Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-07
Government Clerks Continue
to Feel Its Edge.
MORE DISM!SSALS TODAY
Old Employees at Pension Office Are
Dropped From Rolls.
NO MONEY FOR SALARIES
Responsibility for Existing Con-
ditions Put Directly Up to
Congress by Many.

Despite the sympathetic words that are
being spoken concerning the old CLERKS
in the government service and the ap-
parent interest in those who are sl8ted
for dismissal on and after July /, the
work of Kidding the service Of these
people is progressing with surprising ra-
pidity.
Word comes of the dismissal of thirty
five additional old employees at the per-
sion office today, because the appropria-
tion made by Congress is too small to
permit of their retention.
Others are likely to follow in the near
future and condition approximatlng a
calamity is staring many of these people
in the face. The business men OF the city
are taking up the matter in the hope OF
affording some assistance.
Efforts are being made to find places for
the eighty-fve employees who have been
notified of their dismissal from the Treas
ury Department, but the results are not
encouraging.
OF these. 81; were from the Office of
the auditor for the Post Office Depart
ment a bureau of the Treasury De-
partment: 43 were from the office of
the treasurer of the United States, in
cluding II employees that had been de-
tailed there for service from the bu-
reau Of engraving and printing: ] was
from the life-savin service, were
from the internal revenue bureau and
l was from the mint bureau.
At Reduced Salaries.
The statement just issued shows that
places at salaries more or less reduced
have been found for twentyfour Of these
persons. Fifteen women will he returned
to the bureau of engraving and printing
as we'll as three pressmen and one other
employe: one will find employment after
July 1 in the Office of the auditor for the
Department of the Interior: one has been
appointed to fill vacancy in the treas
urer's office, and three pressmen have
been found places in the government
printing office.
One clerk declined to return to the bu-
reau of engraving and printing.
Last Saturday Assistant Secretary Nor
ton had II long talk over the telephone
with Assistant Secretary Gable of the
Department of Commerce and Labor and
urged him to use his best efforts to have
the remaining clerks that were dismissed
taken on at the census Office. At the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor today
it was said that only those clerks and
employees who have had experience in
census work are available a the census
office, and that it would be possible to
take care Of only four of the dismissed
clerks.
The women returned to the bureau
of engraving and printing Will receive
a considerable decrease in salary, and
to remain at their present status until
July / to avail themselves of the ad-
vanced pay for the month of June.
Many Left Helpless.
At the Office of the auditor for the
Post Office Department Star reporter
was told that provision for the dis
missed clerks there had not been made.
1t was said that some of the thirty
three clerks, either through their own
savings or with the assistance of their
families, would be able to get along. But
the great majority of them are without
prospect of any kind save the Intervention
of Congress.
Department officials are loath to criticise
Congress, but IL was intimated number
Of times that the policy of this Congress
in cutting down the appropriations for the
next fiscal year, after the estimates had
been cut as low as wisdom directed in the
departments. was largely responsible for
the dismissals that have been or will be
made.
One official remarked to Star reporter
today:
Congress has put the az in our hands
and made us chop the heads off, but 1t
alone is responsible for the deplorable
condition that confronts many of the
aged employees today
Following the notices of dlsmissals in
the internal revenue bureau comes the
news that the work in one of its branches
was unexpectedly so increased recently
that there had to be a temporary detail
of fifteen clerks from the auditor for the
War Department to meet the emergency.
Chief Clerk Ludlow OF the Treasury
Department said today that the dismissed
clerks We're not available for tins work
because by a civil service rule based
upon the law they could not be assigned
to duty on work of higher grade than
from Che bureau.
Petitions in Circulation.
Petitions to Congress for the passage Of
a retirement bill for superannuated en-
ployes are being circulated in all the
departments.
In the office of the auditor for the
Post Office Department it is said the
petition was generally signed by the
clerks including the old soldiers. But
few refused to sign, and they because
they felt that their present low salaries
made IL further reduction impossible.
In the Treasury Department. as In the
Post Office Department., the petition 1S
being circulated by those who are CO.
operating with DR.. Llewellyn Jordan
in the effort to have contrlbutory re-
tirement plan provided for, believing that
such plan only is possible at this
time.