Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
DRINKING AMONG THE CLERKS
MARKED TENDENCY TOWARD
soBRIETY IN DEPARTMENTS
Few Summary Dismissals for 1ntoxi-
cation-Successful Effort at
Reclamation.

- recent general order issued to the
crplo,es on q large western railroad as
rrgtr.s drinking and intoxication, which
f. even more sir ngHnt than those which
arr generally understood to apply to rail-
rpIG men" said government official re-
GENTLY. calls to mind some facts regarding
the general method employed in the d.
T1rtmenis in this city in dealing with clerks
and employees who are addicted to the
habit
THE good old days when the clerks coulI
step out during Office hours and partake Of
EquiI st-mulgnt and return to work have
long since -asscd. and the general rule
against drinking at any hour may be said
to lie more strictly enforced than ever
before: perhaps the broader term OF in
toxication will he more apt, for, luckily
for the thirsty ones on the governments
foster. taking drink Is not yet dismissal
"ffcnse. as it is among the employees Of
some of the railroads
The tendency toward sohrety among
government employees of all classes. from
the army and navy branches, where officers
are Court-martialcd and dismissed and the
men severely punished for the OffenSC TO
the civil lists, where the employees dis
missed is marked during recent years The
segregation Of causes of dismissal is not
ttNIiN obJdtndbit. nut NSNrPS are lOuNQ III
one branch OF tine government employees
the letter carr.ers-which show a remark
able decrease in separations from the scrv-
ic" for this cause within the past ten years.
Large Decrease in Dismissals.
In this branch of the governments en-
pioycs. numbering now an army of bout
* 20" men. there were only about fifty en-
ploycs separated from the service last year
for tatoxication against lO2 for like
cause ten years ago a decrease of so per
cent in the decade, which bespeaks much
for the betterment of the service
LAS Il great class the male clerks in the
departments in this city very temper
ate lot OF workers; indeed the work in the
various offices is now eXaCting and heavy
that man cannot hold down his position
unless he is at all times in the full posses
sion Of his faculties, and. since dismissal
Is an inevitable result where a clerk over
imhibcS at the wrong time, convivial ha bits
and associations have to be cut ont if a
clerk desires to retain his place on the pay
roll.
''Of course, there are few who annually
fall by the wayside but the chiefs en-
deavor To advance the cause of temperance
by doing all in their power to man
from what is surely in store for him unless
he inends his ways, and every effort Is
made to bring man inclined to drink too
much to full understanding OF his posi-
tluQ before he is set out in the cold and his
family perhaps placed in want
AS a rule most men are amenabie to
the preliminary admonitionS and warnings
and wisely decide to stick to the pay roll
instead of to the highball. Where the ad-
mGnitory advice fails. however. as 1t some
times does with the younger generation of
clerks. the indefinite suspension is usually
the next step. When clerk finds himself
Indefinitely suspended without pay. with dis
miSsGii staring him in the face. to say
nothing of further serious consequences.
domestic and otherwise. ii has a SOLDERING
effect upon him in nine cases out of ten. and
the tenth man is one who is bound to seek
other fields and pastures new in any event.
and these he usually finds.
Cause of Temperance Advanced.
Sometimes where 1t is decided that the
service would be better off without the as
slstance of the suspended clerk. his tenn
porary suspension is made permanent and
he Is quietly dropped from the rolls and his
salary ven to another. Then very often
he s1bers up and tries to bring what in
fiueuce ne can muster to effect renstate-
meut. In some instances he is successful, |
uLuu positive assurances Of Proper conduct
in the future. but he always goes back at
n much reduced grade. and it may be years
before he regains his previous position.
much depend ng upon himself and the con-
ditiOnS in the office where he happens to be
employed. On the other hand many m an
waste their time and that of their friends
in their efforts to get back. for if il is
deemed that they are undesirable clerks
their efforts ard those of their influence
fail
1T is lnfrequent nowadays that an en-
ploye or clerk is summary dismissed for
INVESTIGATION. In two or three OF the de-
partments physicians are regularly en-
ployci who visit suspected cases of dcre-
llct clerks. and these visits and the warn
fngs which accompany them have most
wholesome effec. upon the backs,iding
clerks. And then, most of the clerks feel
that it is put UP to them personally to
walk the straight and narrow path which
leads 20 the disbursng officers room twice
a month. and 1t is this personal impulse
as much as any other inducement which
causes them TO- hew close to the chalk line
OF official diSplcasure.
Taken all in all. the usual official course
pursued is one conducive to a general bet
terinrnt OF the service and a material ad-
Vanrrment of the cause of temperance. and
considering the great army corps of work
eEs In this city. Of all temp eraments and
degrees OF men. the suspensions and s.
m!saGls for the cause mentioned are very
few, and each year are growing less"