The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-06-01
In the Mail Bag
More Ancient Methods.

To the Editor OF The Washington Times:
/ have read an article about Ancient
Methods Of Doing Public Business in
your ISSUE Of May %, by which ! am
reminded OF my own experience in that
line. have been a clerk in one Of the
Government departments, and before I
was a clerk for the Government I had
been a business man for years in sew
eral capacities-as a manager of manu-
featuring plants, stores. and agricul-
tural houses.
had not worked for the Government
long before 1 noticed what seer.ed TO
me many roundabout and useless meth
DDS. and few times had suggested 70
fellow clerks that l thought the work
or business could be done better and
shorter than It was done. II was init
mated to me that II persisted in such
suggestions / might work myself out
Of a job So, thereafter I said moth
ing. but watched and took notice Of
the manner that other work was done
IN the same division.
After / became well acquainted with
my work 1 was put in charge for a
few days Of the work In my section
in the absence Of the regular chief.
on the evening Of my first days super
intendence, the work OF ali the clerks
in that section was brought 10 my des <
for count and correction. The next
day, after haVli4E noted the errors IN
each clerks work. 1 took il back 10
each one for correction, which immedi-
ately stirred up a rumpuS Why &c
you bring my work back % me?' l was
asked by several. For you 10 correct, Do
I replied why don't you correct IL
yourself" said one Because IL was
not my error hut yours, and for you 10
correct" was my answer. Upon inves-
tigation l found that the regular
chief had never returned any work
TO clerks for correction, but had cor
rected IL himself, and in fact they had
never known before that they had made
/ also found that work in that sec
ton was done often two and three times
over on the same day, by different
clerks, but without the knowledge OF
the clerks themselves When I spOkt
Of il / was advised not 10 notice IL
All the work done then except one copy
was useless and the extra or duplicate
were destroyed. That sort OF cuisines
was kept up as long as I ren.ained j.
that section and / presume Il is We
I did not think II was good business
but I was powerless 10 change H.
I can understand why IL is that sue
ancient methods OF doing public huSi
ness' are stin in use There are hun
dreds OF clerks in Government office
and chiefs OF sections. and divisions
also, who have grown Up "in offct
and never did any other business
their lines Some OF them have work
FL at the same desk for years. and
the same business, and they know no
other. They do the business well which
IS given them 70 do, and as they are
directed 20 do e. and Il has never oc-
CURED 70 them that there may be any
better way.
believe that several o. +b~ 1f--
IN the bureau where 7 worked could be
reorganized so as TO do the work now
done with one half the force at present
employed. II Il IS ever done. q VIII
have 70 be done by some one outside
81 the present force; some one used 20
organizing business details. ard using
short cuts" as the present force Is
mostly utterly ignorant OF any modern
methods. Elk CLERK.