Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-12-16

worthy and efficient officers. Investigate
ION of II 'mplalnt> ami the puui>hm III
ofail Official misconduct should hc prompt
and tiInfo. -. The views cXrr"~Nt,.i IN
the tore ,ruin4 letter are those = hich Wi.l
govern ~" IN the administration OF .h,.
eNCutIV" office. These Al. ,ipnhtI,',S ,
shared lay r,I Intelligent a!! PATRIOTIC
citizens, however divergent IN tn IL ouin-
ions as to tin h--' 'thoiS oi putting
them into pra"t"3l operation. For cX-
ample, tine assertion that original ap-
pnintniriitS shuult h" irlS''1 upon :-,...;-
tanned fitness l. not Il Ga Ia dispute, iu'
the question how i'll l'r@Cl,ce such titn.'-S
can u" mos. rilrctually HSccrtainrd j. n:,r
which has tor Years excited interest and
discussion. The measure which with
slight Variatiu"~ in its details has lately
been URGED upon thCattcntiOn OF Congress,
and III" /. NcCu i've, has tor its l,rinciI,a!
feature tn >chcT" Of competitive en-
animation. Save Tor crr.aIn exceptions
which n"el To he specified, tins plan
would permit admission 10 the service
only To the lowest grade, and would az
cordingly demand that vdcanieS i'll higher
positions should be filled b. promotion
alone. In these particulars it is in CON
formity with the existing civil service OF
Great Britain, and indeed the success
which has attended that system in the
country ofitS birth, is the strongest ar
gunlent which la, been urged tor its
adoption. The fact should not, however
be overlooked, that there are features al:
the english system which have not gen
orally been received with tavor in this
| country, even among the foremost adj
NorateS of evil service reform. Among
them are, first, Il tenure of office which il
! substantially Il life tenure. Second. IA
! Limitation of the maximum ag" which an
q, llicant can enter the service, whereby
alI men in middle life or under are with
| some exceptions iigidly excluded. Third,
| a retiring allowance upon going out ot
| Pa rs. in,
| portant factors of the problem as any of
| the others. To eliminate thcS. from the
| English system would effect most radical
change i'll its theory and practice. The
avowcd purpose of that system * To- in
duce educated Young men Of the country
To devote their lives To public employment
| by the assurance that having once entered
| upon it they need never lea We it, and that
after retirement they shall he recipients
| of an annual pension. That this system
rs AN entirety has proved very successful
| in Great Britain seems TO he generally
| conceded there 10y those who once OBJ
posed its adoption. TO IL statute which
should lncorporitc its essential features
| | should feel bound IL give my approval,
but whether it would lie for the best in
terestS of the public to fix upon an eXpcd-
lent for immediate and extensive applica
ton which embraces certain features OF
the English system, but excludes or
ignores others of equal importance, NAV
pressed rs ] am myself with the grave
importance of correcting the evils which
are in the present methods of appoint
mcnt. If, for example, the English rule
| which shuts out PERSONS above tho age of
% years from large number Ct public
cmployments, is not to he made an rs.
sential part of our system, it is questionable
whether the attainment of the highest
number of marks at = competitive exam
ination should he the criterion by which
ta1 fhr int m NJ oh MI
he put to test, and under similar con
ditiOnS il may also he questioned whether
admission to the service should he strictly
limited to its lowest ranks. There are
very many characteristics which 20 To
make a model civil service, and prominent
among them are p. obably industry, good
sense, good habits, good temper. patience,
order, courtesy, tact, selt-rel,ance, 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 promptitute in
answering questions, ora any other quality
likely to he brought to light by competitivo
examination. To make success in such :,
condition of public employment .yould
very likely result i'll the political exclusion
of the older applicants, even though they
might POSSESSES qualifications far super ior
20 their younger and more brilliant com
pctitorS.
These suggestions 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 earnest advocates, but il
ought 10 be seriously considered whether
| the applications of the same educational
standard To persons of mature years and
, To young men fresh from school and
college, would not he likely to eXali
mere intellectual proficiency above Other
: qualities of equal or greater Importance
Another feature of the proposed system is
the selection by promotion of all officers
of the government above the lowest
grade, such as would fairly be regarded
as opponents OF the policy of the exc
e cutivc and the principles of the dominant
! party. To afford encouragement to faith
ful public servants by exciting in their
minds the hope of promotion, IL they ar,
s found to merit it, is much to be desired
but would it be wise to Adopt Il rule sc
rigid as to permit no other mode of sup
| plyiug the intermediate ranks of thu
| serVicei There are many persons wht
fill subordinate positions with grea
0 credit. but lack those qualities which ar,
I | requisite for higher posts of duty, and be
i sides the modes of thought and action O
! one whose services i'm IL governmental
y bureau has been long continued are Otter
, SO cramped by routine procedure, u.
almost to disqualify him for the change
Z of positions, required 10y the public inter
ests, and the infusion of new blood from
Z, time to time into the middle ranks of tn,
. service might be very beneficial in it.
y results. The subject under discussion i.
= | of grave Importance. The evils which ar,
I complained of cannot be eradicated a
Y once. The work must be gradual. Tn,
r present English system is u growth o
i wears and was not created by a single
g stroke of executive or legislative action
6 Its beginnings are found in an order il
: council in 1855, and I was after patien
{ and careful scrutiny of Its workings tina
n Is years later it took its present shape
= Five wears after tho insurance of Tn,
i order in council, and ut time whei
= resort had been made to competitive eX
. animation as an experiment much NOR,
extensively than has yet been the cas-,
S in this country, n select committee ofth,
e House of Commons made IL report TO thai
house, which. declaring its approval Ofth,
competitive method, deprecated, never
@ theless, any precipitancy i'll its genera
! adoption as likely to endanger its utimat,
4 success. During this tentative period tn,
result of the two methods of examination
U and competitive examination were CLOSELY
y watched and compared. 1t may be tina
: before we confine ourselves upon thi
n important question within the stringen
4, bounds of statutory enactment We ma,
profitahly await the result Of further in
D quiry and experiment. The submission
p of n portion of the nominations to
central board of examiners selected solel,
: for testing the qualifications of applicants
n NAV, perhaps without resort to the com
a petitive test, put an end to the mischie
which attends the present system o
appointment, and il may be desirable t,
p vest in each board wide distinction, t,
ascertain the characteristics and attain
Q ments of candidates in these paIticul ar.
which have already referred to as bein.
4 of no less Importance than mere intellec
tual requirements. II Congress- shouiC
L deem advisable at the present session t
!. establish competitive examination for
admission to the service, no doubts sucl
as have been suggested, shall deter III,
. | from giving the measure my earnes
approval, and / urgently recommen,
shonld there be failure to pass any other
= upon this subject, that an appropriation o
6 S25, 900 per year he made for the enforce
l ment of See. 1853 of the Revised Statutes
e With the aid thus afforded me, / shall
strive to execute the provisions of tina
law according to its letter ard spirit.
: am unwilling in justice to the presen
: civil servants of the government to dis
- miss this subject with declaring my dis
:. l.