Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-19
credible. yet a clerk in the department Il
compelled to dress respectfully; to present
the appearance Of men earning $500 to
s.. 600 q year.
A Mothers Plea.

A Mothers Plea.
I'm my bureau there was a widow
whose people 1 knew, people Of absolute
respectability. as the great majority OF
the clerks are. They represent the very
best OF the sections from which they
come. This widow came in my Office one
day and said she wanted to have a con-
hdential talk with me. Her salary was
$1,000 and she had three children. She
said: 1 am going to talk with you with
absolute freedom. You have the privilege
of appointing a number OF special clerks
for three or four months. possibly longer.
want you to appoint my daughter to
one Of those temporary places. She needs
a new dress: she needs shoes; she needs
everything dear to a girls heart to make
her fit to move with those she has a
right to move with. 1 am afraid for her.
The mothers heart was afraid of the
result unless she could supply this
daughter with what was absolutely nee
eSsary.
One of the most distinguished physicians
of this city. whom 1 met coming on the
car this evening, asked me where I was
going. 1 said, L was invited to go to
business mems meeting, with the hope
that they may be able to make such
representation to the federal Congress as
will result in an increase of salaries, and
to make some provision for those who
government He said. wish could go
with you. I know of the imperative need
OF an increase of salaries for those men
and women who are working honestly for
seemingly ungrateful nation
Urges Increased Salaries.
'T am not familiar with any of the pro-
posed details of legislation. I have been
out Of the city, and / have not had an
~ R,,e< III,
is to secure a proper increase for every
one Of these departments in this city;
whether it rs 10 per cent or 20 per cent
or 30 per cent, that is In the wisdom Of the
Congress. Make the proper presentation
and let them determine the amount; do
not bubble about the amount. Get your
20 per cent now, and if conditions con-
tinue in the future as they have in the
past, then let Congress respond again.
Then, as Mr.. Warner has said vefy
truthfully, much Of the best service is
rendered by the men who have grown
member in 1900. when my bureau had
the responsibility of collecting $35O.OOO
annually, half of the entire revenue of
the government at that time, had an
important report to get up. l asked the
first deputy who was the best man in the
Office for that work. He gave me the
name of man. / said, Please send him
to me- That man was over seventy
years of age-I think fully seventy-tive.
His eye was bright, his mind as clear
as any young man I have met l ex-
planned what was wanted. After while
he came to me with a report that a four
teen-year-old child could readily under
stand. He had been in the department
quiry that few months before under
an order made in the Treasury Depart
ment, he and other old clerks had been
reduced in salary and at the same time
were presented with an elegantly en-
graved many-colored diploma testifying
to their service. / understood that this
old clerk had received one of those beau
tiful works of art, accompanied with a
statement that his salary had been re-
duced from $500 to $1,000. Two days
vacancy of $500. 1 sent in his name
with recommendation for promotion.
was Informed by the assistant secretary
that it was not the policy to increase the
age. l said. He gets that $500 or that
clerkship stays vacant; he has earned
it. l was determined he should have
1t and his parchment. too. He died a few
months ago, still drawing his $500 at
the time Of his death.
Il see in this audience a man who
was chief of division when I was there,
and has been in that bureau for forty
years. If you retired him on full pay
and he should live twenty years the gov
the valuable service he has rendered.
Not in Touch With Subordinates.
why is it that Congress has been SO
slow to respond to this proper request?
I don't know. I confess that 1 cannot
answer the question. 1 think one reason
may be this: These high officers change
with such rapidity that they are not in
office long enough to get in close touch
and sympathy with the clerks of the de-
partment. i resigned three and one-half
years ago to try and make a living
When l took charge, Mr.. Gage. Secretary
Of the Treasury, said, 'Yerkes. you will
soon learn one thing said. hope
more than one He said, You will soon
learn that you cannot earn a living
working for the government 1 have
learned that. Since / resigned there have
been two commissioners Of internal reve-
nue.: two Secretaries Of the Treasury; not
an assistant secretary left in that build
ing that was there when / left They
don't stay long enough to become thor
oughly acquainted with the WORK that is
being done by the men who are drawing
81 800, 81, 400, 81, 600 or 81 500 salaries.
Glass of Work Performed.
81 received letter from a congress
man asking me to prepare for him re-
port to be used in a speech he wanted to
make the floor of Congress The re-