Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-04

above, shows narrow-mindedness, a
blindness, in fact, that bodies no good for
a genuine reform of the service.
The PendletOn Bill.
What is known as the Pendleton bill,
for the reform of the civil cervice, pass
ed Senate last week by a vote of thirty
nine ayes to five nays. 1t is, however,
very much modified in structure from
the bill as originally drawn. The five
commissioners first called for are re-
duced to three, the appointments are
proportional among the different states
and territories and the provision that
all appointees should begin at the low
est grade is withdrawn. The bill as it
as it now stands provides for a Civil
Service Commission consisting of
three Commissioners, appointed by
the President, not more than two of
whom shall be adherents of the same
party, whose salary shall be three
thousand dollars, and who shall have
charge of the appointments to the civil
service. The commission is to provide
for all examination and keep a record
of the same. They are PERMITTED to
employ n chief examiner at a salary
of three thousand dollars, and a secre-
tary at a salary of sixteen hundred dol
lars, and when necessary, a ste%nograph-
err at a salary of sixteen hundred dol
lars and a messenger at sixteen hun
dred dollars. The headquarters of the
Commission will be in Washington
where suitable rooms are to be provid-
ed by the Secretary of tina Interior.
All members of the Commission and
employees are prohibited from assisting
in any way any candidate under a pen
atty of Imprisonment and a fine. Six
months after the passage of the act no
appointments or promotions will be
made except by competitive examina-
ton. Where two or more members of
a family are members of a grade an
other member of the same family can
not be appointed. No recommends
ton by senator or representative ex-
cept as to character or residence of an
applicant shall be received. No per-
son h~abitually using intoxication bey-
erages in excess shall be appointed or
retained in office. No senator, repre-
sentative, or official of any degree,
shall directly or indirectly solicit any
contribution for any political purpose,
and no person shall be degraded or dis
charged for failing to contribute money
for political purposes. Any person
guilty of the violation of the four last
sections of the bill neutrality-suspicious.
litical assessment shall be punished by
a fine not exceeding five thousand dol
lars and by Imprisonment not exceed
ing three years.
The grist of the bill is contained in
the following nine selections which
furnish the foundation for the remainder
of the structures:
l. Open competitive examinations for
testing the iirtness of applicants for
public service, now classified or to be
classified hereunder; such examinations
shall be practical in their character and
so far as may be shall relate to those
matters which will fairly test the rela-
tive capacity and fitness of the person
examined to discharge the duties of the
service into which they seek to be APP
pointed.
2. That all offices, places and employ
ments so arranged or to be arranged in
classes, shall be filled by selections ac-
cOrding to grade from among those
graded the highestsas the result of such
competitive examinations.
3. Appointments to the public service
aforesaid in the departments at Wash
ington shallbe apportioned among the
several states and territories and the
District of Columbia upon the basis
of population ascertained at the last
preceding of census. Every application
for examination shall contain, among
other things, a statement under oath
setting forth his or her actual bona fide
residence at the time of making the
application, as well as how long he or
she has been q resident of said place.
4. That there shall be n period of
probation before any absolute appoint
ment or employment of aforesaid.
3. That promotion shall be from the
lower grades to the higher on basis of
merit and competency.
6. That no person in the public SER
vice is for that reason under any obliga-
ton TO contribute to any political fund
or render any political service, and that
he will not be removed or otherwise
prejudiced for reducing to do Sc.
Z. That nc person in said service has
any right to use his official authority
or influence to coerce political action
of any person or anybody.
.. There shall be now competitive X
animation in all proper cases before a
committee, when competing persons do
not compete after notice has been given
OF the ~existency of a vacancy under
such rules as may be subscribed by the
commissioners as to manner. giving no
tice and competition may not be found
practicable.
aA"N NN"A ut HtNeu III WITT
ing by the appointing bower to said
commissioners of the persons selected
for appointment or employment from
among those who have been examined.
of their place of residence of such per-
sons, of the rejection of any such per
sons after probation, of transfers, res
ignation and removals and of date
thereof, and a record of the same shall
be kept by said committee.
The weak point in the bill, as it goes
to the House. is the entire absence of
any provision for stability in office.
Arbitrary removal, that bane of the SER
vice, is still permissible, making the
position of government employees ten
fold worse than under the old system.
Now 4 person looking for appointment
must prepare himself for a rigid ex-
animation, sometimes at great expense
of time and money. and after all, even
providing he should prove successful,
is not certain of his place for one hour