Evening star., 1914-04-17
Issues Order That Efficiency
Records Shall Not Suffer
Through Military Duty.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
is LAST TO FALL IN LINE
Ruling First Sought by Capt.
Clark, Paymaster in District Guard.
Militia Board Acts.
WASHINGTON. D. {.

WASHINGTON. D. C..
April Il. 1914.
ITO Heads of Bureaus and Chiefs of
Divisions Secretary's Office Treas
ury Department
Gentlemen: 1t is hereby ordered
and directed that the efficiency record
of employees of this department shall
not be adversely affected by reason
of leave of absence from depart
mental duty or field service with the
organized militia.
Respectfully.
wv. G. McADOO. Secretary
With the issuance of this departmental
order, today, by the Secretary of the
Treasury, the chain of departmental ac-
ton, suggested by the Secretary of War.
to eliminate bad marks from efficiency
records of clerks who are also serving
their country by learning to be soldiers.
is complete. Every administrative de-
partment is now on record as interpreting
the law as favorng to the utmost degree
the government clerk who attaches him.
self to the organized militia.
| Government clerks losing time from
| their civil labors by reasons of ordered
| militia duty hereafter will not find their
| civil service records impaired because OF
loss of time from their civil labors.
| The Treasury Department was the only
department of the government on record
as opposed to the theory that militia
service should be encouraged by full lib
erty without detriment to other duties.
That absences from civil duty for militia
service might be taken into account in
| the efficiency record of a government
clerk was the official attitude of John
| Shelton Williams, announced when as
sistant secretary of the Treasury.
| Now the Treasury Department is align
ed with what is regarded by the War
Department as the sentiment of Congress
expressed in law. and proper course
consistent with the national policy to
build up an effective organized militia
necleus of a volunteer army upon which
the nation must rely in time of war.
Garrison Takes Initiative.
Secretary Garrison of the War Depart
ment, in a communication to each of his
associates in the cabinet, written several
months ago, called attention to the atti-
| tude of the national militia board, and
Endorsing its view that service with the
organized militia should not be impeded
by the fear of deficiency marks the
records of government clerks. He asked
| each head of an administrative depart
ment to make known his attitude. antic
ipating their accord with this construc
ton Of the law, which provides that nc
| government clerk shall lose time nor pay
for service with the organized militia.
The subject matter of the reference
in reaching action. largely because OF
| the great labors involved in organizing
| the federal reserve bank system and
other big duties on the shoulders of the
nfcr nf fha Ty-ao 1t 10
Today letter went from Secretary
| Garrison from Secretary McAdoo an
nouncing that a departmental order
| had been issued in line with the sug.
| gestions of the Secretary of War and
of the national militia board.
George E. Downey, controller of the
| Treasury. had the question submitted to
him for opinion. In memorandum fol-
Downey interpreted the law in its de.
| partmental aspects, considering the ques
ton as to whether ten days leave fol
militia service, in addition to the annua
! leave of thirty days. should be granted
to government clerks without detrimeni
| to their service records as government
| clerks. He read the law plain as reliev.
, ing the clerk of any loss of time and
pay. and In its whole intent favoring the
| militia service of the government CLERK
with purpose to encourage such enlist.
| ments.
Chiefs of bureaus and divisions of thu
Treasury Department had been previousl,
invited to give their views based upor
| their experiences with the clerical forces
directed by them. While it is not prob
| able that all such chiefs of divisions were
| in accord with the theory that militia
duty should be an excuse for extra leave
| beyond that granted to other clerks, q
good majority regarded such service as
patriotic duty that justified the loss OF
| service to the administrative work of the
| government.
Capt. Clark Brings Up Question.
Capt Clark. paymaster in the National
| Guard, of the District of Columbia. and
| a clerk in the office of the auditor for
the Treasury Department. raised the issue
! of the effect of his militia service on his
| efficiency record. In letter to Assistan,
Secretary Williams ne set forth that he
had been advised that his absences for
| militia service had been detrimental to
his advancement. He asked Mr.. Williams
| for an expression of attitude.
| On the reply of Mr.. Williams that alb
sences from civil duty for militia service
might properly be taken into account in
| the rating of a government clerk. Capt.
| Clark rendered his resignation in the Ma
| tional Guard. His letter. stating his rea
sons and the situation. was laid before
Brig Gen. George H. Harries, comman-
dant of the guard, and the resignation
held up.
Gen. Harries took the matter to Secre-
| tary Garrison. He also presented the
case to the national militia board. There
| was no division of sentiment from these
quarters To foster the organized mill
! tia, an announced national policy. in the
| opinion of these authorities. required con-
ditions most favorable to encourage men
| to Join 1t. The law was plain in this pur-
pose, in every such opinion.
| The national militia board took action.
and Secretary Garrison was moved to put
| the matter before his associates. Every
other administrative department has act
| ed in accord with Secretary Garrison 8
suggestion some months ago, and the
| Treasury Department is the last.
MAY BE DOUBLE MURDER.