The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-08-02

eiicn HppllctnC DeIHS put COBctncl ~
q separate package and fastened. Then
each package is gone over carefully
land the "result of the examination
is made out on sheet prepared fol
that purpose. This sheet is then at
tached to the package to which it be-
longs. This work is then all carefully
revised to prevent mistakes. The
examiners themselves never know the
lucky competitor until after the work
is completed and the "results" COM
pared.
The civil service regulations pro-
vide that "due weight shall be given
to the efficiency with which the sew
eral candidates shall have previously
performed their duties in the depart
ments," and this is a very proper rule,
but the examining board has found
it most difficult task to devise some
method by which they may discover
this efficiency. Of course they can
not know without making inquiry of
some person, or persons, who have
had means of observation. The method
adopted heretofore has been that of
permitting the head of the Office in
which the applicants are employed to
grade them on their "etficiency,"
leaving it to the honor of that official
to perform such duty impartially and
conscientiously. But this method is
defective just so far as the consciences
OF such officials are defective. A case
in point occurred yesterday. In max
ing up the result of an examination
for promotions in the office of the
Second Auditor, where there were six
vacancies and fifty-two applicants, !.
list of the names of candidates was
sent to Mr.. Herring, Chief Clerk and
acting Auditor, with the request that
he grade the applicants Oh their eff
cheney. The list was returned with
the grade marked opposite each name,
but it was SO manifestly unjust that
the examiners rejected it in toto. A
young man, a pet Of Mr.. Herring, as
signed to the mere mechanical duty
OF opening and distributing the official
mail, was marked 100, while many
gentlemen, in every way superior
clerks, were marked down to fifty.
and many even less. One colored
clerk was marked rs low rs 80. The
injustice of such grading was so evil
dent that the examiners threw it out
entirely and made up their papers
without the efficiency marks"
thus putting all candidates OH the
merits Of their examinations. The
difficulty in the way where the policy
OF permitting heads of bureaus to
grade applicants on their efficiency ia
adopted is that dishonest or preiu-
diced official has an opportunity to
favor his friends Or injure those whom
he does not like. In short, it permits |
fayoritism, the very evil which the |
reform was designed to DESTROY.
Colonel H. R. Clum, acting Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, yesterday
received communication from the
special commissioners sent to Mexico
for the purpose of securing the return
of the kickapoo tribe to their reser-
walton in the United States. The let
ter is dated July II, and says they
have had two consultations with the
Indians and are confident of success
They say "should they now fail to 90
the fault will be entirely with the
Mexican government. From the pres
ent condition of affairs we deem our
success almost assured. We have
had the whole resident population of
Santa Rosa, Piedras, Negras, Reno
limo and other Mexican towns opposed
TO our mission, and as rapidly as one
obstacle was removed another has
arisen; yet we trust that no further
obstacles will present themselves. !,
We here desire to state that the recent
'eport of kickapoo Indians being on
he San Antonio road is false, as the
of that tribe have not been ,
'ut OF Mexico recently, and the Indians
eferred to by the San Antonio papers {
ire, as we believe, Comanches and !
Nowas from the Indian Territory. y {
The letter is signed by H. NJ. Atkinson
md Thomas G.. Williams. IL