Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-10-12
GUN DIVISION OF
ARMY ORDNANCE DEPT
Wants StenOgraphers. Typists and
Clerks -Spscial Force Needed

In connection with the announced
campaign Of the Gun Division of the
Army Ordnance Department, for an
army of stenographers, typists, index
and catalogue clerks and other cleri-
cal assistants. it is interesting to oh
serve the tremendous expansion ne
eessitated in the Ordnance Depart
ment since thesbeginning of the war,
particularly with regard to provid-
ing office accommodations for The
clerical workers. 1t is impossible TO
give exactly the figures as to the num-
Der of employees because the recruit
ing of Office workers for the Civilian
Personnel" as they are technically
known, is going on every moment of
the day. However, il is known that
at the opening OF the war there were
some ninety odd members in the
Civilian Personnel" organization of
the Ordnance Department stationed at
Washington. Today little more than
five months after the declaration of
war, there are employed in the Ord
nance Department, in washington
alone, more than 1900 office employ
ees. The new estimates recently pre-
scented to Congress by Brig. General
William A. Crozier, Chief of Ordnance,
called for 1892 additional such en-
ployees by the 30th of June, 1918.
To provide Offices for the enormous
number of clerks has been one of the
problems of the War Department At
the opening of the war the entire
Washington Office force of the Ord
nance Department was confined to the
suite of offices assigned to that ~bu-
reau in the State, War and Navy
Building. The mushroom-like growth
of the organization, however, has al
ready caused the Department to
spread into three outside buildings.
The Ordnance Department is now oc-
cupying the equivalent of four large
office buildings and is looking forward
to still greater expansion having in
view the erection of temporary
structure and possibly on additional
permanent building
The desire to be in Washington in
such stirring times seems to have
swept over the entire country At
present the great number of young
women who are in Washington in the
government service as stenographers,
typists, schedule clerks, etc. is par
ticularly noticeable at noon and at
the closing hopr of the government
Offices. They fill the sidewalks at
these times and in the theatres in the
evenings one sees them in groups.
They apparently have come from all
over the United States, many of them
being in Washington for the first
time, and they are enjoying hugely
the many historical features of the
city.
While there are constant new COM
ers the supply does not begin to keep
up with the demand for stenographers
and typiste particularly, while gener-
al clerical ads and mechanical drafts
men are being asked for everywhere
Regular Civil Service channels have
proved inadequate to produce the
number required This has resulted
in each department endeavoring by
its own efforts to recruit for it's ranks
the needed workers. The Gun Divi-
sion of the Ordnance Department has
launched a vigorous campaign of its
own to encourage the taking of the
newly modified Civil Service examina-
ton by men and women who really
wish to do their share for the nation
but have not been fully informed how
they may assist, in fact, a special
force has been dedicated to this work
and is sending inquiries broadcast for
stenographers, typists, schedule, in
dex and catalogue clerks and mechan-
ical craftsmen, all of whom are being
asked to communicate with room COS,
Hooe Building, Gun Division, ord
nance Department, Washington, for
particulars as to these positions.