Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-11

of the schools that such system would
be hailed with joy. Auditor Tweedale
says. on the other hand, that IT would
not make so much difference. after all,
as teachers travel about In the summer
Some of them go to Europe, and great
many checks would trail about various
countries and states trying TO hnd the
owners, and would not reach the persons
for whom they are intended until school
opens and teachers are back In Wash
ingtOn.
In the ofice Of Secretary Hine are
half a dozen clerks. The amount OF de-
tail that these clerks attend to is enor-
nous From 4 superficial observation II
would seem that they are all bound in
governmental red tape, necessitating the
accomplishment OF many details which
would probably be discarded In the case
OF private establishment.
One clerk attends to the many requtsl-
tions that the 1000 teachers make. Ink.
paper, pens, books and all the parapher-
MALTA OF education are asked for I'm drib-
let's. A glance at his desk will show
daily deluge OF acquisitions for all sorts
of articles and bills from dealers. An
other clerk attends to the minutes of the
board OF education principally. That
may seem small job. spoken OF Off
enormous amount Of work at each meet
ing. The changes in the personnel Of
the schools. such as promotions. trans
fers. designations. demotions. etc. all
nave 10 De nOteU, ana, HlOTe tHAIl tHdt,
each individual affected is advised by let
ter. and another letter on the subject
goes to the ONCE OF the auditor for the
District of Columbia, where the indi-
vtduai accounts with each teacher are
changed accordingly. The minutes take
cognisance of every single detail of
change and when typewriter show
sometimes thirty pages. Thirteen of
these typewriter volumes are prepared
each month for the benefit of the men,
bers of the board. the superintendent. as
sistant superintendent and the secre-
tary. That takes time. Of course.
Thousand and One Details.
Another clerk is a stenographer and
general clerical worker and answers the
host Of letters that pour into the sec
retary's ONCE. One man attends to the
detail of keeping the pay roll straight.
II is within his sphere of duty to de-
eermine all sorts OF questions that hob
up monthly in regard to salaries, and the
settlement IL accomplished in many in
stances only after delving into law. de-
csions and precedents away back in the
history Of the schools. For instance.
teacher went to the insane asylum last
June. For a while previous to her COM
mitment by the court, a substitute had
been employed After her commitment
tute's pay. The man in charge of the
pay roll dived into court decisions and
law for week before his long letter
to the auditor was ready.
A teacher died practically a bankrupt,
The law required that during his illness
the substitute should he paid from the
sick teachers salary. But the sick teach
er was dead when the pay roll came
around, and there was a frightful mud
die. The estate objected to payment of
the substitute from the salary OF the de-
ceased. and the substitute appealed to
the board OF education. Finally il went
eral days was necessary on the part OF
the pay roll man in getting at the facts,
presidents. legal actions In the past on
similar matters. and so forth.
Every month some question arises that
takes the time of this clerk away from
tie perfectly smooth recording OF the
salary records.
Card index Kept.
A card index is kept. somewhat similar
to that kept at the auditors Office, and
these cards are used In typewriting the
pay rolls. Should there be nothing to do
but automatically write down the increase
In a teachers pay as prescribed by law,
then the matter Of keeping the pay roll
straight would not be SO burdensome.
As II stands now 1t is absolutely impossi-
BILE for Secretary Hine 20 hand Auditor
Tweedale a completed pay roll the 18th
of the month without piing up the rest
OF the multitud1nouS details OF the once
for q week, causing the entire office force
to suffer from nervous breakdown. This
statement IL made the authority of
Mr. Hine. In other words, the way the
ONCE is now run the force cannot get the
pay roll out on time.
No one has yet suggested a remedy
other than the expenditure of a few dol
lars for the typewriting Of the ninety or
more enormous sheets OF the pay roll
once a month. Mr.. Hine says that the
mere typewriting. while IL is burdensome,
Is a small part of the pay roll work. To
! illustrate this he will point out that for
the first pay roll OF the present school
year he called in all the extra help ne
could-got all the clerks from the high
schools-on the work. and even then the
pay roll for the LIST OF October was eleven
days late.
But first pay rolls are always late. al
ways have been late and until q new
system is provided they always will be
late.