Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-08
NO MORE SICK LEAVES
FOR DISTRICT WORKERS
Controller of Treasury Decides
Against Allowances OF
Thirty Days.

NO SICK leave VIII be granted TO any
employee of the District government dur
ing the present fiscal year. The thirty
days allowance which the District has
been granting to it's employees for illness
has been declared without warrant by
the controller of the Treasury.
This decision Is a part Of the settle
men of the much-discussed question o!
annual leaves to per diem employees,
which has been under study by Auditor
Twaedale and the controlley for several
weeks past. In sending the final re-
port on the matter to Commissioner Ru-
dolph today Mr.. Tweedale recommended
that entirely new legislation be drafteo
by the Commissioners. SO that annual
leaves of thirty days be granted to every
employee Of the District government. nc
matter whether on the annual roll or
paid by the day.
Gist of the Ruling.
The controllers decision is long and
full of copies Of laws. and is boiled down
to quick reading by Mr. Tweedale in the
following:
I'm this decision the controller hoids
that leave of absence may not be granted
to the per diem employees in the enginee:
department. employed under section OF
the District act. but in the case or the
two classes of clerks referred to. namely
those in the health department and In
the collectors Office, leave may be
granted under the per diem leave law OF
March 2, 1895. The controller however
apart and aside from the questions
submitted-holds that the annual EN-.
ployes of the District are entitled to but
thirty days leave of absence. The au-
thority for the leave. he states. is con,
tanned in the act of March 2. 1895. and
from a careful reading of the decision
l am satisfied that If 1t were not Tor
the construction placed upon this act, In
view of the act of March, 1906 which
provides for the payment of District en-
ployes only for services actually rem
dered in connection with and for the pur-
poses of the appropriation from which
payment is made, the controller would
probably have held that no one in the
District employ was entitled to any leave
Favors an Annual Leave.
'Tn view Of the decision I have the
honor to suggest that the Commits
sioners incorporate in their estimates
draft of such legislation as will pro-
vide for the employees of the District
thirty days annual leave and thirty
days leave to be taken in case Of sick
ness, when in the judgment Of the
Commissioners such leave is warrant
ed"
Thirty per diem employees Of the en-
gineer department may have thirty
days leave apiece. IL their work be con-
tinuous. This takes in transit men
copyists, surveyors. ETC., employed
every day in the year in the building
Of bridges. streets. ETC.. but who have
been paid at a rate per day. There
is no difference between them and en-
ployes on the annual rolf except II
technical sense.
BY the controllers decision the bail
ifs of the office Of the collector OF taxes
can have thirty days cave. The con-
troller is not familiar with the tax col
lections of the District and asks why
any one should be employed continuous
ly for a year in the collection of over.
due taxes.
Certain members Of DR.. Woodward.
force who are paid by the day. but wht
work all the time, are allowed thirty
day leave by the controller.
In conclusion the controller says:
IT have arrived at the above con
illusions with some hesitation The &C
meet different conditions from wha
confront you today. 1t is in serious
need of amendments to meet these con
ditions and works hardships and dis
ordinations which should be remedied
but that power is with Congress ant
not with me-"