The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-03-07
CAPITAL GOSSIP.


WAsnneror, March g 49, Correspond
enca lin convergsLiou q dav or sn since
Colonel X. @. Mills cxpreaHod himself as
fully satisfied that the house would pu'
jsself on record this session with reference
40 terih reform. There ia Is sirong opposi-
ton even ia the party ana TIC house 20 any
consideration whatever OF The matter This
wear, and protection democr; is particularly
have been begging the ways aud meana
committee not TO reopen the question OF
present, ana predicting oil klnos OF disas'
Ter 10 the national democracy IL toe spirit
of reform should take tie tariff for revenue
road thig yegr, bat MFR. Mills fears no oppO-
sitiou sees no impolicy in agitation III the
direction indicated, bot on the other band
feels that It 10 the duty ot the democratic
house 10 tAge 2 stand Ia the premises. Ho
doesn't want my radical measures adopted
az even repotted, SAYS tie committee VII
adhere to the policy outlined by Mr.. Car
hglc when he became speaker nud
will report moderate Dill, ha
feels that such bill should BE-
aoopted and that the national convention
should tske q nold, fearless stand, approve
such action OF the house and display the
COURAGE Of conviction and principle. This
! /. snout the view OF the Carlisle wing OF tke
house.
| The frst annual report of tho much talk
| ed OF and much abused and almost invari.
ably ridiculed civil service commission
has got from the president to congress at
last. Mr.. Arthur seems to think IL on ad-
mirablo service, the conviction doubtless
being strengthened by the reflection that
the days of republcanism are numbered,
and that IL Is so very easy to remove al
appointee, even though twenty c0mmiu'
sions had found him phenomenon in
mental arithmetic and the history
rnd geography OF tho United States. The
report admits that the power to remove
for even the most partisan and selfish rea-
pops still remains unchanged. But the va
caucies can be filed only by those who, ir.
renpective OF party, demonstrate superb
ority in free, open composition OF character
and capacity. Space is gwen 10 letters
from customs officials and others giving
testimony IA so the effect OF the new sys'
tenn. The effect in the departments here Is
held Co be most ealutary. The report
states that 65 per cent. of those who have
entered the service through competitive
eI EXAMINATIONS were educated in tho COM
mon schools alone. IL Is suggested that
col entors and yosimasters be no longer ap.
pointed upon a party basis, out by the suc-
cessiul passing OF an examination. In the
view of the commissioners, 10 change in
the civil service act Is Low needed Tor fairly
testing the the n 81 stem.
Az q general result the report SHOWS tnaL
the whole number examined for tho de-
psrtmsntal, customs and postal service has
Been o $40 The number passed e. 65 per
cert. or over hes been 2 04. The number
examined having only common school
education has been 2,272. The number APP
pointed to tho service from July III, 1855 TO
January 10, 1854, OF those examined hiss
been 5l6. The average age OF ell those ex-
amined has been thirty-one years.
PEsT.UP GOVERNMENT.
The ranatk 10 cnmmOn lpre NOWADAYS.
chow the government is growing" And,
indeed, ID is. From the capitol down the
buildings and departments are p9in'ully
and VIGOROUSLY too circumscrioed now for
the business Of this grand government.
spoke in former letter OF the plans and
efforts for enlarging and improving the
capitol building 80 as TO iurnieh more
storage anu committee rooms, but not the
.tupendous pile Of marble known ~ the
capitol alone needs 10 be overhauled OF en-
larged, but every public build
ing in Washington. While the de-
pnrlment buildings were constructed
some years ago with n reasona-
bic anticipation Of the growth of the gov
ernmental business OF the future tnat
growth has passed far beyond all cslcula-
tons, and every department aud bureau IL
now wanting room. The post-ofiise de-
pnrtment has had to rent adjoining build
inge, the interior department is scattered
eli over the city, aud tue war, navy and
state departments are ell crowded into the
new war department building. This is un-
douhtediy the handsomess public building
In the world admitted to be such on all
sides, but IL is yet incomplete, and when
finished will not be too large :or the COM
Portable accomm odation OF either OF the de-
partments mentioned.
Criticism found exoression the other day
that the state department did not half
mast flag upon the announcement OF the
death OF Minister Hunt, but IL was learned
upon enquiry that the lpper part OF the
war building being occupied by the war de-
psrtment, the state department had no
place to fly the couptry's banner but out
Of the windows. and helf-mast there
would hardly be noticed.
All the bureaus and storage rooms even
are crying for room until the fact forces
itself upon the public here that the gov
-rnment business and complicated govern
mentsl machinery il growing with the
same startling rapidity that Is witnessed
In the development Of the business OF the
country at large. The republican sim
plicity Of governmental machinery is die
appearing at o great pace and in . few
years the republics departments and
BUSINESS will take mp more room and
employ a greater number OF busy
hands tnaa in any other government on
earth.
oostliness OF the public buildings at Wash
-, ingson viii keep the capital here perma.
ne .tly, but in another quarter Of century,
even, when II may be found cheaper, - IL
| ~ n be fovud necessary 20 build another
| lot Of grand structures upon magnincenee
Of scale never bsiore witnessed IN history.
20 accommodate tbe business OF that and
future fine IN. Il may be discoversd Ill o.
oooe that Ohiooeo or g.. Louis would - .
lhr prpfersble locality fof the eep'tsl n this
| ont oftho uay plsoe upou sbo Potomac
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