The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-12-09
THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT

tllut there arc certain features Oh 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, first, tenure of
Office which is substantially life
tenure; second, limitation Of the
maximum age ut which m applicant can enter
tho service. whereby all men in middle life
are with some executions rIpidlv excluded.
third. a retiring allowance upon going ont OF
Office These three elements are az in,portant
factors of the problem as anv of the others To
eliminate thereCrom tl,e EnSlish svstom ,vonId
effect a most radical change In the theory ana
practice. The ayowed nurpose of thai system
is TO induce the educated vonno men ~ fine
country to devote their lives 10 nnbIIc emnlov-
ment by an assurance that having well entered
upou thew need never leave II and that
after voluntary roiircmopt tIev sbaII Ina re
cipients of an animal pcn.ion. That this avs
ten. as an entirety Ias nroved verv success
iul in Great Britain seems to be generally con-
coded, even by those who once opposed its
adoption. 10 statute which should incDr-
porate all its essential features, l
should feel bound to give my ap-
proyal; but whether it would DO for
the best interests of the public to fix upon an
expedient for an immediate extensive apphca-
uon which embraces certain features Of the
English system, but excludes or ignores others
of equal Importance, may be strenuousiy
doubted even by those who are impatient as
WIFI VIC SEdNc
the evils which attend the present methods Of
appointment. For example
THE ENGLISH RULE
which shuts out persons above the age Of
twenty five years from large number Of pub
lie emp!oym ants, should not be made an es-
sen'iaI part OF our SYSTEM 1t is questionable
whether the attainment of tine highest
number of marks at compsti tiv
examination should be the criterion by which
all applicants for appointment shonld DO
nut to the test, and under similar conditions it
NAV aIso be questioned whether admission to
the service could be strictly limited To Its lowest
ranks. There are very many characteristics
winch 30 to make model civil servant Prom
Inc mt among them are probably industry, good
sense, 5ood habits. good temper, patience,
order, courtesy, tact. self reliance, manly
Difference to superior officers and money con-
celebrations for interiors. The absence OF
these habits is not supplied by wide knowledge
OF books, or by promptltude III answering
questions. or by any DINER oualitv likely
to be brought out bv competitive ex-
animation To make success in such A
contest therefore, an judispcns,ble condition of
public cmploymelt would very Iikely result in
the practical exclusion of the older applicants
ever though they might possess uualiticntiops
far superior 10 their youiger and NOR. bril-
liant competitors. These suggestions must
not be regarded as evincing a spirit of
onpositiou to the comnet,tive Man which has
been to some extent successfully EMPLOYED,
and which NAV hereafter vindicate the claims
of its most earnest supporters. But it ought to
be seriously considered whether the appli-
cation Of the Same educational Stand
ard to persons of mature wears
to voung men fresh from school or college
would not be Ikev to exal. mere intellectual
proficiency above other qualities of equal or
greater importance Another feature of the
proposed system is the selection by promotion
Of all Offices of the government above the
lowest grade EXCEPT such as would
fairly be regarded az eypopeuts
of the policy of the executive and the pIipci-
pies of the dominant party to afford. eucour
aged to faithful public servants by exciting in
their minds the hope of promotion if they are
found to be as much desired; but would it
be wise to adopt q rule so
rigid as to permit 10 other mode of
supplying the intermediate walks of the
servants? There are many persons who fill
subordinate positions with great credit, but
lack these qualities which are requisite to
higher posts OF duty, and besides the modes of
thought and action of ono whose service
in a government bureau has been long
continued are often SO cramped by routine
procedure as almost to dsqualify him from
instituting changes required by public inter-
es'S' ana 'he INFUSION s OIL new blood irom lme
10 'iIhe !" he niiuuie rahks OF tne
service might be very beneficial in
Is rtsuits Inc SUBJECT nnuer discussion
- w y. 80 e''' "hiSh
are complained OF cannot DE erad'GaIed at once.
Inc work must DC gfaduai. line present
EhSiish system Is grown OF years anu was
not created py Single sloke OF executive or
ieSh iauVe acuop' us peSihhine was found IN
an order IN conncii promulgated III 1000, and
II was a''er patient ana cautious scrutiny OF us
WORKING that nl'esn years later IL took
It's present shape. rive years AFTER the lssu-
an r y. ne o.uIi ~ .ouuo, .:. anu ~ llne
Mnen iesoi. was iiaa W I'll. eAailina-
ti'n % o.. "a pnn, ~ i, az; 'Aey
ma, ti "r!';,'oo - 10 '"io y,
soi,S' oo''h''.o W INC ho"ee Vi soh,niohs
i'"ue d report W 'ii"' house' WHICH, aecIatihg
its approval OF The competitive method, depre-
Gated, nevertheiess any precipitancy III its
general adopunn az hkeiy 10 endanSer It's ultl-
mate success during
TH1s TENTATIVE PERIOD
the results OF the TWO methods OF pass exami-
nation and competitive examination was close
" Watched and compared 1t may be that be-
FORE we CONNIE ourselves upon TINS important
question within the stringent rounds OF statnt-
AIRY enactment, we may pronably await tho
result OF iurther lhnnirS aha experiment The
SUBMISSION OF portion OF me nominations to
central BOARD OF examiners selected solely
for testing tho qualihcauon OF ap-