New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-26
PRACTICAL CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.


WASHINGTON, March 25.-The Pension Bureau
under Commissioner Dudley has become the centre
Of several interesting experiments in Civil Service
Reform. The system which Colonel Dudley has
established of marking clerks according to their
practical efficiency, and making promotions and in
crease Of salaries depend upon the rank thus OBJ
tanned, has already been described in the CORES
pondence of THE TRIBUNE.
The Commissioners submitted to the House select
Committee on Civil Service Reform to-day letter
embodying plan for the selection of the large adj
ditional force needed in his office. This is in the
same line of policy and in accordance with the
illusions already reached by the committee. The
letter TO the committee recommends
examining board of three persons, who shall
subject candidates to thorough examinations
in such practical knowledge and skill
as they will require in the discharge of
their duties. The number of places is to be ap-
portioned among the States on the basis of the Re-
publican vote, and the most successful candidates
are to be commissioned for six months only;
appointments to be made at the end of that time
solely upon the recommendation of the Commits
sioner. These reappon ntments shall be for tenure
of three years subject to removal for cause by the
Secretary of the Interior on the recommendation of
the Commissioner. Promotions shall be made from
grade to grade.
For merely mechanical clerical work. says the
Commissioner, requiring primarily good moral
character, good penmanship. and reasonable de-
gree Of accuracy in photography and syntax young
men and young women may be considered in the
selection, but the proportion of these to the
whole should not exceed One-third, for the
reason that work of this class can be pressed
and accelerated by good management. Regarding
the examining force, the Commissioner says: 1.-The
examining force. those who TO do the real work
of the office, viz settle claims Tor pensions, must
exercise sound discretion and form ripe and well
considered judgments. An unripe youth, who has
seen little OF the world, knows little nothing of
the habits of the people or methods of public busl-
ness, save that which he has learned in the books
and which he hac knowledge of only as abstract
theories, although he may pass brilliant examlna-
ton in orthOgTaphy, syntax and prosody mathe-
MATES, classical lteratusc, science, art, geography
and other branches OF learning, Is totally unnJ f0r
this class of work"
The Commissioner SAYS the appOntees to this
force must DO men ripe in years and experience
of capacity and education" He recommends also
that. other things being equal, Union soldiers and
relatives of Union soldiers be preferred.
Concerning political considerations the Commits
siOner says: " Let the examining force be com
where and who have interest enough in the welfare
OF their Nation and State to vote at every election
and other things being equal or nearly
so, Republicans shonld be preferred. But
they should be divided among the States
and Territories in proportion to tho vote
each casts to the whole vote of the country, taking
INTO consideration the distribution of those now en-
PloyGd' and in my Indictment the Repubbllcan vote
Administration, allowing the Democratic vote as
the basis whenever the pendulum shall swing the
other way and the Administration passes into
Democratic hands"
OF the $40 additional clerks New-York is entitled
to %, Ncw-Jersey to 16, Pennsylvania TO 70, Con-
necticut to x and Massachusetts to 80.