The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-25

At the brief Cabinet meeting held yes
teEday morning the Secretary Of the
Treasury. Franklin MacVeagh. brought
up the question of a retirement fund for
civil service clerks in the government
employ-a subject in which he has be-
come deeply interested.
How thoroughly he went into the sub
ject az yesterdays meeting IS not known,
but it Is a fact that he has worked out
a plan Of retiring such clerks and en-
ployes as have become inefficient from
age and long service: who. because of
that long service, are In some cases now
getting the highest grade salaries. and
replacing them by men from the grade
below them, thus making room for clerks
from the top Of the waiting list. clerks
who would come in at the lowest grade
salaries to work their way upward IN
the service.
Secretary MacVeagh believes that 10y
such a Encouragement It would be possi-
bic to care for the aged and supS-snnu-
ated clerks out of the amount at present
appropriated by Congress for the opera
ton OF the Treasury Department.
Undoubtedly. an uDusual condition has
come about I'm the Treasury Department.
Last Saturday thirty clerks were dropped
from the pay roll Of the division Of the
Sixth Auditor. and from that same de-
partment more viii have TO be dropped
soon. In the issue division Of the Treas
ury Department there must be dropped
no less than 1s3 clerks. but 125 OF these
can be cared for, and will be- in other
divisions of the Treasury Department.
Inventions CurtniI Labor.
1t all comes about because Of the in
PRODUCTION Of labOr-saving machinery.
In the diva. II li.S Sixth Auditor Of
the Treasury. the work largely consists
Of auditing post-ofice money orders, and
until recently this has been done by in
dividual hands. a recent invention. at
tached TO the ordinary adding machine.
does this work now, much more ex-
pediuously and without the possibility OF
error that Creeps into individual counting.
In the issue division Of the Treasury
again has invention taken the place OF
clerical labor. 1t used TO be that when
the government bank notes were sent 70
the Treasury from the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing they lacked the big
red government seal, which was put on
in the issue division by a large force
of clerks Some genius has invented an
attachment 10 the printing machine that
finishes the notes UP, big red seal and
oil, and when they arrive at the
Treasury now, all that is necessary is
10 count them once more as an addi-
tional check against the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing. Thus, the letting
out OF 1913 clerks; the work they were
employed 20 do being done in a cheaper
and more efficient way.
But these changes had all been fore
seen by the Treasury officials. and clerks
that have been taken from the civil serv-
ice list for the past few months have
been employed with the distinct under
standing that their employment would
be temporary.
Stlll. effort has been expended tc work
as little hardship as possible. All OF
those who were notified that their serv-
ices were no longer TO be needed were
given their thirty days vacation on full
pay and were told that if 1t were practl-
cable a place would be found for them.
either in other divisions OF the Treasury
Department or in other departments.
President Taft Intercsted.
President Taft himself was interested
enough in the subject 10 ask all OF his
Cabinet officers. il they needed additional
clerical help. to apply to the Treasury
Department for II. and this was done.
It is understood. at the suggestion Of
Secretary Of the Treasury MacVeagh.
Even with all this effort TO do no in
justice 20 clerks who have served the
Treasury Department faithfully. either
for a long or short period. the officials
are finding difficulty OF adjustment Al
though machines are to do the work OF
many clerks, II still takes clerks TO run
the machines and these must be active,
alert-preferably young clerks.
The problem is what to do with the
older ones-the ones who have lost some
thing OF their efficiency. and who be-
cause Of their age. find their services are
not snapped up with alacrity by the
heads OF departments.
Undoubtedly. tho change in conditions
works hardship on efficient and hard
working employees. Some Of the deposed
clerks from the Treasury Department.
when they learn that the reason given
for their retirement is retrenchment in
expenses-and in the issue division alone
the saving VIII amount TO more than
$4,000 year-are inclined to criticise
recent improvements in the Treasury
building, notably the private elevator
that has been constructed for the use
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury and
which went into operation for the first
time on Monday. and the recent fitting
up Of new and larger Office for Mr..
MacNeagh at the east side Of the
building.
Clergyman Scores Officials.
The friends OF some Of the retired
clerks are taking the matter up. as wit
ness the following letter from Rev. Ed
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