The Washington times., 1916-03-01
Rider Would Deprive Clerks of Time
Spent With Families.

your lHNltdtlOH
to Civil Service Employees to express
themselves on the additional hour propo-
sition, ! beg to say that the gradual
shortening of the work-day ls so In ac-
cord with progress and enlightenment
that 1t is regrettable that any one can
be found thinking otherwise.
The proofs, of the above statement are
so numerous and conclusive, and so
often has IL been demonstrated In actual
experience that II Is difficult to think Of
anything new to present.
Are the people who do the world s
work to exist for that purpose alone?
Are they to have no life? Are they
only burden bearers to be fed. ana
housed?
1--WE live In thoughts. not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on
dial;
We should count life by heart
throbs.
He lives most who thinks most,
feels the noblest, acts the
best"
Are the people who do the world 8
work to have no time they can call their
own. no time for life In the sunlight to
sion. or to give expression to other
talents they may possess besides those
required In their daily toll?
The fight to reduce the work-day from
sixteen hours, to fourteen. to twevle, to
ten, to eight, to seven has cost as much
blood and tears as any of the struggles
OF world history. and now In this day
OF progress shall a backward step be
taken?
Every employer of labor however ex-
acting must of necessity be Interested to
know that his employees are located and
conditioned so that II is not a physical
impossibility to get service out of them
washington Is a large city-the city OF
maEnificent distances. 1t is a physical
impossibility, to say nothing OF santa
lion Tor all or the employees of the Gov
ernment to live within call of their
work. Most of them have to live some
distance away. Many live In the sub
urbs, where 1t takes on an average OF
two hours q day coming and going "a
work. The writer has had this ex.
perience.
Now add to this fact that many hav,
families and therefore, have home du.
ties, and withal by a law of nature II
10 necessary for them to sit at the tabl'
at least half an hour twice day, anC
how quickly the twenty-four hours are
taken up with all the other matters tha
have to be crowded In somewhere.
Then let II be remembered that mos
employees of the Government here II
Washington have to use the eyes very
closely and exclusively in their work
and that the work requires them to b,
closely confined to the desk IN,
writer has performed all kinds OF work
has been engaged in teaching for tel
years but none OF the manual labor per
hours, nor the teaching has been al
wearing on the nerves as to sit at
desk In one position for seven hour
until at times you are not sure whethe
or not the blood Is still circulating.
The writer I'm order to keep his min,
active, and prevent the deadening errec
OF the mechanical work OF the office
used to read, and study a great deal
and contribute to the magazines ant
newspapers. Now this has all beef
given up so that the Government ma,
have the best.
But above all there will be nothing
saved to the nation by such n move
There will be no millions Kept in IN
Treasury. There will be a decided loss
instead OF going backward we woul,
take steps to organize the industry o
the nation so that every person willinl
to work could demand employment, w
would make name for ourselVe
greater than any name ever yet re
corded, for any achievement on His
torSs page. 5, l.. II.
Washington. Feb. Is.