The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-16

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ts estimated that Is per cent of the number OF
si .auis nov pending wi be rejected or aban-
Hon:.d This would secure the probable re-
3viton OF A.040 cases. and the probable ad-
mis lion OF about II 100 claims ali of which in.
xotvethe paymentO of arrears Of pension. With
eh present force employed, the number of ad-
ludicanons remaining the same, and no new
business Intervening, the number of claims
tiB.G0i could be acted upon in a period
~ SIX year., and taking January 1884,
AS Il near period from which to estimate in
t.acn case an average amount of arrears, it is
Lound that every case allowed would require
anr the frSt payment upon it the sum of 81 $50.
Mu!tipl, ing this amount by the whole num-
yer OF pioDa')le admissions vi res $50 600, 900
as the sum required for the first payments:
rms rep;c>eat. the sum which must be paid
.iDon claims which were filed before July l,
sSSV, and are now pending and entitled to the
Tene ut OF the Arrears act From this amount
lf2O0VG.O tol may be deducted from SIC, 0O0, 900
10 Sb,ooo,0O5 for cases where, the claimant
dying, there IS no person who under the law
would he entitled to succeed to the pension,
leaving S.50,f0)0OO as the probable amount
lobe paid. IN these estimates no account has
Hscen taken Ot the $500 cases filed
since Jun: 10, lsso and now pending, which
must receive attention in current business,
s1ut which do not involve the payment of any
arrears beyond the date of filing the claim.
OF this number it is estimated that s6 per
cent. viii be allowed. As has been stated.
with the present force of the Pension Bureau
-,6I5 clerks-it is estimated that it will take
ing. 1t isstarcd by the Commissioner of Pen
siOns thas by an addition of go clerks in-
creasing the adjudcating force rather than
could be- 'ee aSa fese e
could be acted upon within three years
Aside from the considerations OF justice which
o tss
at - no less important on the score of econo-
my, 1naslnucn as fully one third of the
clerical force Of the Office is now wholly
sspondence with the thousands of claim
ants whose claims have been on the
files for the past eighteen years. The fact
that sum so enormous Is to be expended by
Government to meet demands for arrears of
pensions is an admonition to Congress and
ton to any similar project in the future. The
great temptation to the presentation of fcti
tiOus claims afforded by the fact that the av-
$780, Ieadsto suggest the propriety of making
some specia! appropriation for the preven-
ton of fraud.
IMPROVING THE MISSISSIPPI.
I advise appropriations for such internal
improvements as the wisdom of Congress
may deem to be OF public importance. The
necessity of improving the navigation of the
Mississippi justifies special allusion to that
measure for the removal of the distractions
which now impede the navigation of that
great channel OF commerce.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
In my letter OF acceptance of the nomina-
ton for the Vice Presidency, I stated that in
my jud gment mo man should be an fncum-
bent of an office the duties of which he is for
any cause unit to perform. who is lacking in
the ability, fidelity or integrity which prop
or administration of such Office demands"
This sentiment would doubtless meet with
widely divided upon the wisdom and practi-
.cability ofthe various reformatOry schemes
which have been suggested, and of certain
proposed Regulations governing the appoint
regulations has been distrusted mainly be- |
cause they have seemed to exalt the mere |
educational and abstract tests above general
business capacity. and even special fitness for
the particular work in hand. 1t seems to me |
the rule that should be applied to the man.
agement of the public service may properly |
conform in the main to such as regulate |
tho condition of successful private bust
ness. Original appointments should |
Pse Of sbeS1d al
lions of responsibility, so far as practicable, |
should be filled by the promotion of worthy |
and efficient officers; The investigation Of |
all complaints and the punishment of all Of |
fetal misconduct should be prompt and thor |
ough. The views expressed in the foregoing
letter a'e those which will govern my admin
"tStratiCn OF the executive office. They are |
doubtless shared by all intelligent and patri- |
otto citizens, however diver GENT in their |
opinion as to the best methods of putting |
The assertion that original appointment |
should be based on aScertained fitness is not |
open to dispute, but the question how in |
practice such fitness can be most effectually
asceft aimed is one which has for years excit. |
ed interest and discussion. The measure
which with slight variations in its detail |
has lately been urged upon the attention of |
Congress and the Executive has as its princi- |
pal feature the scheme of competitive exam |
ination, save for certain exceptions, which |
need not here be specified. This plan would |
provide for admission to the service only in |
Its lowest grade. and would accordingly de- |
mand that all vacancies in higher positions |
should be filled by promotion alone. In these |
particulars, it is in conformity with the eX-
listing civil service system of Great Britain |
and indeed the success which has attended |
that system in the country of its birth is the |
strongest argument which has been urged for |
Its adoption here. The fact should not, how
ever, be overlooked that there are certain |
features OF the English system which have
not generally been received with favor in this |
country, even among the foremost advocates |
of civil service reform. Among them are:
/. Tenure OF office, which is substantially |
life tenure.
2. Limitation of the maximum age at which |
an applicant can enter the service, whereby |
all men in middle life or under are, with some |
exceptions, Iiyidly excluded.
3. retiring allowance upon going out of |
, office.
These three elements are as important fac |
c tors of the problem as any of the others. To |
eliminate therefrom the English system |
would effect a radical change in its practice. |
The ayOwed purpose of that system is to in |
duce the educated young men of the country |
to devote their lives to public employment by |
an assurance that. having once entered upon |
It, they need never leave it, and that after |
voluntary retirement they shall be the re-
cipients of an annual pension. That this sys-
TEN, as an entirety, has proved very success
full in Great Britain seems to be generally |
conceded even by those who once opposed |
its adaptation. To a statute which should |
incorporate all its essential features, |
should feel bound to give my approval |
but whether it should be for the best |
interests of the public to fix up
on an eXpedient for immediate and extensive |
application which embraces certain features |
of the English system, but excludes or ignores |
others of equal importance may be seriously |
doubted even by those who are impressed, as |
1 am myself, with the grave importance of |
correcting the evils which inhere in the pres |
ent methods of appointments. If, for exam l.
pie. the English rules, which shuts out per-
sons above the age of twenty five years from |
large number of public employments. is not |
to be made an essential part of our system, it |
is questionable whether the attainment Of |
the highest number of marks at q cOmpeti- |
tive examination should be the criterion by |
which all applications for appointment should |
be put to 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 charac- |
teristics which go to make q model civil SER |
want. Prominent among them are probity, |
industry. good habits. good temper, patience, |
order, courtesy, tact, self reliance, manly I
Irfr ~ Nn~S> <TS~<r~ II