The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-16

The opponents OF Civil Service Reform are
very much addicted to Tehash stale falshoods about
IL, all OF which have been repeatedly exposed In Eng
land and many OF them In this country For instance
the only member who spoke In opposition to the
amendment to the sundry Ciyil Bill, approprating
s45, 900 for the now dormant Cyil Service Commits
sion said that " we had tred.that reform years
'agO - and 1t had placed boys and girls fTei h
''frOm school over men Of experience Here
were two mistatements; FIRST, that the reform had
Loen given fair trial, and second, that 1t had
Produced as far as tried, anything but the most de-
sirable results Among the valuable testimony taken
by the Senate committee having this subject In
charge none Is more striking than that OF Mr.. Burt,
the Naval OCer OF the port OF New York, who Is said
to have been called by New York stalwart the
other day " tie once. holder In the United States
- who sincerely believes Ia Clyil Service Reform.
His testimony is thus condensed by correspondent
OF the New York TribuH.
II Is usually said that young boys fresh from
school have the advantage IN such contests erpe
TienCcd men who have not their book knowledge At
their fingers ends. Mr. Burt tesIln6s that the
age age uf successful persons appointed under the
New ork oustOm-hOuse eHAninatiOnsis 'Oyur thirty
years, and that at is the men above thirty who
make the best time Oh examination, who show Ia
cillty 10 get through work quickly standing
variation this objection Is That only college grad
yates will get appointments. Mr.. BuTt shows that Of
the appOintees from 7a persons examined IN The New
York custom house only six aud one half per cent
had received collegiate education, thirty three
and third per cent, had received what they call
academic or high-schOOl education, and sixty per
cent simply common school education, Mr..
Burt says - In all the statistics n regard 10
school education tlpTe lHpHv little weakness Ie-
sung from the fact w1 haYe 10 throw in that class
men who have hardly had any elpcatiOn--mHu who
VIII say, l went 10 school until was pleyen years
Old Or went 10 school In the winter, ur some
thing Uf that Kind. We have ~ throw them Ia That
class aud II rather reduces the averages standing In
the category As 10 the matter of age we have very
thoroughly exploded that objection Mr.. hurt
notes the significant fact that eyory time there has
been a popular idea that this system was
tO be dropped, the class OF men who
presented themselves, and who have been
examined az the next examination. has
been Of much lower average grade, - showing
that the competitive examinations, holding out the
prospect Of permanent PLACES attracted superior
class Of men Mr., Bun was Of the opinion that II II
was understood that II was toll permanent system
| raised now. - a great many people refrain from
coming there under the d0a that Il j. something that
| may break down at any time.h The objection u
often made that under permanent 'lHll service thp
people would be subject 10 an lnSol0nt bureaucracy.
Mr. Burt thinks that under he merit system The Oia-
| sygt0IH man who had got an appointment through
the influence ~ powerful politicians felt that nothing
| could remove himi hv pugld Oe impeTtlhonti he
could DO negeCtfnli he fet that nlhng could got MIN
out ana 1t used often 10 be said by persons Who he
eYed 10 tho old system that the most ineniclent man
| had the most Important backing. Another obleo-
tlOn Is that permanent CY Service viii create - a
favored class Mr.. BuTt's answer 10 this was char
acteristic and neat; Eyes, favored class, forget
ting that Ws have had favored classa favored class
that not more than nye per cent Of the cliiaeus of
this country have had tho chance OF ever get
ting iutO the Government service because they could
not get the favor Of this favored class