Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-06
STRAIN OF GOVERNMENT WORK
Impossible to Set a Rigid Standard
of Hours for All.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
There is one phase of the subject IN
connection with the Borland PROPOSE
ton to prescribe a day of eight hours
for the department employees when l
have not seen touched upon. 1t Is ac-
cepted universally that brain work
makes more demands upon vitality
than mere physical exertion. We often
hear of men who have broken down
lat a comparatively early age because
of the strain on their mental faculties.
but we see any day the unskilled Ia
borer hale and hearty at three score or
more In private business lie IN the
affairs of great business institutions
the men who are at the top have COM
paratively short working hours. But
when at work their intellects are m
tensely concentrated upon the direction
of the interests which are intrusted TO
them, and most of them go home weary
and tagged out with perhaps three or
four or five bours' application Inc
traction and division has tiresome work
if prolonged, and it is monotonous. but
it is not sapping at his brain. IL Is
the man who has responsibility, VINO
is on the stretch without intermlssion.
whose reputation is at stake II ne
commits errors, of whom too much in
the way of labor should not be eX-
acted.
/ think all these considerations weigh
more or less in the conduct of private
business. What is the rule on the prac-
tice in regard to a business of the gov
eminent l do not know. But 1t appears
to me as an abstract proposition that 1t is
most unfair to lump altogether the mem
bers of the classified service in an arbi-
trary prescription Of eight hours for a
day An engraver in the bureau of en-
craving and printing would not be re-
ouired to work as many hours as mes
senger or doorkeeper. If he did, he would
soon go blind. Five or six hours would
be a Just maximum for that character of
work. or for the work Of craftsmen en-
gagged upon delicate, detailed maps. lake
computers - men like these should not
be obliged to labor after the sense Of
fatigue comes upon them. The difficult
mathematical calculations which often
confront them are most wearing. and
what adds to their anxiety and stress is
the knowledge that ever SO slight mis-
take makes it necessary to do their work
all over again. | might give other illus
| trations to show that the work of the
government cannot be standardized to
mete out justice to all the employees.
From the foundation of the republic
this question has been left to the dis
erection and the judgment of the exec
utive and the heads of the depart
ments. They surely must know more
about it than members of Congress.
The interference of Congress would
be unwise and inevitably hamper and
confuse the service. 1t is administra-
tive. not legislative. duty. To be eff
cient it must be elastic and susceptible
| to adjustment to varying conditions
which cannot be foreseen by Congress,
but necessarily will be observed as
.. they arise by the executive and the
department heads. A rigid rule. such
las proposed by the Borland amend
ment, should not be enacted into law.
1t undoubtedly would lessen efficiency
and produce unexpected results, in all
probability fostering abuses much
greater than those it essays to remedy.
F. A. RICHARDSON