The Portland daily press., 1866-06-08
The Owl Service.
MIR. FEssENDEN's REMARKS ON APPOINT
.----.------ MENTs AND SALARIES.

The Owl Service.
MR.. rEssENDEN's REMARKS ON APPOINT
MENTs AND SALARIES.
On Monday, while proposition to increase
the salaries of the Assistant Secretary anu Vi
the heads of bureaus of the Department Vi
the Interior was pending before the Senate
Mr.. Fessenden took occasion to make the fol-
lowing very just remarks, which we copy IN
full from Tuesdays Globe:
have no doubt that if you would give any
Secretary at the head OF a Department in this
citv. who was an honest and capable man, two
thirds of the amount that you appropriate an
nually for the payment of clerks in his De-
partment, and tell him to expend it at his own
discretion and carry on the business, he would
be able to do the business better for that
amount of money than he does it now, be-
cause you would leave the selection o. the
men to him, and he would pay them accord
ing to their merits, what they earned, and
what the necessities Of the case required
But there is one thing that stands directly in
the way OF all this, and that is that Congress
undertakes to regulate this matter: In the
first place, we said, and the President SAID,
you must appoint soldiers" SOLDIERS are
very well If they are capable, and II they nave
been disabled, they are men VINO ought 10
have the preference, perhaps, over otners, IN
being appointed clerks; but in the anxiety to
get disabled soldiers in the Departments, and
in the anxiety of members 10 have them ap-
pointed. following out what seems to be the
public sentiment, the result has been that the
business of the Departments has been en-
barrassed by having good many incompe-
tent clerks; and it is still insisted, and loudly
insisted, in the newspapers and elsewhere, that
trained clerks, who understand the business
of the Departments, should be turned out for
the purpose of giving their places to those
who have been fighting our battles. The prn-
ciple is well enough, but the practice, to the
extent to which it is claimed that it ought to
be carried, would be utterly destructive to the
business Of the Departments.
Another thing: every member of Congress
sollcits the Departments for appointments, or
pretty much every one; there may be excep-
tons. know that have been obliged to do
it, and other members have felt Obliged to do
It; and having been in a Department, know
that the public interests suffer from It. A clerk
is removed for incompetency or some other
cause; somebody comes and says, "It viii not
do to remove that man; he is a very impor-
tant man in my district; he makes capital
speeches; we cannot dispense with him; he
has great many connections, and important
connections; and he must be put back
again." and he is put back.
Wnen 4 was In lne department / made ii a
rule with regard TO soldiers, that if man
came in with one leg, or one arm, that should
be sufficient recommendation, provided he
could get along at all /; appointed him and
gave him time to learn; but it created very
considerable embarrassment. That, however,
is trife compared to the solicitations that
come from Senators and Representatives, and
their interference with the business of the
Departments. The result is that we get more
than are necessary, or more than would be
necessary, if attention was paid to the ability
and capacity of those employed in the differ
emit grades.
IL we nave these difficulties they are owing
to ourselves In very great degree, more than
to the heads of Departments or TO ANYBODY
connected with the Departments. / do not
know OF anybody in Congress who is free
from the objection have stated. to certain
extent. know members are not always will
lina to do it, but they are compelled to do it,
or think they are.
Mr.. Grimes-I have not done it. I'll
MIR. Fessenden-There may be gentlemen
whose backs are stiff enough to enable them
to refuse to interfere in this matter, but the
number is not great. Of course Ishall not in
syst against the disclaimer by any gentleman
OF what may be his own particular practice /:
but think the practice is very general, and
perhaps it is unavoidable. 1t has grown up
in the course of time, as a matter, perhaps, Of
necessity, from the disposition of the Depart-
ments to divide their appointments among
the States so far as they could possibly do so,
and to accommodate members by having ali
the districts represented in the Departments.
1t seems to be no more than fair and right
that it should be SO; but the difficulty is that
1t is carried too far. One day I removed a
man in the Treasury Department because he
was utterly unfit; he could not write without
plotting his paper all over, and he could not
make up accounts at all. He was very cley-
er old gentleman, but utterly useless for any
purpose in the Department. In the course
OF three or four days after his removal had
petition signed by twenty members of Con-
gress to put him back again.
MIR. Sumner-What did you do about it |?
MIR. Fessenden-I refused l would not
put him back again although could not help
feeling for him. He was a clever old gentle
man who did not seem to be fit to do any,
thing; he could not get living anyhow UNI
less he got it there but could not see why
he should have it out oil the Government
when he could not render any SERVICE
This is but an illustration.
take as much blame to myself as anybody
can do for this interference by members of
Congress. do not impute anything to any,
share of. five kept our hands off these mat
tiers, and paid competent salaries to compe-
tent men, leaving the Department, free to act
as they thought proper, we should get along
much better than we do; believe we should
save money and have the affairs of the Gov
eminent better conducted. In fact it would
not require so many hands as it does now.
We need not talk so much about this high
salary business. These salaries are, as the
times go, very low. Men are hardly able to
scratch along with the salaries they get, un-
der the expenses they are subjected to in this
city; and although some of them are paid
very low; yet, of course, in all times and in
all places and in all business, men are paid
according to the nature ofthe services requir-
ed OF them ard what they can earn elsewhere.
That must be the rule, and with regard to
the higher classes of clerks, you cannot get
them on the salaries now paid, or if YOU do.
when they stay long enough to show their
capacity you will lose them.
A New Volcano. in California