Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-15
MANY CLERKS WORK OVERTIME.
The Eight-Hour Law Doesn't Apply in
the DEPARTMENTS


the Departments.
We'll. I am going back to work tonight,
said one Washington man to another q
few evenings since on one Of the trolley
cars on his way home.
Il thought you worked In one OF the de-
partments and that the departmental hours
closed at 4:30 p.m.." replied the other.
Il do" replied the department clerk.
but often work at night. and on Sundays
too, though the statement that department
clerks voluntarily work overtime like this
might produce skepticism on the part of
some of our friends the outside, who
cherish the belief that with the closing
Of the official day the clerks grab their hats
and bonnets, and make a rush for the
doors to see who can get out the first.
"A great many clerks at the close of the
official day remain at their desks one to
two hours. and even more than this dur
ing busy periods several times week-it
depends upon the individual clerk and the
work he has to do. Some clerks would not
put in this extra time under any circum-
stances. except under general order from
the head Of the department which would
keep all OF the clerks at work at their
desks after hours, while there are clerks
who do 1t because they actually like to do
1t and seem to love II.
ION Sundays a great many clerks come
down to their desks for an hour or two. and
our bachelor brethren claim that it is only
the married clerks who do this, because
they are so glad to get away from home,
even on Sundays. though. of course. l
wouldn't vouch for the strict truthfulness
Of this bachelor assertion. though 1t passes
as a current joke In the departments and
1t makes the married men put on their
armor when these arguments arise. But
1t Is a fact. nevertheless. that both bene-
Int md hnob Aln t,,rr Co.,
days and go down to the departments and
put in a lot Of extra hours. which accumu-
late into days in the course of a year. and
years Of overtime. gratuitous work for
Uncle Sam In the course OF q decade.
But this rule does not hold true in all
of the departments and bureaus in this
city. and probably obtains to a greater
extent in the Post Office Department
ments. As you walk along Pennsylvania
avenue at night you will observe lights
showing at the various windows all around
on the different floors Of this nine-storied
structure.
This means that certain OF the clerks or
officials have returned to their desks and
are putting in overtime either Of their own
motion, or because of other reasons, and
are getting their work up. Probably from
one to two score of clerks return to this
building every night in the year, and as
many on Sundays. Sometimes light may
be left burning accidentally or the circuit
was not turned off in one of the electric
bulbs, but as 1t is the duty of the watch
men. who make half-hourly rounds through
the corridors to eXtinguiSh these lights
when they are seen, they are generally
in use.
I'm all of the departments at present a
certain number of the clerical force, and
more or less Of the official, are busy in
getting up the annual reports for the re-
Gently closed fiscal year, as the heads of
the various departments will shortly make
their yearly reports to the President to the
end that he may be advised as to the bust
ness of the year. and can use such as he
desires in his annual message to Congress.
Therefore much Of this gratuitous over
time is being put In at present on these
annual reports. which in some cases are q
long and tedious undertaking. especially
where there are many tabulations. But
there are some Of the departments where
the clerks do not return at all at night,
and 1t Is very rare that lights will be seen
burning through the windows OF these
structures
Overtime put in by employees in the
several large bureaus where manual labor
is performed is paid for by the govern
ment, and II the clerical forces In the
executive departments wouldn't work I'M
less similarly paid-and there would seem
to be no reason why one class of labor
should be Disseminated against In favor of
another since work is work. whether at q
desk or bench-the appropriation commit
tee might be induced to grant some of
the recommendations OF the heads of the
| shorthanded departments for an additional
force"