The Washington times., 1914-05-20
BRYAN OF WASHINGTON.

iet lHere are barrels OF letters in
the office now from postmasters who
refuse to accept the audit of these
machines. A Southern postmaster
wrote the auditor sassy letter
recently, in substance as follows:
keep accurate records; your
audit Is crazy. i have advanced
some money out OF my own pocket
to satisfy some of those holes punch
ed by your tired piece-rate workers,
but IN do that no more"
Another one out West wrote him
for certain substantial amount to
which he was not entitled. and the
Western postmaster expressed sur
prise that Uncle Samuel had such a
silly auditing system.
In one Of the big offices of the
country the postmaster made the au-
ditor's office back down recently on
each OF some fifteen claims of er-
rors. One big office in the country
simply refuses to accept the Kram
audit. claiming IL Is not worth the
paper 1t Is written on.
Balance Sheets Said To Be Of.
They are supposed to strike trial
balance with the offices Of the sew
eral States 1 am reliably informed
that most Of the State balance sheets
are hopeiessiy OF.
The offics is a crazy house. In the
course of the audit cards are found
for which there is no possible ac-
counting They are called stray
cards. and there is a mating room"
where girls attempt to make them
match 1t looks more like a game
Of solitaire. Each ill-mate Is an err
rr.r
auditor says gets charged with en-
bezzlement-
But for all this the Auditor has
applied new remedy. His recent
mum and gag" rule Is the most pre-
posterous and absurd order ever is
sued in Government department.
There Is an order in the Treasury
department. which reads as follows:
r Clerks and employees will not be
permitted to visit each other or to
receive visits during office hours ex-
cept on official business, and then
only with the knowledge and concur
renee of their immediate superiors
Frequenting or lettering in the COR
ridors Of buildings will not be per-
mitted"
Pretending to recite and post this
order. but emitting the words dur
ing office hours" the following has
been issued by Auditor Kram:
The Treasury Department rule
which forbfds clerks and employees
to visit each other or to receive
visits except on official business.
and then only with the knowledge
and concurrence of their official su-
periors. must be strictly observed
Visiting by employees on one floor
with those on another floor. or be-
tween those on different divisions,
Is positively forbidden
Must Not Visit.
"Card-punch operatives must not
visit or receive visits from adding
machine operators or examiners on
either the paid or issued side.
THESE DIRECTIONS ARE EF-
FECTIvE DURING Office HOURS.
LUNCHEON HALF HOUR. AND
ANY PERIOD OF ATTENDANCE.
BEFORE OR AFTER OFFICE
HOURS.
"By direction Of the Auditor"
1t will be seen that Kram's order
prohibits the employees from talk
ing from one department to an
other at noon, or before office
hours, in time which is their own
and is designed for recreation The
rule says visit" which means. Of
course. that they are not permitted
to confer one with another about
any subject on earth. tt Is rule 10
not in force in any department or
private manufacturing plant IN the
country. and Is so absurd as to
brand his system as absolutely i'm
possible.