New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-29
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
DISCUSSION BY DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.

OOhMENTS UPON THE PROVISIONS AND PROBABLE
EFFECTS OF THE ACT-THE TONE OF CRITICISM
NOT UNFRIENDLY.
lFRoh THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE.l
WASHINGTON January 2S-The new Civil Ser
vice law has been the subject of a good deal of talk
by practical men In the departments since it waa
signed by the President. This discussion has been
by no means unfrtendly, but It has shown soma
points in the law which may cause regret that Il
was not submitted before its final passage to some
experienced officials here for suggestions mum.
ber Of points have been brought out also which are
not preiudcial to the law. but which do not seem
to have been generally understood in the discus
sons as to Its probable effect.
No term is tiXed for the Office OF Civil Service
Commissioner undoubtedly for the reason that tho
tenure should be as nearly permanent as possible.
This may have an important effect upon the future
of the reform in case OF the election of a Demo-
cratic President II to be supposed that the men
whom President Arthur will select will be sincere
and earnest in their work. 1t true that under the
law E" the President may remove any Commissioner"
but even a Democratic President might hesitate
to remove Civil Seryice Commissioner. whose
Office will represent the very idea Of reform, except
for cause. This feature of the law then may do
much to protect the reform from even an unffiend-
ly Administration. The bill as Mr.. Eaton original
ly framed 1t provided that there should be removal
for cause only, and that the should be fled
but Congress seemed TO feel that this too great
q res rici ion to put upon The Presidents.
Some members of Congress had the impression,
apparently, that the provision for dividing appoint
ments equally among the States and Territories
referred to All offices affected by the BILL whether
IN Washington or elsewhere. The law says that
appointments "ln the departments at Washing
ton" stall be so apportloned. In fact, any other
system isnot practicable. 1t would not be possible
IOr example, to DIVIDE the appointments IN the San
Francisco Custom House equally among the States,
nor to keep an appointment account between the
States which would insure equality for them in the
total number of appointments in the Civil Service,
whether within their own territory or in Washing
ton.
The preference which ex-sOldiers discharged by
reason of wounds or disability incurred IN the SER
vice have had under the R,.yised Statutes to
be practically abolished by this law or nearly So
as it must be apparently, under any system Of
competitive exauinations-althOugh the law says
they shall not be deprived of this preference. The
act provides that places shall be filed by selections
according 10 grade from among those graded
highest in the competitive examinations. Appar-
entity soldier can be preferred TO a civilian only
when they have the same marking, which would be
a rare occurrence as the marks will usually run
into fractions when the soldier Is among
those graded hghest"-a phrase which the commits
sion will doubtless construe in Its rules
The provision for the appointment of n chief ex-
aminer by the commission Is held to be clearly un-
constitutional, inasmuch as Congress can vest the
appointment of inferior officers only in the Pres-
dent alone in the OF law, or in the heads OF
departmentsn The word employ" is used in the
act instead of appoint" and 1t has been suggested
tina the difficulty might be evaded by allowing the
President to appoint on recommendation of the
commission. II may be decided, however, to ask
Congress- to pass an amer ,nding act.
Most of the criticism upon the bill is directed to
the sections requiring the Secretary of the Treasury
and the Postmaster General to arrange the clerks in
various offices under their departments having
more than fifty subordinates in classes like those in
the Washington Departmental in as near conformity
as may be-" IL is said in both departments that
little or nothing can be done under these sections
except TO furnish the commission with the rolls Of
employees for the reason that the grading outside Of
Washington is by no means so uniform as IN the de-
partments here. Here tue clerks are divided into
tour classes-frst second, third and fourth-recev-
ing respectively 81, ,200 400 81 800 and 81 800
year. IL is true that these grades Of
pay are in use in customhOuses etc., but there
kinds of clerical employees who cannct be classified
i'll this way In the Post Office Department the DIFF
f,ulties are greater While in the offices SUBJ
ordinate 10 the Treasury the various appointments
are subject to the approval of the Department az
Washington. the postmasters throughout the country
are entirely independent of the Department in theap
poIntment of their clerks. The Department makesan
allowance to each office for clerk hire, and the post
master appoints whom he pleases. Thisis true even
in the great Office of NewYork. The salaries Of these
clerks run all the way from $3.50 year TO $1,000.
the average being much lower than n the Depart
ment at Washington, and the sum being fixed IN
each case and in each office by the nature of the
vice aud the amount of work 10 be done.
IL is said to be impractcabe TO make any classif-
cation OF tho postal clerical service throughout the
country approaching that III use in tine departments
at Washins stOn. But as the law directs the Post
aster-General to make "a classification, il is sug-
gested that the effect may be to bring the clerical
service of the post-oices having fifty subordinates
INTO the same relation with the Postma ster-General
as the clerical service of the Treasury outside of
Washington bears now TO the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Mr. Hatton the Assistant master-General,s says
characteristcally that he ''wOuldn't mind If 1t
did y because he would like TO see the Post Office
u. .partment have little political influence, where
as now It Is the ouly Civil Service Reform depart
menL in the Government-tne only one IN which
each head of an Office IS lndepfndent ana ls beld
responsible for Its management"
The wording OF the section relating 10 the Treas
ury seems to limit the present application OF
the law TO Gus oms offices. 1t says tnat the Secre-
tary shall arrange classes " the several clerks
and per,ons enlp owed 10y tue Collector, Naval Of
6cer' Surveyor and Appraisers, or ethr OF them, or
being in the public service their respec i've Offices
In each custom district where the whole number OF
said clerks and persons shall be altogether Us many
as day" This does not seem to
bring Sub-Treasurics, or mlnis, assay ohices,
or Internal Revenue collectors offices within the
operation of the law. AT least such Is the oplnIon
of several treasury officials. III this be correct, the
sub Irea ,ury AT New-YOrk, though 1t has a force
Of more nan Que hundred persons about fifty OF
whom are clerks will not Oe subject TO The law
unless AN rider by the President unIer subl VISION
3 o, section would make it So This says that
the neads of departments and offices shall, Oh 1irec-
ton o. the President revise existing cassincatIOns
ot employees and shall include clerks and officers IN
the publlc service pertain l.g 10 their respective
noC before classified for eXami-