The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-04
Haues's 3essaae- ConIInlled Jtr0m "a Page.

mental boards of examiners, were pro-
yided for and made conditions Of
admission to the public service. These
statutes are a decision by Congress that
examinations of some sort, as to attain
ments and capacity, are essential to the
Well-being of the public service, The
iniportant questions since the enact
ment of these laws have been as to the
character of these examinations, and
whether official favor and partisan in
fiuence, or common right and merit,
were to control the access to the exam
nations. In practice, these examine
tions have not always been open to
worthy persons generally, who might
wish to be examined. Official favorit-
ism and partisan influence as a rule
appear to havel designated those who
alone were permitted to go before the
examining-boards, subjectlng even the
examiners to a pressure from the
friends of the candidates very difficult
to resist AS consequence, the
standard of admission fell below that
which the public interest demand
ed, 1t was almost inevitable
BILE that a system which provided for
various separate boards of examiners,
with no common supervision or uni
form method of procedure, should re-
suit in confusion, inconsistency, and
Inadequate tests of capacity highly
detrimental to the public interests. A
further and more radical change was
obviously required.
In the annual message of December,
1870, my predecessor declared that
"there is no duty which so much en-
barasses the Executive and heads Of
Departments as that of appointments |;
nor is there any such arduous and
thankless labor imposed on Senators
and Representatives as that of finding
places for constituents. The present
system does not secure the best men,
and often not evennft men fo1 the pub
lie places The elevation and purifca-
tion of the civil service of the Govern
ment will be hailed with approval by
the whole people of the United States" -"
Congress accordingly passed the act,
approved March Sd, 1871, ito regulate
the civil service Of the United States
and promote the efficiency thereof" q"
giving the necessary authority to the
Executive to inaugurate civil service
reform.
Acting under this statute, which was
interpreted as intended to secure a sys-
tenn of lust and effectual examinations
under uniform supervision, a number
of eminently competent persons were
selected for the purpose, who entered
with zeal upon the discharge Of their
duties, prepared, with an intelligent
appreciation Of the requirements of
the service, the regulations contem-
plated, and took charge Of the eXami-
nations, and who, in their capacity as a
board, have been known as the "Civil
Service Commission" Congress for
two years appropriated the money
needed for the compensation and for
the expense Of carrying on the work
of the Commission.
Tho Civil Service Commission.
1t appears from the report of the
Commission, submitted to the President
in April, 1874, that examinations had
been held in various sections of the
country, and that an appropriation of
about $25,0O0 would be required to
meet the annual expenses, including
salaries, involved in disCharging the
duties of the Commission. The report
was transmitted to Congress by special
message of April 18th, 1874, with the
following favorable comment upon the
labors of the Commission: "1f sus
tanned by Congress, l have no doubt the
rules can, after the experience gained
be so improved and enforced as to still
more materially benefit the public ser
vice and relieve the Executive, Mem
bers of Congress, and the heads of De
partments, from influences prejudicia
to good administration. The rules, as
they have hitherto been enforced, have
resulted benefcially, as is shown by the
opinions of the members of the Cabinet
and their subordinates in the Depart
ments, and in that opinion | concur
And in the annual message of DeCem
ber Of the same year similar views are
expressed, and an appropriation fol
continuing the work Of the Commission
again advised.
The appropriation was not made, and
as a consequence, the active work of the
Commission was suspended, leaving the
Commission itself still in existence
Without the means, therefore, Of caus
ing qualifications to be tested in any
systematic manner, or of securing fol
the public service the advantages OF
competition upon any extensive plan,
recommended in my annual message Of
December, 1877, the making of an ap
preparation for the resumption Of the
work of the Commission.
In the meantime, however, competi
tive examinations under many embar
easements have been conducted within
limited spheres in the Executive De
partments in Washington, and in {
number Of the custom-hOuses and pos
offices of the principal cities of the
country, with view to further tes
their effects, and, in every instance
they have been found to be as salutary
as they are stated to have been under
the administration Of my predecessor
l think the economy, purity, and tht
efficiency of the public service, woulC
be greatly promoted by their systematic
introduction, wherever practicable
throughout the entire civil service Of
the Government, together with ample
provision for their general supervision
in order to secure consistency and uni
form justice.
Reports from the Secretary of the
Interior, from the Postmaster-General
from the postmaster in the city Of New
York, where such examinations have
been some time on trial, and also from
the collector Of the port, the nava
officer, and the surveyor in that city
and from the postmasters and collectors
in several of the other large cities
show that the competitive system
where applied, has, in various ways
contributed to improve the public ser
vice. .
The reports show that the result
have been salutary in a marked degree
and that the general application of sim
liar rules cannot fail to be Of decided
benefit to the service.
The reports Of the Government off
oo,,o l., tbo o;tHr ~ Naur VnrIy ncpaoin a