Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-12
Not Aware Any Members of
Cabinet Had Such a Pro-
gram in View.
CLERKS SAY FALSE IDEA
OF THEIR EASE PREVAILS
Declare They Now Are Insufieiently
Paid for the Hard Work
They Perform

Uneasiness among the government
clerks in Washington over the report
that the new administration was seri-
ously considering the fixing of am
as the daily hour for going to work
has been largely allayed by statements
from President Wilson and the heads
of the several departments.
President Wilson declared at his BIZ
weekly newspaper cabinet meeting
yesterday afternoon that he never had
in mind the possibility of increasing
the hours of labor of government clerks.
and had no knowledge that the members
of his cabinet were doing so. This state
ment followed those of the cabinet Of
ficers themselves all. with the exception
of Postmaster General Burleson. saying
the proposal was news to them, and
followed the declaration of DR.. F. A.
Cleveland of the economy and efficiency
commission that that body had not con-
sidered the matter, and would not, at
least for the present.
Wrong Impression Abroad.
sion of them is held by many people
matter asserted that it was the belief
of many that the government clerk had
an easy job, with a big salary, went to
work at o'clock in the morning. and
stopped at 4:3O o clock in the afternoon. On
the contrary, many of them report before
the regular hour, and are compelled by
officials to remain sometimes for a long
time after the regular closing hour in or
der to keep up with the work.
Practically every business in the city
would be affected by an order requiring
the clerks to report at 8. it is declared.
The business houses would be compelled
10 open earlier, said one clerk, for the
reason that that is the only time some
of them have in which they can do their
shopping.
Asked il the commission proposed to
take up the matter again, DIR. Cleveland
said today he did not know, as the body
had not yet received it's orders as to the
course II would pursue under the new
administration.
A clerk interviewed this morning re-
ferred to the agitation that had been
going on for some years, not only to
provide retirement fund for the clerks,
but to increase their average pay-some-
thing that Congress had neglected when
it raised it's own pay and that of the
cabinet officers.
1T has been generally admitted he
said, that something ought to be done
in this direction, yet now they want to
pay which they admit is inadequate for
the service We already perform
Not One Long, Sweet Song.
Another one, who classed himself as
typical clerk" In discussing the proposal
to increase the hours, said: 1.-The edi-
.torial in Fridays Star regarding the pro-
posed increase i'm the hours of labor of
government clerks was fair and con-
siderate statement of the case from every
angle and is deserving of the grateful
appreciation of all who pursue the du-
bious avOcatiOn of government clerk.
Throughout the country, outside of Wash
ington, ii is the general opinion that the
life of Uncle Sans employees is one sweet
song, their hours of toll spent in mag
nificent buildings. surrounded by costly
furnishings and with servants ready for
their every command. Their salaries, too,
viewed from the small-town standpoint,
should, in a few years, make their re-
cipients independent for life. Yet what
10 the truth?
lit is the common view that a clerk
is a 'non-producer,' yet i venture to as
sert that the United States government
receives a larger comparative return for
its clerical hire than any corporation in
the country. There is no need for me to
cite the many cases where clerks have
entered the government service at large
reduction in the compensation they re-
ceived in private life. True. there are
drones, but they are not the product of
civil service. but rather those whose
pull relieves them of the necessity for
work, or else they are incapacitated by
old age or physical conditions.
Some Are Money Farmers.
The employees Of such departments as
the patent office and the interstate COM
merce commission are literally producers.
They make money for the government
Particularly is this true of the interstate
commerce commission. Yet glance at
its pay roll would convince any one that
the brainy young men in its employ do
not average much more than the ordinary
day laborers In their pay envelope. Cabi-
net officers, senators and representatives
average from six to fifteen times the paw
OF a clerk. yet no one has been heard to
suggest that their hours be increased. and
il has often been truly said that many
OF them would fail to pass the same civil
service examination as did the clerks
who do their work.
"A government clerk. contrary TO
opinion, is human; has as rule a
family. and is struggling to maintain 1t
on starvation wages. AS a class they
are ambitious. Is per cent of the younger
men improving their time by study at our
various institutions. 1t is time that our
legislative officers realize that what is
needed in this city, where the cost of liv-
ing is so high, is not longer hours but
more pay. 80 that a government clerk
with family can bring that family UP as
a model American citizen should They
should rid their minds of the false ideas
of economy which pecIoud them, and
practice even modified version of the
golden rule.
No inquiry for any purpose whatever
has been directed To the gathering OF
statistics regarding the distance govern
ment clerks live from their place of serv-
ice BY the Presidents economy and
efficiency commission. according to Chair
man Cleveland today.