Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-05-10
OFFICIAL PUDDING.
UNCLE SAM is VERY CONSIDER
ATE OF HIS EMPLOYEES.

Som10rt-M0St OF Them Are Entitled to
an Annual Vacation Of Thirty Days and
Months Sick Leave. Whether Ill or Not
Heads of Departments Take from Three
to Four Months of Vscation-"R Retrench-
ment" Generally Means to Let Loose for
Firmer Hold J. Many Clerks Are Super
annuated.
1t costs Uncle Sam in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000, 900 annually for the
leisure of his employees. Not many
employers treat their employees so
generously. In fact, not many could
afford to do so. There are on the
government pay roll about $1,000
employees and their annual salar-
les approximate about 500, 1000, 600.
Most of these employees are en-
titled to thirty days vacation an
nually. They also are allowed thirty
days sick leave annually ON full pay.
Probably IS per cent. of the en-
plOyes take their vacations regularly
and fully 80 per cent. take their full
thirty days sick leave whether they
are sick or not. 1t isn't hard for an
employee who wants a sixty days
leave to find doctor who will certify
that something ails him.
A treasury official who makes
unique statistics hobby has made a
careful computation and says that
more than six million dollars of good
government funds go for loafing
spells of employees. AS he figures
it, the government work could be
easily done with one-twelfth the
present number of employees. Or,
taken in another form, the present
force can do all the government work
in eleven months, probably in ten,
for which they now receive twelve
months pay. He also suggests that
if the government work was done by
contract it would be done for three
fOurthS the present cost.
There is one remarkable feature
about this vacation business" he
said, and that is that the more sal
ary man draws the longer vacation
he takes so ordinary employees get
thirty days annual and thirty days
sick leave, if they can supply a doc
tors certificate. The heads of the
departments take from three to four
months vacation and do not have to
account to anybody. 1t is a case
where the underlings get the worst
of it as usual. But the subordinate
employees have no complaint when
compared to employees of railroads
and other concerns which are large
employers of labor.
In the government printing Office
it is necessary to employ outside help
to take the places of regular. en-
plOyes on vacation, and Congress an
nually appropriates $65, 200 to pay
the bill. That is a good round sum
for Uncle Sam to pay to give his en-
ployes in one establishment, alone,
a months vacation each year. In
other departments the clerks double
up the work or let it pile up during
vacation time. No direct appropria-
tiOns for substitutes is made for any
other department.
When confronted with the vast
sum paid out for leisure, government
officials say the pay roll would be just
the same whether the employees
worked ten months or twelve; that
there are just so many people to do
the work and just so much work to
be done; that if they do it in ten
months Uncle Sam is not the loser.
Still when a railroad or other big en-
ployer of labor found that five-sixths
of its present force of employees could
do all the work it wouldn't hesitate
to discharge the other sixth. Uncle
Sam is not so harsh. He discharges
an employe now and then for un-
faithfulnesS, but never because the
employe has nothing todo. His fore
men never report any cases of idle
ness.
Some time ago. Secretary Garfield
inaugurated q retrenchment" policy
in the Department of the Interior.
He abolished two or three divisions
in his Office and sent the work to the
Indian bureau and General Land
Office. But all the clerks in the di-
visions which he abolished were trans
ferred to the Indian bureau and Gen.
eral Land Office and several of them
had their salaries increased. That
is a fair sample of the way the gov
ernment retrenches." Another IL
lustration is given:
At the recent session of Congress
an effort was made, in the interests
of economy to wipe out all the out
side pension agencies of the country
and pay pensioners from the Wash
ington bureau. When sifted down
it was found that the bureau intend
ed to bring all the clerks at the out
side offices to Washington at the
same or increased salaries. Figures
were produced to show that instead
of being in the interests of economy
it would really cost the government
more, so the Senate defeated the bill.
Whether or not it ever will be done
there is great need of q thorough
house-cleaning in every government
department in Washington. Each
one is filed with clerks who cannot
possibly earn their salaries. They
are old and decrepit. Some are al
most totally blind. Several are con-
veyed to and from the offices in
roller-chairs. Some of the depart
ments resemble an old ladies' rest,
or q home for the aged, more than a
busy workshop. Sentiment, how
ever. has prevented the removal of
these venerable clerks. Heads of
the departments are reluctant to
turn them out and the House of Rep
resentatives deliberately voted, a
year ago, against the proposition ad-
vanced by Chairman Tawney of the
Appropriations Committee, intended
to bring about the gradual retire
ment of aged and infirm clerks.
HE-I understand she doesn't move
much in society. She-No, poor girl!
Her strenuous efforts to wear No.
] shoe on q No. 3 foot prevent it.