The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-10-05
CopyTisak Wsssssn Nsv.Dapsr Uaisa

II
md Writer Il Recognised Authsssty On ths
Nst3ead 0ovssamsnts ousinsss Methods
CepyHsAk wssssn Nsvapaper Unlsa
XVI
| WHAT OF THESE OLD MEN1
Congress enacted law In, 1890 re-
curing gil 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 wers
below a fair standard OF efficiency.
Every year this 10 done and the letters
to the secretary Of the treasury from
the various departments and bureaus
are printed In tie book Of estimates ef
appropriations compiled for use by
congress Id making up the annual
supply bills. Congress never, pays tho
slightest heed to these reports, They
are made up year after year, but ths
inefficient are never fired. q A
For example, last year the chisf
clerk Of the treasury reported ITO EN-
ployees OF the Treasury. department -
below fair standard Of efficiency. But
nothing will be done about It. The
Interior department reported 139 in
efiicients, and will probably 60 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.
I knew in 1920 one gentleman of
ninety-two years who had been In the
government service for severty-two
years. He was being paid at that time
$500 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 serv-
Ice. He was born on January 10,
1928. His father was d captain Of
the regular army In the war OF 1912.
After that service he led an active, life
in other occupations until 1848, wlleE
he died, leaving dependent family Of
nine persons, three Of them boys. II
fell to the lot Of one Of them to be 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
Fontaine Maury,, whom he served a.
amanuensis for ten years, accounting
1t a great privilege and pleasure to
have heard Maury's voice debating the
words Of sense and wisdom which
make up the sailing directions, the
wind and current charts and other
publications Issued from the obsery.
atory for the benefit of the world.
From copyist at first, November g.
1S4S, at So a day, the young man was
advanced as follows:
July 1, 1853, clerk at $1,000 a
year; July l, 1854, clerk at $500 a
year; July 1, 1870. principal clerk at /.
$1,SOO a year; December 8, 1911, clerk
at 81 400 a year; May /, 1918, stenog-
rapher and typewriter ut 5000 year.
1t will be seen that he was denoted
in December, 1911, and again in May,
1918, to lower positions, involving less
work and responsibility. These demo-
tons were at his own request. In
October, 1917, he received from the
assistant secretary of the navy, Mr..
the following letter:
II have to inform you that you have
been granted leave without nay for
six months beginning October ID, 1917.
"As you have been in the employ
Of the government now nearly sixty
nine years, and during all that time
your record has been excellent, re-
sret that there is no way in which the
department. could continue you On the
rolls with compensation.
II desire at this time to express
he appreciation of the department for
'our long and satisfactory service. and
he hope that you will be so benefited
~ this leave that you can return and
'esume your duties at its expiration"
l talked with one of the cabinet
,fficers about the old and feeble en-
,loyees.
He said: II don't know what con-
.ress intends to do about them, but
NOW what intend to do with those
n my department. I intend to leave
hem alone. They can stay here as
ong as they like, until some provision
$ made for them. When was new
n the department I dismissed two of
hese old people and denoted another,
N the ground that they were SUPER
nnuated and inefficient and were a
indrance to the work.
"All three of them wrote me sad
etters and promptly committed sui
ide. That was enough ana more
han enough for me. Never again
Will disturb one of them. Go not
h0osc to have it on my conscience
hat ] pronounced sentence Of death
N an old man or an old woman in
he service of the government. They
an all stay on here as long as they
Ike. l found them here and some of
hem will be here when leave. II
ongress chooses to provide for them