The Portland daily press., 1884-12-11

The | L.ight-Housa Service

The Press few days ago contained an
article from Washington on the Life-Saving
Service treating of its non-political charac-
ter and expressing the hope that the new
adminisiralion would mol disturb its present
make-up and management.
There is anoihsr service--one n0ary with
sge--also branch of the Treasury Depart
ment, service where the compensation has
ever been small for the performances of du-
ties OF grave responsibility, varied and ex-
acting in their nature, rqnirlng In maby
cases, "a bpurs duty seven days in the week,
and 365t days service every year, with no
vacaIi,n whatever, that is certainly as much
entitled to be exempt from the raid u the
s'boys whose toes are cOld," as the iife-sav-
ing service.
/ alude to the lighthouse establishment.
1t is within be remembrance of the writer,
that with each succeeding Democratic adj
miuistraIiOn, under the rotation plan, light
b uses as well as more desirable offices, were
a par of th- ''spols" to be awarded, uot al
ways to the efficient aud deserving, nor
wholly as reward VI party fealty, but along
with fhr latter consideration TO BIN who
would pay the highest sum for an appoihi-
ment. Thtre are men yet living IN Ibis
S ate who can testify TO having paid half
their first years salary to some Town or
county political boss for services" rem
dered IN obtaining a lighthouse appont-
ment Nor this alone; but With eacn State
and National election a large percentage of
the keepers modest stipend was exacted for
campaign purposes. recall one case where
the keeper himself informed me that he was
assessed aid pad H. the last year of Ba-
chaDai's administration 20 per cent Of his
salary to be used in the current Democratic
campaign.
Under the wise administration of our
Ligh;-Honse Board, seconded by Congress
eionai enactment, the service has b. en-
purged OF this venalitv and prostiiu ion, and
now nowhere else in GpverDment employ is
the civil service reform aw more closely ad-
hered to in he matter 0t appointments, pro-
motion and security of tenure. Formerly,
certaln collectors of customs were vesti
with power to make arbitrary removals.
Now, only The lighthouse Inspector, on rec
ommenGa alton to the board, can thus ieate
vacancy, and then only for grave cause. If
keeper Is discharged for cause, oF a vacan-
cy occurs by death or resignation, the in
spectaI Is bound TO transfer and promote
some keeper or assistant from some less de-
sirable station TO the better one made va
cant.
This system Of transfer and promotion is
repeated down the scale as III the army un-
III the lowest grade, lowest pas and most un-
desirable situation is reached. The colltct r
of customs within whose jurisdiction. as
Superintendent of Lights,' the vacancy fl
nal fails, then nomlnales some peisJn for
she place remaining vacant after these pro-
motious. TIL. nomiba ion Is forwarded to
th+ Board, whose favorable or adverse sc-
tinn it receives.
QUE prerequisite 10 situation in this SER
vice, is that the applicant must be especially
qualifie 10 pei ifoI NJ the duties required OF
him. This regulation is usually mel by pro-
motion ftcm the lower 10 the higher grades,
and has special reference to appointments at
those stations where there are steam fog
signals. The writer could here relate some
ludicrous instances of iDefficencY resulting
from The employment of men in such posi-
iions whose only experiei ce with steam Was
that they had seen it issGing ffom the spout
of the iamily tea Kettle, and whose kuvwl-
edge of machinery just suficed to enable
them to turn a grindstone, or trundle a
wheeIbari There are 0 her laws relating
to the eligibility of candida es for appoint-
ment in this branch OF the service, which
ssthe boyso will be likely 10 stub their toes
against after they have spent much time Cir
culating the Inevitable petition.
In admitting men TO the light house SER
vice. preference is gwen to Union soldiers
ano sailors, and il may well ba doubted if
this policy will be extended to cover those
''batile-scarred" heroes, who, clad in unmi-
iiary uniforms but recently bore aoft the
''iurid" torch AID displayed banners in
scrbed with the awful slogan, Turn the
rascals out." Many will b- disappointed to
fnd that The duties of both the light house
and life-saving services preclude the en-
ployment Of any but able bodied men. This
will defeat the prior claims of vast multi
tude, who since the elecilon have been en-
ployed in s.paiDting the country red'' and
who through iuexperience in the use of great
guns and salipeIre have become manned for
life. BoREALIs O'BoREAs,