The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-08
Stories Told in Departments
ReUeaI Changing Sides ofLfe
Stephen Booth Relates Hard Luck Story of the Way
Uncle Sam Treated Him in St. Paul-Director
Ralph ReSourceful.

one Of the hardest hard luck stories
20 crop out in the departments recently
is being told by Stephen h. Booth. OF
the Bureau Of the Census. Some time
ago Mr.. Booth accepted "a position as
a special agent In the immigration sery-
ice under the Department of Justice
He received mis- credentials, and after
disposing OF his household effects, NOV
ed his family to his division headquar-
tiers, in ST. Paul, MINI.
After working one month. the month
/ Of June. he was advised by the depart
ment that Congress had failed TO grant
/ the amount expected and required for
the service, and that Il Tgould be nee
essary to dispense with the services Of
the new appOintees, himself among the
others. This meant the laying OF OF
a number Of employees at each OF the
eleven districts into which the service
is divided one OF the men at the St,
Paul office had just crossed the COuu-
Try from Texas.
Mr. Booth had resigned his $500
clerkship IN the Bureau OF the Census,
SO he was without employment Di-
rector North came 10 his rescue, and
ordered his reinstatement. but had
vacancy only in The $1,000 grade. MI
Booth finds that he IS not only out
the expense OF making the trip 70 the
/ West with his family, and the loss sus-
! tanned in disposing OF his household
effects, but that ne is to receive 500
! less per annum in salary.
II is reported that some OF the men
| who were subjected to similar treat
ment are preparing 10 file claims for
/ damages, in order TO sec IRE reimburse
ment for the expenses Incurred.
| Director J. z. Ralph, CT the Bureau
/ OF Engraving and Printing. is proving
| to be one Of the most resOuTceful men
/ in the Government service. owing TO
| the large amount Of work thrown upon
the bureau by Congress at short no
| tice, in the printing OF the new emerg-
! encv currency 10 the value OF 100000
/ the director has had 10 use his wits
! TO meet the demands OF the Treasury
Department.
/ After putting on all the experienced
/ help to be had in the city, he was still
short of sufficient hands TO fully man
/ the three shifts that are now being
| employed Something more had to be
/ done. He solved the problem in part
/ BY going over the list OF former female
/ employees and picking out those who
| had resigned to get married within the
mast year There was a number of
| good workers and these he has pre-
| vailed on TO take temporary employment,
with the result that the bureau is fast
! securing the necessary help ana turn
/ ing out the work promptly.
I -----
! II is a matter of comment in depart
ment circles that whereas some of the
/ departments adhere strictly to the civil
service principle in all things. especial
! " in making promotions. so that va
4 cancy in a high grade position means
! the moving up the-line of a number Of
! lesser paid clerks, some of them MI
! the high grade vacancies by new ap-
pointments or transfers
/ There is one of the departments that
/ has become known as a constant Of
( fender in this respect Most Of the good
positions given out recently have gone
/ to recruits, some OF whom nave been
! brought into the service by executive
| order One of the clerks, speaking or
/ the conditions in the department, said
! this week. that he had been kept in
! his present grade for seven years, and
I that there were others in the depart
ment who had served even longer with
I out a promotion.
| There is a noticeable lack Of interest
! shown by the clerks in the work of
the department, and mant OF them ar
free to say that they would gladly so
to other departments If IL were possible
/ to do so.
In contrast to this condition, is The
| rule vigorously adhered to in some OF
| the departments, notably the Depart
ment Of Commerce and Labor, where
transfers from other departments arv
| made to the lower grades only.
Richard p Covert, chief of the sup
ply division of the POstOffice Depart
ment, who recently invented what he
termed the Merry Widow HAIR cut
which was a clean-shaYed head, 10 now
on the warpath.