The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-08
The Civil Service.
President Arthur's Views Thereon.

no man should be incumbent of an office the
duties of which he is for any cause nnfit to per-
form, who is lacking in the ability, fidelity or
integrity which a proper administration ol
doubtless meet with general acquiescence, but
opinion has been widely divided upon the wis.,
dom and practcability of the various reforma-
tory schemes which have been suggested, and
of certain proposed regulations governing ap-
nointments to public office. The efficiency OF
such regulations has been distrusted mainly
because they have seemed to exalt mere edu-
cation and abstract tests above general business
capacity and even fitness for the particular
work in hand. 1t seems to me that the rules
which should be applied to the management OF
the public service may properly conform In the
main to such as regulate the conduct of success
full private business. Original appointments
should be based upon ascertained fitness The
tenure of Office should be stable; positions OF
responsibility should, so far as practlcaoIe, Dc
filed by the promotion OF worthy and efficient
officers; the investigation of all complaints and
the punishment Of all official misconduct
should be prompt and thorough. The views
expressed in the foregoing letter are those
which u i'll govern my administration OF tne
executive office. They are doubtless shared by
all intelligent and patriotic citizens, however
divergent in their opinions as to the best meth
ods of putting them into practical operation.
For example, the assertion that "originai APP
pointments should be based upon ascertained
ftness'' is not open to dispute, but the question
how. in practice such fitness can be most erect
naliv ascertained. is one which has for years
excited interest and discussion. The measure
which, with slight variations in its details, has
lately been urged upon the attention OF Con-
gress and the Executive, has as its principal
feature the scheme of competitive examlna-
ton, save for certain exceptions wnlcn need
admission to the service only in its lowest
grade, and would accordingly demand that all
vacancies in higher positions should be filled
by promotion alone. In these particulars 1t Is
in conformity with the existing civil service
system of Great Britain; and, indeed, the sue
cess which has attended that system In the
country of its birth is the strongest argument
which has been used for its adoption. The
fact should not, however, be overlooked that
there are certain features OF the English sys-
tenn which have not generally been received
with favor in this country. even among the
foremost advocates of civil service reform.
Among them are: /, q tenure OF office which
is substantially a life tenure; 2, limitation OF
the maximum age at which an applicant can
enter the service, whereby all men in middle
life or older are with some exceptions rlg1dly
excluded; g. a retiring allowance upon going
out of office. These three elements are as Inn
portant factors of the problem as any OF the
others. To eliminate them from the English
system would effect most radical change In
its theory and practice. The avowed purpose
of that system is to induce the educated young
men of the country to devote their lives to
public employment, by an assurance that hav-
ing once entered upon 1t they need never leave
it and that upon voluntary retirement they shall
be the recipients of an annual pension. That this
system as an entiety has proved very success
full in Great Britain seems to be generally con-
ceded, even by those who once opposed its
adoption. a statute which should incorporate
all its essential features should feel bound to
give my approval but whether it would be for
the best inter ests of the public to fx upon an
expedient for immediate and extensive ap--
pication which embraces certain features OF
the English system, but excludes or ignores
seriously doubted even by those who are I'M
pressed, as am myself, with the grave impor-
tance of correcting the evils which inhere in the
present methods OF appointment. III, for exam
pie, the English rule, which shuts out persons
above the age of twenty-five years from q la-eo
number of public employments. 10 not to Dc
made an essential part OF our system, ~ y
questionable whether the attainment OF tne
highest number of marks at competitive exam
ination should be tho criterion py whicn all ap-
plications for appointment should be put to the
test: and under similar conditions it may also
be questioned whether admission to the service
should be strictly limited to its lowest ranks.
There are very many characteristics which go
to make model civil servant Prominent
among them are probity, industry, good sense,
courtesy tact, self-reliance, manly Difference
to superior officers and manly consideration for
interiors. The absence of these traits Is not
supplied by wide knowledge of books or by
promptitude in answering questions, or by any
other quality likely to be brought to light by
competitive examination. To make success
in such contest therefore an indispensable
condition OF public employment would very
likely result in the practical exclusion OF the
older applicants, even though they might pos
49, kAArr
and more brilliant competitors. These sugges-
tions must not be regarded as evincing any
spirit of opposition to the competitive plan.
which has been to some extent successfully
employed already, and which may hereafter
vindicate the claims OF its most earnest sup
porters; but it ought to be seriously considered
whether the application of the same education
al standard to persons Of mature years and
Young men fresh from school and college
would not be likely to exalt mere intellectual
proficiency above otheI qualities OF equal or
greater importance. Another feature Of the
proposed system is the selection by promotion
Of all officers of ths government, from the low
est grade, except such as would fairly be con-
sidered as exponents of the policy of the Execu-
tive and the principles of the dominant party,
To afford encouragement to faithful public
servants by exciting in them the hope of pro-
motion If they are found to merit 1t, is much to
be desired, but would it not be unwise
to adopt rule so rigid as to permit no other
Way of supplying the responsible situations OF
the service? There are many persons who fill
desirable positions with credi9, but in whom
those qualities which are requisite for higher
posts OF duty are lacking; and besides the
modes of thought and action of one whose SER
vice in a governmental bureau has been long
continued are often so damped by routineprnce-
dure as almost to disqualify him fromIinstituting
charges required by the public interests, and in
fusion of new blood from time totime into the
Of fbo ruhf 10 ha var
beneficial in its results The subject under con-
sderation is one Of great Importance. The
evils which are complained of cannot be eradi-
Gated at once. The work must be gradual. The
present English system is a growth OF years,
and was not created by single stroke OF exec
utive or legislative action. Its beginnings are
found in an order in council promulgated in
1866, and it was after patient and cautious
scrutiny of its workings that, fifteen years lat
er, it took up its present shape. Five years al
ter the issuance of the order in council, and at
a time when resort had been had to competl-
tive examination as an experiment, much
more extensively than has yet been the case in
this country, select committee of the House
of Commons made a report to that House,
which, declaring its approval OF the competi-
tive plan, deprecated, nevertheless, any pre-
cipitancy in its general adoption as likely to
period the results of the two methods OF pass
examination and competitive examination were
closely watched and compared. 1t may be
that before we confine ourselves upon this i'm
portant question within the stringent bounds
of statutory enactment, We may profit
ABLY await the result of further inquiry and
experiment. The submission Of portion OF
the nominations to a central board OF axamin-
ers selected solely for testing the qualifications
of applicants, may, perhaps, without resort to
the competitive test, put an end to the mis-
chief which attends the present system OF ap-
pointments and it may be feasible to vest in
such board a wide discretion, to ascertain
the characteristics and attainments OF candi-
dates in those particulars which have already
referred to as being no less important than mere
intellectual attainments. If Congress should
deem it advisable at the present session to es-
tablish competitive tests for admission to the
service, no doubts such as have been suggest
ed shall deter me from giving the measure my
should there be failure to pass any other act
supon this subject, that an appropriation OF
$4,000 per year may be made for the enforce
ment of section 1853 Of the Revised Statutes.
With the aid thus afforded me shall strive to
execute the provisions of that law according to
its letter and spirit. am unwilling in justice to
the present civil service of the government, TO
dismiss the subject without declaring my dis
sent from the severe and almost indiscriminate
censure with which they have been recently
assaied. That they are as class indolent, IN
efficient corrupt, is statement which has
been often and widely credited. When the
variety and delicacy and Importance OF their
duties are considered the great majority OF en-
nloyes are deserving of high commendation.