The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-02-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

There are eighteen thousand clerks en-
ployed in the Government Department i'll
Washington. They are paid from ten to
thirty per cent higher than private firms
pay for the same class of work. Their
hours are from nine to four thirty with
luncheon half hour included. They are
entitled to thirty days vacation each year
and thirty days sick leave. In summer
they are dismissed earlier every after
noon aud at noon, Saturday. They have
every legal holiday and few local ones
extra, and yet the United States harbors
scarcely more discounted class. Not
satisfied with doing less work for more
money than any body of clerks in the
country they have regarded themselves as
the proteges of the Government and with
vested right terminable only at death, or
after the funeral expenses have been paid.
old age pensions and Washington news
papers which are largely dependent upon
this large class of subscribers have en-
couraged them to think that they might
force the Government to thus take care
of them when they were no longer able
to "work" the Government for themselv
es. Secretary Shaw of the Treasury,
however, does not take the view of the
Washington newspaper aud in an address
before the Civil Service Retirement Asso.
citation as the organization clamoring for
pensions is called, he expressed his OBJ
lection to the plan in language so delicate
but so lucid that the cause has suffered
serious set back. Gently criticizing the
Government clerk, who as rule is of the
firm CONJUNCTION that he is the center of
the Government, he depicted him as
weaned from all ambition, inspiration and
self reliance and styled the department
service as one horrible routine of everlast-
ing, uninteresting drudgery. He propos-
ed that for the good of the service and
the clerk himself it would be we'll if the
period of appointment to clerkship
should be limited to six years. At the
end of that period, he suggests the Gov
eminent employee should be ineligible
except by Executive order for chiefs of
divisions and similar promotions. In this
way he believes that fresh blood would be
brought to the routine work, and the
clerk would not be subjected to the
stultifying influence of routine work in a
position regarded as permanent. He be-
lieves that such an arrangement would
result in the government departments
becoming great school for future bus,
mess men and women, and that the
knowledge of the position holding bu,
six years would serve to develop in the
clerk those virtues of self reliance, econ.
omy and thrift in which he is under the
present arrangement so deficient
Another plan suggested by the Retire
ment Association that the Government
employees, who as class are never able
to lay aside part of their salary for rainy
day and old age should be assisted by the
Government which might withhold
stipulated compensation to pay as an
annuity at the retirement of the clerk or
as gross sum to his family at his death.
Referring to this the Secretary said: eLet
me appeal to you, that having come to
mans estate you manage your own affairs.
Don't ask the Government to put you on
an allowance like a little child. Stand
on your feet, look resolutely into the
future and know that the time is coming
when you cannot earn as now and that
rents will not be reduced to meet your
inhrrnities nor grocery bills discounted.
There are few pictures more sad than
bright young man, ambitious, hopeful,
accepting a Government position as a
stepping stone to something better and
then because no one invites him at
better salary staying on and on, living at
the maximum of his income, no matter
how often promoted, until old age over
takes him and he is compelled to accept
gradual reduction in salary and ultimate
separation from the service.
In the hope of stimulating frugality
and of making old age pensions unneces-
sary he suggested the establishment of a
savings bank and showing that clerk
who could save but $Ioo year might
between the ages of twenty one and sixty
with an interest of four per cent retire
with So, 500, (which is competency in
many localities, +" he said, land in others
actual wealth."
1t is safe to say that not in years if
ever has the Government clerk been the
recipient of advice so wise, and SO friend
ly or criticism so penetrating and SO
gentle. q
~ -
The arrangements for the marriage of
Miss Roosevelt and Representative Long