The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-02-23
XVI.
WHAT OF THESE OLD MEN ?

Congress enacted a law in 1890 re-
quiring all heads of departments and
Independent establishments in the
/ federal service to report each year to
the secretary of the treasury the num-
| Der of employees under them who were
below a fair standard of efficiency.
| Every year this is done and the letters
1 to the secretary of the treasury from
| the various departments and bureaus
are printed in the book of estimates of
| appropriations compiled for use by
congress in making up the annual
supply bills. Congress never pays the
slightest heed to these reports. They
are made up year after year, but the
inefficient are never fired.
For example, last year the chief
clerk Of the treasury reported 10 en-
/ ployees Of the Treasury department as
below Il fair standard Of efficiency. But
/ nothing will be done about it, The
| Interior department reported 139 in
efiicIents, and will probably go on re-
porting them till they die of old age.
There are employees of the govern
ment in Washington who are totally
| blind and who are led from their
homes to their Offices each day and
back home again in the afternoon.
l knew in 1920 one gentleman Of
ninety-two years who had been in the
government service for sevcnty-two
years. He was being paid at that time
$500 a year His maximum pay dur
ing his long service was $500 a year
James X. Polk was President when
this Old gentleman came into the sery-
ice. He was born on January TO-
/ 1S2S His father was a captain Of
the regular army in the war of 1872.
After that service he led an active life
in other occupations until ISIS, when
he died, leaving a dependent family of
nine persons. three of them boys. 1t
fell to the lot Of one Of them to he the
chief support of the family.
1t came to pass, then, that at the age
of twenty he received through the
Influence Of navy friends Of his father
a small clerkShip at the naval observ-
atory, then under the superintendent
of that accomplished officer, Matthew
Foutaine Naury, whom he served as
amanuensis for ten years, accounting
it great privilege and Measure tn
have heard AIaury's voice dicratino tbo
words Of sense and wisdom which
make mn the sailing directions rhn
wind and currarf charts .nd otror
publications issued from the ohsery-
atory for the benefit of the world.
From q convi.t ,t FIRST No,.or,Io,. O
1915 at 81 "a da- th. ,.o,,,,,, ,,.',, ,,.a.,
advanced rs foiIo,ys.
JuIv 1879 oror,. Of g, aoo
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Of q 400 a. ,.a,r. 7,a,. los $50
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+or1,od With ono 80 ~ - ~
oeicers ohout Tho ola ona fookI. '-l,S'
rIovoos
IIo sold. or dor,4 I..,. ~.
crass intords 20 do obo,,+ .1,a-,
know what in+ord "a do ,,,i.h +ro.a