National Republican., 1883-10-19
Tenure Of Office in the Treasury Under the
Old Order Of Things.
The HomeIy Old Standards Of Integrity,
Capacity, and Fidelity.
The Disposition 10 Be Made Of Those Who Wear
Themselves Out in tho Service
A Field for Reform to be Found In Of
fices Where Fees nre Paid.
North Amnricnn Rnrinip.


plished by the "Act to regulate and improve
the civil service of the United Statos" under
which the civil service commission has boen
organized.
l. To secure open competitive examina-
tions for testing the fitness ofapplicants for the
public service
2. TO take tho clerical force of the civil
service out of the influence of the politics of
the country.
In regard to the desirability and importance
of careful examination as to the qualiica-
tions and fitness of applicants previous to their
appointment there can hardly be two opin-
IONS and it will be readily conceded that the
examinations instituted by the civil service
commission will tend to improve tho service.
Two rules have been adopted by the COM
mission and approved by the President,
namely:
l. "No person in said service shall uso his
official authority or influence either to coerce
the political action of any person or body to
interfere with any election.
II. mo person in the public service shall
for that reason bo undor any obligation TO
contribute toany political fund, or to render
any political service, and he will not be re-
moved or otherwise prejudiced for refusing to
do So"
MThese rules have unquestionably received
the hearty approval of the public Tho pas
sage of o law requiring'th adoption of such
rules proves that a strong opinion prevailed
that an abuse existed which needed this law
and these rules for its correction. Whether
the evils sought to be remedied really did ex-
ist to the extent supposed, or whether they
were exaggerated in the public mind, are
questions outside the scope of this
article. The law and the rules aro so
eminently just and proper in themselves
that they deserve to be perpetuated; and so
far as they prevent undue political influ-
ence, or pressure by superior officers upon
the clerical force of the government, tho Ser.
vice will be to that extent elevated.
Little has been said of late in commenda-
tion of our civil service 1t was remarkable
that during the recent debate in the senate
upon tho civil service bill, there was no
definite statement made as to the true condi-
tion of tho service. 1t seemed to be an ac-
cepted conclusion that reform was needed,
and so the present law was passed. Would
it not be we'll that some note be taken of the
actual condition of the service, SO that there
may be no misunderstanding, q few years
hence, of what has been accomplished under
Che new law?
The treasury department will be taken as
an illustration:
First-As 10 removals and appointments.
Many prominent and otherwise well informed
citizens labor under the impression that the
clerical appointments in this department are
the perquisites of senators and members of
congress, and that there has been q process
sion of new and inexperienced persons (but
who are active politicians) marched in to
take the places Of trained clerks who had no
political backing, and who were therefore
marched out. What are the facts? The
clerical force, including messengers and
laborers, of this department consists of $3.50
persons. OF these 1876 have served twenty
years and upward: 425, fifteen years; Ala,
ten; 2l4, eight; 800, five; 294, three; 469,
less than three years. There have
H..
ing the past three years-an average
of about three per week. Of these 3l2 oc-
CURED by death or resignation and 156 by re-
moval for cause. The average length of SER
vice of the entire clerical force of the depart
ment is nearly ten years. There are now in
the department one employe appointed in
1885, ono in 1886, one in 1917, one in 1S4S,
three in 1Si9, one in 1851, three in 1853, two
in 1854, two in 1855, one in 1856, four in 1857,
one in 1858, three in 1859, five in 1860. The
aggregate length of service of these twenty
nine Offices holders, appointed prior to 1861,
amounts to $50 years. In the internal reve-
nue. bureau, which was organized in 1862,
there are now six employees who were ap-
pointed in 1862 eight in 1868, ten in 1864,
eleven in 1865, seven in 1866, eleven in 1867,
three in 1868, twenty-nine in 1869, eleven in
1S70-a total of ninety-six employees or
nearly half of the entire force, whose
terms of service range from thirteen to
j L
service OF the present employees of the bureau
is over ten years, 1t will thus be seen that,
even under the conditions as they existed
prior to tho passage of the civil service act,
nothing short of life tenure would materially
extend the duration in office of the average
treasury employc
1t is true that there was o time not long
since, when there was an annual and de-
moralizing scramble for certain temporary
appointments in the treasury department,
which were made under very defective law
then existing. To correct this evil, three
valuable measures of reform were adopted.
These reforms have scarcely attracted public
attention, and yet they have worked revo-
luton in the manner of making appoint
ments, and therefore deserve special mention.
Formerly there was an appropriation of
SlO0,OOO per annum for tho employment of
temporary clerks. This fund became avail
able annually, on the first day of July, and
caused great rush for places upon the tenn
porary rolls, Tho demands were so urgent,
and the pressure brought to bear was so great,
that the number employed would usually
exhaust the appropriation before tho eXpira-
tion of the fiscal year. and many employees
would consequently be dismissed for want of
funds wherewith to pay them. This became
q source OF so much annoyance and embar-
rassment that upon Secretary Shermans
recommendation, the appropriation was dis
continued and the plan was adopted of maxi
ing details from the various bureaus to per-
form such extra work as might be required
in the secretary's office.
For many years the practice prevailed of
employing clerks upon what was known as
the lapse roll.' These employees were paid
from salaries which had lapsed by reason of
vacancies or leaves of absence without pay
: The appointments were temporary, but there
was constant pressure to secure them, and
to remain in after having been once appointed.
I there "a n nhpr NJ
persons employed, and necessarily so, under
appropriations which fixed neither tho num-
bcr nor the salaries of the employees, and this
was another field of struggle and contention.
Secretary Folger wisely recommended legis-
laton requiring that lapsed salaries be COW
cred into the treasury, and providing specific
appropriations in other cases, fixing the mum
ber Of persons to be employed, and the
amount of salary paid to each. The
adoption of these measures worked
a salutary change in the number of applica-
tions for appointment, and left to the secre-
tary the duty of filling vacancies as they oc-
CURED from timo TO time, by death, resigna-
tion, or removal for cause.
Second-As TO the character of tho force em-
ployed in tho treasury department. Let it
be Judged by the, old homoly standards of in
tegrity, capacity, and fidelity; commence
with tho great positions, and go down through
the entire clerical force, and 1t Will be found
that IL needs no reform. AS great business
establishment IL can scarcely he improved,
In all its various branches are to DO found
men and women of high character, Of