The Washington times., 1918-01-08

! NContinued from FIRST PaSe.J
lquartermaster, hos great faith in the
ability of women to take up much Of
the work heretofore done by men,"
Colonel Sherer said today that 100
women motor truck drivers can be
used in this city by his establishment
and thousands elsewhere in the depot
quartermaster service. The idea would
be &c put men on the trucks to do the
heavy work while the women attend
strictly to their duties as drivers
Good watehmen, Too.
We are satisfied women will make
good watchmen, messengers and ele-
vator conductors" declared Colonel
SEerer. "our watchmsn are not
fighters. All they have to do Is to
turn in alarms. take it for granted
that the Civil Service Commission win
furnish us with eligible lists Of the
classes wanted at an early date"
why don't you procure chauffeurs
from the army eamps?"
That's exactly what We do not
want to do. Every man who has been
drafted is needed as a fighter and
there Is no reason why women should
not more generally take the places
nt men in this country during the
war"
The Civil Service Commission IL
slowly letting down the bars that
have kept women out OF many Gov
eminent positions in the past In
this city there are already girl mes
sengers in the departments and the
number Is growing. Women are now
permitted to take examinations for
bookkeepers, and many of them are
qualifying as such, receiving appoint
ments according to their rating.
Women craftsmen in the Navy De-
partment are being procured through
eligible lists for the first time in
history. Women are also being Ad-
mitted to special examinations for
technical positions, heretofore open
exclusively to men, and they may be-
come Government telegraph opera
tors.
Practically Unanimous.
Governmental officials are grow
ing practically unanimous in their
views that the Civil Service Commits
sion should waive many of its present
requirements so as to permit several
thousand Washington women. already
established in their own homes here.
to enter Government employ rather
than continue its policies of insist
ing on examinations in which appli-
cants must make pretty fair averages
to- obtain appointments. Many cases
are reported to officials in Wash
ington OF timid women who are well
educated and capable OF serving the
Government, but fear examinations,
and do not attempt to take them.
Col L. c. Downey, the depot quar-
termaster in Washington, has come
to be known as one of the creates.
red tape cutters in the army. with
colonel Sherer as an able assistant
The War Department several months
ago decided to place under thes. men
the settlement of every railroad, tele
graph and express account against
the GovernPent, centraliZing this
work in Washington. When these
two men were assigned to this work
they found that the payment of rail-
road and other accounts was many
months behind and that the processes
Of settling them were so involved that
the work would never be caught I'D.
They devised a scheme of cutting red
tape, and the result is that the rail-
roads, telegraph and express COM
panies will soon be getting the money
due them very soon after the ac-
counts are rendered. These payments
run into the millions every month, in
volving all army transportation and
telegraph charges.
How He Prevented Loss.
Some of Colonel Downey's expert
accountants were fearful that serious
errors against the Government would
occur in the expediting OF payments
Of accounts, but he guarded against
the Government losing money by an
agreement with the railroads OF the
country that all errors against the
Government would be made good
months or years from now, IL de-
tected. When paid by Colonel Dow
ney's office the accounts must 70
through the office OF the auditor for
the War Department and eventually
to the Comptroller of the Treasury
II there is appeal.
The Government is always pro
tected against overpayments to rail.
roads by their continuous service"
said Comptroller Warwick today,
and accounts may be reopened and
deductions made years from now.
Accounting officers In all branches
of the Government service are now
compelled. owing to war eXigencies.
to facilitate the passing OF accounts.
but il is being done with precision |
and accuracy, so far as ! have seen"
new building to house 300 clerks
is being erected between the Lemon |
building and Emergency Hospital, |
on New York avenue. for the depot |
qUartermaEter. who expects Ia need |
200 clerks. In edition to his other |
work he is deducting from the pay OF
officers and men the allotments to |
their families, voluntary or com
pulsory. Last month he sent out |
I25, 900 allotment checks.