New-York tribune., 1884-03-03

ONE YEAR or CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
The Civil Service Commission has made its
first report. 1t is only little more than year
since the Civil Service bill was passed. AT that
time the experiment secmcda curious and unim-
p0rtant one to many who helped to set 1t going
The Republican party had just passed through
the crushing defeats of 1882, which showed
plainly that the more Independent class of cit
izens wanted more affirmative action from it in
the direction of reform than it had been show
ing. In obedience to this sentiment, the Civil
Service bill was passed. A certain proportion
of those who voted for it did so because they
thought it was polite thing to do, not because
they had a real faith in the wisdom or efficacy
of the competitive system, or wanted to see any
change in the old methods of distributing
Offices Even of those who were sincerely
willing to give the idea a trial, because popular
sentiment seemed to demand it, probably many
believed the experiment would fail, and were
the more ready to yield because they thought
il would prove a mere passing whim.
Things have changed greatly in this short
wear. The competitive system is in successful
operation, and il securely intrenched III the
Government service. AS appears from the
report of the Commission, the system now
Governs Appointments to $4,000 clerical
nloccs-a large proportion of the whole number
in the Government service and under the law
it can be extended by simple executive order
inst as rapidy as it is thought desirable to do IT,
Nearly 500 persons have been appointed under
this system in the principal post Offices ana
collcctors' Offices outside OF Washington, aud
thc appointments made, both in Washington
and elsewhere seem to have given satisfaction.
There is 10 possibility of complaint that the
examinations are not absolutely fair. The
catilcrs who were free with their predictions
that the examinations would be managed so as
to let I'M good Republican and somebody's
- friend every time, must be compelled to
admit now that no political opinions or personal
affiliations can be taken into account under the
Il ,borate provision made by the Commission for
putting all applicants on an absolutely equal
footing. A story has been floating through the
papers, which we have every reason to suppose
TO be true. giving the experience OF Il inendloss
school ol-teacher in applying for place through
the competitive system. He entered the ex-
animation n stranger to every one connected
with the Government, carried of the prize, was
appointed, ana hooh "itOi Pi'i'''N"' VII NO
merits. A little moro than year ago, this
forlorn applicant would have had no more
chance of an appointment, no matter now well
qualified he might have been, than he would
have had of inheriting the crown of England
One of the most interesting statements made
by the Commission is that about si1ty-hye
per cent of all those who have been appointed
through the competitive system had received
only n common school education, and that the
average age was about thirty-two years. These
were almost exactly the same as the averages
shown by the appointments in the New York
Federal Offices as stated in the testimony given