The Washington times., 1906-08-26
Commissioner Macfar-
land, Fired With Spirit of
Emulation, Goes PreSi-
dent One Better.
ADDING MANY WORDS
TO ORIGINAL LISTS
DiStrictiBuilding in Ferment
Over the Innovation, and
Clerical Opinion Over
IIS Wisdom.

Following the announcement by
District Commissioner MacfarIand
yesterday that he would fan in line
with President ROoseveIt's spelling
reform and, with the approval Of his
two colleagues, call upon the Dis
trict clerks TO use fonetics in the
preparation Of official documents
and letters, fonetic primers viii
soon be distributed among the cleri-
cal force and instructions given that
the new word language be speedily
digested.
1t is probable, therefore, that dur
ing the next few weeks the mass Of
the District government clerks, in
and out of office hours, will be en-
gagged in pondering deeply ways and
means of fitting these queer forms,
proposed by President Roosevelt.
Mark Twain, and a few others, TO
their typewriters and pens.
VIII Increase the List.
Although no definite arrangement has
yet been made. IL is probable Commis-
sioner Macfarland viii order the printer
10 incorporate In the fonetic primers a
carefully chosen assortment OF curtailed
words in addition to the 500 mentioned
IN the official ediCt sent out from Oyster
Bay by President Roosevelt. In fact.
the Commissioner called q group or
waiting newspaper men in his private
Office at the District building yesterday
and informed them thai, after ransack-
Ing a Standard dictionary. he had dis
covered that about leo more words could
be considerably chopped and added 10
the 800 which viii comprise the new
sound language Of the Federal depart
ments.
The proposed Introduction Of fonetics
at the District building has created
varied comment. II the various ofh-
cials, clerks, messengers, and Col. Perry
Carson were lined up and asked 10 ex.
press an opinion. there would undoubt.
edly be gn overwhelming majority OF
''roOters' for Commissioner MaCfar-
lands innovation; but there, tco, would
be a few dissenters.
Declare fer Reform.
Health officer woodward who is
usually found In the van with his chief
on matters OF public concern. when ask.
ed about the use OF f0Detics 70 record
the disease-stricken, the manned. and
the dead, beamed on the subject and
declared enthusiastically for the Car.
negie committee word-revising scheme.
William c. Myers. acting secretary TO
the board, who has cherished a little
volume Of foneticaIly spelled words.
hidden away I'm an Out-of-t he-way cor
ner OF his desk, for the .ast twenty
years. looked pleased and declared
against ''s1andpausm." The language
At present. Secretary Myers contends.
is TOO polyglot in character not 10
admit OF revision.
Clerks Remain Dubious.
But wnile the rank and file of the
bureau chiefs are vOiciug loud az
proval. there prevails an omiuiOus ST.
Ieuce among the clerks, who viii be
expected to perform the manual labor
on the new las.sssasse. Whenever si-
lence greets an official Utterance at
the District building It may be taken
that the subject has nit a discord.
Colonel Carson IS yet 20 be heard from.
Meanwhile IL is understood that Com
missioner Macfarlandi intent on putting
the scheme into operation at an early
tinie. Will order the printer to strike on
a sufficient number Of the primers to go
around; and the District clerks are now
waiting anXiOusly 10 learn how far their
powers OF word masticati0n viii be eX-
pected to reach,