, 1869-07-05

4AE NCAiIAlaa!UuEI u IAIEALo ~ pAaA-
ington deserves the thanks Of tho American
people for the effort be has made to relieve
his department Of Whatever incompetency
there may be in its force, aud to protect
ii from any further inroads Of that charac-
ter. The first investigation was to select
three persons to fill sneancies in the grade
# Assistant Examiners Of Patents There
WIS host Of candidates, backed by strong
political. support but when the Commits
sioner decided that he would have Conf
pttitiye examination Of candidates, the
lumber Of applicants fell of to seventeen.
These were subjected to rigid oral ernm-
ination, and were required also to answer
III writing, without leaving the room, one
hundred questions Of q practical
character upon subjects pertaining to
their duties. The result of the examination
Of the answers was the choice Of the
three who had made the best showing, and
the names of these were not known until
after the decision was made upon their
merits.
But the Commissioner did not stop here.
he found large force Of clerks IN the Of
fee, anda large number Of applicants for
appointments. He subjected both to rigid
examination al to their information and
their capacity. The result was
that RlI the incumbents who we're
found incompetent were discharged,
and their plnces filed by tho most
competent Of the applicants The Patent
Office, therefore, has now force Of CON-
peteut persons to perform its duties, and
all those employed there hold their Office
because Of their competency, and not be-
cause Of their politics
There was no law requiring this e1amina-
ton, and it is competent for the superiors
! of the Commissioner to remove these
| clerks and appoint any scallawag politician
sho may be presented for the place. But
We hope no President will ever interfere,
or permit my future Commissioner to in
terfere, with q regulation 80 Just in itself
md So beneficial TO the public interests.
In the absence Of my law creating civil
service, the e1amplo Of the Commissioners
Of Patents might be followed in other
bureaus and departments Of the govern.
uent. Tho Treasury Department might
well be oycrhau1ed. Tint department IL
cludes many branches Of public business,
the conduct OF which requires uaturnl
ability Of high order and large require
ments and experience. A large
| number OF the clerical force IT
that and other departments arr
80 deficient in qualifications that they coult
not obtain nor retain employment in pr
ynta commercial hsuses- 1hey owe thei
appointments and the fact that they arc re
tained 10 the patronage of some politician
| sr,d not 10 their fitness. Il appointment
were only to be made after competitive ez
a1uinAtions, the number Of othce-seeker
would be diminished, and would bo confine
!, to those who, il appointed, would pcrfor7
a their duties well, We suppose that, il th
various departments OF the goTernmc1
: were reorgnuized, md no persons appoln
cd s clerks saFe those who were fully cen
:, petcut, the aggregate number Of employ
:. might be reduced one-6fth, orperhaps mor
= Il requires five Of the grade Of cle.l
- now appointed to perform IN IN indifere
: manner whnt four, OF even three, comp
. tent persons could do much better. The
- y is no 1egal difficulty in the way Of the Pre-
- dent, or any Of the Secretaries, introduc1'
- this reform in the government service, ar
~ though it would produce consternah
~ =. among politicians, it would be universa
.pn,oyed by tie people.