Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-08-21
Commission Law .

fICm DutttWOit ii"tS-
The civil service commission is At log
ger heads with Collector Hedden and Sur
veyor Beattie, of the New York custom
house The trouble is not about the civil
service law, but Us to civil service commits
sion law, which seems to possess all the
untrammeled originality that is proven
bially imputed to "Crowner's quest law y
1t appears that some assistant gaugers,
who have been appointed under the civil
ted their probationary terms, have been
dismissed on the ground of incompe euce;
that some So per diem inspectors have
been promoted to positions at 81 day.
without having been examined uy the To-
cal board of civil service examiners; and
also, that wien the local board certified
one person as eligible for the appointment
to fl a vacancy the collector demanded
the names of four persons. In the first
case it is charged that the acton Of the
collector, while not contrary to law, is a
gainst the spirit of the law -; in the second
case, that neither the collector nor the Sec
rotary of the Treasury had authority to
make promotions, except as the result Of
civil service examinations; and, in the
third case that as there was only one eli
gible person on the list, lie should lie ap-
pointed before any more we've examined
Action Oh these cases will he interest
ing. Meanwhile they are important rs
showing hat in applying tie civil service
reform law the commission are making
more radical innovations than the trainers
Of the law had any idea OF. 1t used to be
thought that in any well-ordered business
responsibility for results should be accom-
panied by discretion as to the means. Tn
der the influence of this idea Collector
Hedden and Surveyor Beattie probably
magine that. as they are heavily bonded
officers, responsible for the proper conduct
of their Offices, they should he allowed
some discretion in the choice Of heir as
sistants; but it appears that under the
Icivil-service regulations as construed and
applied fitness is term convertible with
meri', and merit is thing ascertained by
the ratings OF the attainnents of candi-
dates made by boards and examiners To
make The system perfect We should have
examinations for tue presidential Office
and annpirt The ias I.
highest marks. This would save all the
cost and trouble of po itics campaigns.
II is not civil service reform iha, is in
question in the controversy. hut commits
sion reform. The value of examinations
as an adjunct To discreet selections Is no.
disputed, but the question is whether ped
agogic ratings Of merit shall ne oouclu.
sive. There is 4; east one member e the
csbiqe' with whom Gomez iasinn ls~ will
not nee, with much f,vur In his in
structions To superintendent of ,he navy
yards in regard To examination 81 app j.
can;s Tor the pos, If fireman. Secretary
Whitney wrote:
Il ca your at cntioH par icIlaT't to we
points First--I wish To git al the know
ledge Of each applicant oi the business; or
craft which he is applying Ia be given the
charge of. Genera requirements | con
slider uaimpnrtant. Secondly -Bea: in
mind thai certain traits Of character are
necessary TO d good foreman, and these are
entirely distinct from his requirements
The qualities which enable 4 mta To di-
rect others and get good and efficient ser.
vice out of the force Cannot he GO; a;
through competitive examination. An
applicants appearance and converss;i m
will enable You TO judge somewhat as To-
this, and desire the result of your obser-
vations in each case to these matters The
examination is for the purpose of sitting
the applicants and getting out those who
should be fairly considered The autece-
dents and the amount Of experience of
each man, where lie has worked and in
what capacity, you vi !, Of course, ascer-
tain in each case
This may not be in accordance with
commission law, bur it is genuine civil
service reform and common sense. too.