Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-12-04

heads OF departments as that of appoint
| ments, nor is there any such arduous
and thankless labor imposed on Senators
and Representatives as that of finding
| places for constituents. The present sys-
tenn does not secure the best men, and
often not even fit men, for the public
places. The elevation and purifcation
of the civil service of the government
will be hailed with approval by the
| whole people of the United States
Congress accordingly passed the act. ap-
proved March 8, 1871. " to regulate the
promote the efficiency thereof" giving
the necessary authority to the Executive
| to institute civil service reform.
/ WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
Acting under this statute, which was
interpreted as intended to secure a sys-
lem of just and effectral examinations,
under uniform supervision, number of
eminently competent persons were
selected for the purpose, who entered
with zeal upon the discharge of their
duties, prepared with an intelligent ap-
| probation of the requirements of the
service the regulations contemplated,
and took charge of the examinations,
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.
1t appears from the report of the COM
mission, submitted to the President in
April, 1874, that examinations had been
held In various sections of the country,
| nd hot e
600 would be required TO meet the an
volved in discharging the duties of the
commission.
The report was transmitted to Con-
gress by special message of April Is,
1874, with the following favorable COM
ment upon the labors of the commits
sion; Ii sustained by Congress, I have
no doubt the rules can, after the expert
ence gained, be SO improved and en-
forced as to still more materially benefit
| the public service and relieve the execu-
tive, member of Congress, and the heads
of departments from influences preju-
dicial to good administration. The
rules, as they have hitherto been en-
| forced, have resulted bene6cially, as is
shown by the opinions of the members
of the cabinet and their subordinates in
the departments, and in that opinion
| concur. And in the annual message of
December of the same year, similar
views are expressed, and an appropria-
| ton for continuing the work of the COM
mission again advised. The appropria :
ton was not made, and, as a conse-
| quence, the active work of the COM
mission was suspended, leaving
the commission itself in existence.
without the means, therefore, Of
causing qualifications to be tested
in any systematic manner, or of
securing for the public service the
advantages OF competition upon any
extensive plan. | recommended in nv
annual message of December, 1877, the
making of an appropriation for the re-
sumption of the work of the commission.
In the meantime, however, competitive
examinations, under many embarass-
| ments, have been conducted, within
limited spheres, in the executive depart
ments in Washington, and in number
of the custom houses and postoffices of
the principal cities of the country, with
a view to further test 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. | think the economy,
purity and efficiency of the public SER
vice would be greatly promoted by their
| systematic introduction, wherever prac-
| ticable, throughout the entire civil SER
vice. of the government, together with
ample provision for their general super
vision, in order to secure consistency
and uniform justice. Reports from the
secretary of the interior, from the
postmaster-general, from the post
master in the city of New York,
where such examinations have been
some time on trial, and also
from the collector of the port, the naval
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 ap-
| piled, has in various ways contributed
| to improve the public service The re-
| ports show that the results have been
salutary in marked degree, and that
! the general application of similar rules
cannot fail to be of decided benefit to
the service. The reports of the govern
ment officers in the city of New York
especially, hear decided testimony to the
utility ofopen competitive examinations
in their respective offices, showing that
! hikScS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES anu tuc GACCucub
qualifications of those admitted to the
service through them. have had a
marked incidental effect upon the per
sons previously in the service, and par
ticularly upon those aspiring to promo
ton. There has been, on the part OF
these latter, an increased interest in the
work, and desire to extend acquaint-
ance with it beyond a particular desk,
and thus the morale of the entire force
has been raised. The examinations
have been attended by many citizens,
who have had an opportunity to
thoroughly investigate the scope and
character of tie tests and the method OF
determining the results, and those visi-
tors have, without exception approved
the modes employed, and several Of them
have publicly attcstcd their favorable
opinion upon such considerations" /
| deem it my duty to renew the recon-
mendation contained in my annual mes
sage of December, 1877, requesting Con-
| gress to make the necessary appropria-
tion for the resumption of the work of
the civil service commission. Economy
| will be promoted By authorizing a mod
| crate compensation to persons in the
public service who may perform extra
labor upon orunder the commission, as
the executive may direct.
/ am convinced that if a just and def
| mite test of merit is enforced for admis-