Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-21

| it to be desirable that such persons should be
| given public employment az the people
would have chosen had the position been an
elective one. Our people being accustomed
70 vote and TO understand and habitually
discuss political questions, have individually
| definite opinions and affiliations. and in Sc
lecting for position the choice must alight on
| men who are of one party or the other, and
| the people when they elect vote for those OF
| their own political views. 1t is said that the
| opinions of inferior officers and clerks is i'm
material, but the people choose the candi-
dates of one side or the other, because they
think the eide they prefer best fitted to admin
lister the government, and they will think
there are plenty OF persons Of the dominant
views to take official service without employ
ing those Of opposite opinions. This plea
for choosing employees on political grounds is
The weak point in the commissioner
scheme. When the people want to employ
a shoemaker, bookkeeper, or lawyer they
do not select the men whose politics suit
them best, but the men who will make the
best shoes, keep the most correct books, or
prove most skillful in gaining a suit,
and the people will not reject the compe-
tency in public capacity they would prefer
in a private one, when the duties to be per-
formed involve no question of opinion one
way or another. The commissioner, how
ever, recognizes that there is a-wise middle
ground between a system that would change |
every one and one that would change none,
and he selects as reasonable and just that |
appointments should be made for four years.
The first appointment to be on trial for, say |
twelve months, at the end OF which time /
diligence, capacity and character proving
satisfactory, the appointment should be ex-
tended to further three years, with eligi-
bility to reappointment. AS promotion is
necessarily slow and therefore but little
cumulative to effort, the commissioner pro-
poses, to promote efficiency, that annually
the regular pay be increased five per cent. to
ten per cent. of the persons employed, where
the head of the department or sub-dhpartment
in which the person is employed recommends
him for capacity, zeal and general good
conduct. When promotions occur to be made
IN merit after suitable examination. Re-
novals of clerks and employees should be FOR
dishonesty, incapacity, neglect of duty, in
intemperance, immortality, or
inability, after proper investigation in each
ase Heads of divisions and those occupy
ng confidential relations subject to change
nly for reasons satisfactory to the head OF
he department. Where there is no
ault an honorable discharge to be /
iven to those retiring. Removals
merely for infrmity or age, especially
those conduct has been unexceptionable and
ervices valuable, are painful things to make.
t is therefore recommended that persons re-
moved without fault, by expiration of time
r otherwise, be entitled TO one months pay
DIT each year OF service. These suggestions
ave considerable value, having in view not
My the good of the service, but justice to-
ard the employee with encouragement Tor
lficiency in duty, and correctness of conduct.
he great object OF civh-service reform should
e to give the government what every mer- 8
nant requires in his stablishment-service
lat is worth what it costs and that will adj :
ance the interests committed to its charge. I