The Coconino sun., 1919-05-30
HOME ARMY" LARGER

Where do they all come from, and what dc they do? This quest for information concerns the government clerks, who are still pouring into Washington as if the war had not ended some six months ago.
 In view of the cold hard facts which show the steady increase in the government clerical forces, one can only wonder what would have happened if the war had continued another year Some one has suggested that we would have had 100000 doughboys in France and 4,O00,00C stenographers in Washington Praised be the armistice!
 Secretaries Baker, Daniels and Glass may be able to offer the best possible explanations fol the condition; but to the casual observer it seems a terrible waste of public money the way the War, Navy and Treasury Departments are fairly cluttered up with clerks, who apparently have little to do but stand around in groups most of the day and discuss the fashions and various other lighter topics of the hour. There are some stenographers in Washington who frankly admit that if they write three four letters day they feel as if they had exceeded the speed limit.
 Virtually every officer of the 'home army and there are thousands of them still in Wash. ington-has his own personal stenographer, and inasmuch as most of the officers are merely sit ting around waiting for their discharge it is easy to see how much the stenographers have to do.
 When the armistice was signed last Novem, Der it was estimated there were 25,0OO employees of the War Department in Washington. We were told at that time there would be rapid de mobilization of the civilian employees and that by the 1st of July the department would be back as nearly as possible to normal working basis It was realized the department staff could not be reduced to the pre-war figures by any means but there were abundant assurances that the great wartime imitation would be speedily flat tened out.
 This sounded like good news for the taxpay. Co o,,l% was not true. recent census of civilian en- ployees in Washington, taken by joint commit tee of the house and senate on the reclassifica tion of government employees, showed the War Department in April had 26,692 clerks, as against 5000 when the armistice went into effect. Not only that, but the figures are still going up Dur. ing the week ended April 19, there was net in. crease of BOP employees in the War Department
 The Treasury Department showed the next largest net increase, total of 288 employees The Treasury Department had about 3O,0OC clerks on it's payrolls the day of the armistice including the large force in the Bureau of War Risk Insurance. The recent census shows 31 ,44z employees in the Treasury Department
 One hears great deal about government employees leaving Washington for their homes but it would seem now that every clerk who passes out of the Union Station meets two new clerks coming in. The total added to Uncle Sans payroll during the week ending April 19 was 557 The civil service agencies all over the country ap pear to be working overtime certifying clerks tc Washington. There is just one rift in the cloud of incoming employees. The government an nounced last week it would receive no more ap, plications for places as char-women, as long waiting list already existed in this class. This may mean that some of the sorely tried house. wives of Washington may get servant at some time in the near future.
 The Navy Department showed decrease during the week of April 19. It was not much ot a decrease, but still it was step in the right direction-a falling off of twenty-eight. The Navy Department has something on the other departments on the civilian census returns, for most of it's big force of temporary employees are yeomanettes and marinettes, who rank as mem bers of the enlisted personnel. It is one of the sights of Washington to see the yeomanettes pouring out of the new Navy Department build ings on Potomac Park precisely at the hour of 4:3O in the afternoon. I have often wondered what time the government clerks really stop work in order to be ready to dash out of the doors the moment the official day is ended. No soldier ever responded to the call for lover the top" at the "zero' hour in France with greater nerve and elan than the clerks of Washington leave their granite and concrete dugouts at quitting time each afternoon.
 FOR OUR OWN HOME BOYS