Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-22
NEW MARKING SYSTEM
Scheme Tried in Agricultural
Department.
NOVEL EFFICIENCY GAUGE
Rating an Employees Ability to Do
Something Else.
HOW IT WORKED IN ONE CASE
HOW IT WORKED IN ONE CASE
Estimates of Chiefs of Division Sub
ject to Review by Board Whose
Decisions Are Without Appeal.

peculiarly interesting sort of an expert
ment is under way in the bureau of plant
industry of the Department of Agriculture.
AS every one knows. DIR. B. T. Galloway
is the head Of this great bureau. and under
his able direction the professors assistant
professors, savants, subavauts. botanists
clerks, stenographers laborers and char
women work so energetcally and so har-
moniousy that il is considered poor day
that is not marked by some discovery OF
the utmost Importance to the American
people.
There is no doubt that the experiment
now In progress in the bureau is certain TO
prove of greater interest to the good people
of Washington and vicinity than anything
else that has ever been done by the bureau
of plant industry. Inasmuch as the expert
ment, if successful, is certain to make its
influence felt throughout the length and
breadth Of the District of Columbia wher-
ever the chosen gather twice "A month to
sign the government payroll and receive
the yellow envelope of opulence. 1t can be
readily understood that all classified eyes
are turned toward the bureau of plant in
dustry just and that every one is wait
ing impatiently for the word.
DR.. Galloway's Experiment.
Dr. Galloway started the experiment.
Briefly, the experiment now in progress in
the bureau of plant industry is being made
for the purpose of testing the Galloway
efficiency record, which, as its name VIII
indicate, is brand-new modern method OF
keeping tab on the relative intelligence.
daily work and aggregate yearly efhclency
of the employees of the bureau of plant In
dustry. If the Galloway system is success
full it will be extended throughout the De-
partment of Agriculture, and eventually It's
fond parent and inventor hopes and be
lieves to the other government branches In
the national capital.
II is understood that the idea first came
| to DR.. Galloway while he was watching
| low-salaried employe of the bureau per-
forming, with the maximum efnclehcy' tne
| exhausting mental labor involved in the
operation of a common or garueH iet'ei
copying press.
| The employe In question had recently
made violent efforts to have his annual
| compensation increased; put as ne =, was Vas
found to be considerably stronger IN the
| arms than in the Lead 1t was found lmpos-
| sble much to every ones regret 10 sratiiy
| his ambition 49,,
| sheer that man would make thought the
| good doctor. he watched the employe
| at work. And there, it is understood on
| excellent authority, the Galloway eheclency
record system was born
Radical Changes in Methods
The Galloway efficiency record is radi-
cal change from present methods. Under
| ington today clerks record of previous
service and his record of training and ex-
perience make up a substantial part of his
total efficiency marking. But under the
Galloway system practically no attention Is
| paid to these things, and the big marking
| is done on the probability of the employe
| being able to do something else.
For instance. there are seven main heads
| on which an employee is ned under the
| Galloway system: One, record of service in
f,,;t ,Ngr .nria
| including previous departmental service;
three efficiency in performance OF present
duties; four, department; five, capacity Tor
high-grade work: six, adaptability; seven.
sick leave and leave without pay. Brought
down to 100 from the complexities OF add
ton, multiplication and long division, which
| seem to be part of the new pan the
| first subject, record of service in the bu-
| reau has a weight of only 4, the low
| est in the list. while training and experience
have weight of only u, the next low
est But the capacity to do high-grade
| work which is explained elsewhere in the
| official blank as the ability of an employe
| to do work that he or she has never tried
to perform, is given weight OF 20.
used in the efficiency blank, has IA weight
of 20, department I'D, SICK leave ana
| leave without pay 10 and eiilclehcy 80
| At the bottom Cf the official blank is
| fUo-line warning in black-faced type that
| a deduction of 40 will be made from the
average of department of any employe VINO
| is repOrted as smoking cigarettes.
| There is another black faced type warn
| ing on the blank that employees whose
| general average falls below 80, and who
| fail to improve. will be recommended Tor
| reduction; those whose average falls below
| 20, and who fail to improve, VIII be rec
| commended for dismissal.
| The aforementioned condition would not
| appear so remarkable were II not that
| under the Galloway system the efficiency
| blanks after having been marked by the
| proper chief of division-the latter having
| nj n determine
| own satisfaction whether this clerk could
| pick lemons with neatness and Dispatch or
| that clerk drive hack II put TO the Jop-
| are sent to efficiency board, consisting
| of James +. Jones, chief clerk, secretary;
| A. Z. Woods and Leon Esterbrock This
board marks the employees record OF serV-
ice in the bureau, his training and expert
| ence and his sick leave and leave without
pay record. The other marks are given by
the officials Immediately in charge of the
| employe But these latter marks, how
| ever are subject to revision, up or down,
without appeal and without notice TO the
original marking officer.
Effect of Review of Marks.
This is a feature of the Galloway system
which has been already tested. An elderiy
employe of the bureau of plant industry
one who has been connected with the seiN
| ice for a great many years-was one VI ''o
| first to be marked under TINS ne" system
| The old gentleman was engaged on spe
| o,aI class of work and was doing III proDa-
Ga hatter Than any one else could possibly
- py done But. considering the age OF tho
employe was not to be supposed that ro h,s
| In a CIRCLE or do any of the other varieties
Of .something else specified by the blank
was particularly worthy OF mention. The
| chief of division, however, reaiizlng the oIu
| yentleman's value in his particular posi-
ton. gave him a good mark under the
..something else head also. SO as to In
sure against a reduction of salary. But the
efficiency board. being ne wand shiny and
very very busy Oslerised the record by
giving the old gentleman a zero under the
"something else head. This brought his
| average down to such point that shortly
, thereafter his salary was reduced, although
. 1t was admitted by everybody concerned
] that the employees efficiency was approx.