an hour time even though they may
be only two minutes late. While this
plan has been effectual in reducing the
percentage of tardy clerks, it is believed
that there is a net loss in work to the
government.
The clerks who have been habitually
on time did not like the spirit of the orr
der that forced tardy employees to lose
half an hour They did not mind being
charged up with five minutes occasional
ly, when they We're late on account of
electric cars being blockaded or trains
late, but it seemed aR imposition to have
half an hour charged against their rec
ords when perhaps they were only FIVE
minutes late.
To manifest their dislike for the order
the clerks in one of the big departments
have followed the plan that they will not
begin to get ready to commence work un-
I'll it is actually 8 o'clock, whereas be-
fore the order covering the tardy clerks
became effective it was their habit to get
their books and papers in readiness be-
fore o'clock, and many of them would
| be actually at work before the hour to
commence. As a result it is evident that
! the volume of work Is being decreased,
| although the percentage of the tardy
clerks has greatly decreased.
1t is believed that the surest way of
checking the tardy clerks would be to
segregate the habitually trady ones, and
make them actually responsible for pun
| ishment The theory which has been in
force, while excellent in way, makes
some of the innocent clerks suffer at
I times, and they do not relish having to
be punished for the more guilty offenders
Government clerks, like other individuals,
do not like to be made 60 suffer for the
faults or shortcomings of others, and It
be evolved that it is hoped may be more
satisfactory.
| Cupid has invaded one of the divisions
of the rural delivery service Of thePost-
office Department, and in a short time
eight young women have entered the
matrimonial state and resigned. 1t has
long been a fiction that government
clerks seldom die and never resign. As a
/ lulc tAC WOukNn N1Cl No CuA Ii a SCUu Sdla1y
and few of them are tempted to marry
and give up their positions, and what
seems dear to them, their independence
However, a short time ago young wo-
man in the rural delivery service mar
ried the young man of her choice and re-
signed. The microbe seems to have been
active, for it was not long before seven
more women clerks resigned to be mar
ried.
| Civil Service Commissioners are here
| from various cities to attend the sessions
of the convention which is being held. In
/ an address made recently John t. Doyle,
| Secretary of the United States Civil
Service Commission, declared: 1T is a
| function of the Civil Service Commission
to afford the public the fullest informa-
| tion respecting the observance of the
| rules and distribution of patronage. A
most effectual refedy for the boss system
/
and the misuse of patronage is publicity.
and nothing so much fosters that system
as the lack Of information respecting the
administration of the service. If ap-
| pointments are shrouded in darkness it
would be naturally believed that evils
exist
# Congress carries out the recommen-
dation of the Senate committee on inter
oceanic canals the Panama Canal will be
sea level waterway. Senator Carmack
has returned from Tennessee. and his
vote in favor of the sea level canal gives
that proposition one majority This rec
ommendation will go to the Senate, and
| il is expected there will he sama dahata