The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-17
Efficiency of the Services.

That every discussion OF a question
does some good is clearly proven in the
case Of the proposed extension Of the hours
during which the employees OF the gov
eminent shall be asked TO work The
most conspicuous truth that has come
out during the consideration is that
there are at work in tho technical and
clerical divisions OF the vast enterprises
that the Federal government is conduct
Ing men of the highest degree of eff
cheney 70 be found in any business in
the country.
The number Of skilled, technically
trained men and women in the Govern
ment Printing Office. the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing. the Navy Yard,
and the Treasury Department, exceeds
1900 The number Of university-trained
men and women in the scientific insti-
tutions, the Department OF Agriculture.
the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural
History Museum. the Congressional
Library. and kindred departments in
cludes the names OF eminent individual
scholars, experts. and writer's. whose
fame in their several spheres is inter-
national AT the same time. the degree
Of efficiency that pervades every aspect
of the work has been developed by the
Civil Service Commission TO degree
that is not suspected by even those who
are in close touch with the work in its
general outline.
1t has not for a moment been made
clear, or even suggested, that the pro-
posed increase in hours was conceived
on the ground that employees were in
efficient or incapable of satisfactorily
performing the duties required of them.
Ii is well known to the responsible heads
of divisions who have had long ex-
perience that never within the history
of civil service have there been greater
demands upon the employees, greater
exactions of individual service, or an
equal degree of willing and efficient dis
charge of duties by the individuals who
20 TO make up the greatest organiza-
ton of skilled and unstined labor in
the United States.
That there should be individual cases
OF abuse of privilege among this great
number OF employees Is to be looked for.
The frailty of human nature justihes
its appearance. But on the other hand,
the general prevalence of conscientious
discharge of duty ought to go far to-
ward preventing a cutting down of privi-
leges that have long been enjoyed, be-
cause OF the abuse or infraction by a
few delinquents. The class of employees
that the Federal government has gath
cred about it is of too high a standard
Of skilled labor, of qualification, and of
conscientious willingness to do what is
demanded OF them. ever to have the whip
and spur of petty regulation and depriva-
ton Of scant privileges inflicted upon
them
All Of this has strong tendency to
make the self-respecting worker smart
under what are really indignities and
serious reflections upon the class 20
which he or she belongs, and it viii be
very hard to make it appear that such
minutiae of penalization or OF rules OF
conduct in the routine discharge of duty
are at all necessary to accomplish what
a fair compensation for services we'll
performed would be much more GER
tain TO secure. A wedding out OF the
few conspicuous and persistent offenders
would be much more businesslike and
humane than the imposition of unde-
served restraint and hardship upon the
50 per cent or more of faithful, compe-
tent and conscientious employees, of
whom any other business enterprise in
the country would be justly proud.