The National tribune., 1886-10-07


will be completed All the employees i'm the
other bureaus, numbering about POO have been
discharged.
Clerks AND TIE CIVIL SERVICE.
Department clerks generally have but little
faith in the declarations Of the Civil Service
] Commission. They look upon every new rule
adopted by the commission with diStrust, and
do not hesitate 20 say that It's ultimate object is
+ 20 get rid Of hold overs" The latest scare is
/ the proposed adoption by the Civil Service
4 Comm ission Of a rule which will give the head
Of bureau or department the power TO demand
+ an examination of any Of their clerks who were
/ not appointed through the commission. This
unlimited power, certain clerks claim, will re-
suit in gradual cleaning out Of all persons
+ having Republican influence who were ap-
/ pointed before the civil service laws were rccog-
nizcd. IL is claimed by the commission on the
other hand that many incompetent people hold
I positions IN the departments within the civil
service grades who were given their appoint
ments as a direct reward for political services.
These people, under the new rule, will be obliged
F 20 stand an examination 20 test their merits.
Y Ii rs but just. the commission thinks, 10 the
many who have had 10 pass a rigorous eXami-
nation before appointment, that this course
should be taken. There is no reason, IL is as
serted, why the favorite of a politician should
retain position he is untitled for, while many
competent people are anxious TO obtain II, but
are willing 20 go through the trial before get
4 ting the Office.
The system OF examination for promotion
proposed by the commission is recognized on all
1 sides good one. There is now too much
/ iayoritism shown in this matter, and the
! fayorites are in the minority the opinion is
general that any change Will be a good one.
I The system of promotion which is TO be adopted
/ in the near future will have the effect OF in
creasing the amount of work done in the de-
/ partments. The proposed new rule cOntem-
/ plates the forming of board of civil service
examiners in each of the departments, who
shall have the marking Of all candidates for
promotion on three subjects-arithmetic, gram
mar aud the modes of procedure Each subject
Is 10 be marked on the scale of 100. Efficiency
Is also TO be taken into consideration in these
examinations. This will be marked by the
chief Of bureau wherein the promotion is 10
be made also upon scale of 100 In order 10
make mp this percentage a record viii be kept
in each of the bareaus, which will show what
time clerk reports for duty, what time he
leaves, how many times he goes out during the
day, and the amount of his daily work.
ROYAL ARCH MAsOYs.
Last week Washington was full of people
wearing gorgeous Tegalia. The occasion was
the triennial convOcat0n of the General Grand
Chapter Of Royal Arch Masons There were
hundreds of them here from all parts Of the
country. BESIDES IranSaClng ihelr business
they found time 10 do the city thoroughly,
thronging the Capitol and the Department
buildings climbing the stairs 10 the top of the
Monument, and paying their respects TO the
President.
The election Of officers resulted as follows
General Grand High Priest Noble ID. Larner,
Washington, d. C.; General Grand Treasurer,
II. c. Lemon, Toledo o.; General Grand Secre-
tary, Christopher q. Fox Buffalo, n. Y; Gen
eral Grand Captain Of the Host, ID. +. Haller,
Memphis, Tenn; General Grand Principal So
journer. H. w. Woodbury., Denver, Colo; Gen
eral Royal Arch Captain. Lansing Burrows.
Augusta, Ga; General Grand Master of the
Third Vail, T. b. Bean, of Iowa; General
Grand Master of the Second Vail, DR. III. c.
Orme, Los Angeles Cal; General Grand Master
Of the First Vail, Hiram Bassett, Mlllorsburg
Ky.
After finishing up the pending business, reso-
buttons of thanks TO the Masonic bodies of this
District for their pleasant and hOspitable enter
tainment while IN the city were adopted The
report Of the committee recommending that
Atlanta, Ga. be the place Of meeting three
years hence was adopted.
cAssIUs NJ. CLAY.
In letters 10 friends in Washington Gen. Cas-
sus NJ. Clay, OF Kentucky, announces his in
tention Of re-eutering public life. He is one
o. the handsOmest old men in the United States.
He is over six feet high, has large head.
crowned with white hair, and face still UNI
wrinkled by time. Underneath his great eye-
brows his eyes sparkle as brightly rs they did
before the war. Cassius NJ. Clay has been
prominent figure in Kentucky ever since he
began TO preach the abolition of slavery over
40 years ago. lie was great athlete then, and
rather delighted in the fact that in his stump.
ing tours be carried bis life in his hands For
a time he carried no weapons but those nature
had given him. Later he carried a bowie knife,
with which he disembOweled Silas Turner. one
Of the famous Turner brothers, who after
threatening his life for some time attacked him
IN a body as he was addressing public meet
ing. Alter that he always laid two pistols on
the table before him when he rose 10 speak,
but he was never again attacked in the same
way. lie was Democrat then, and when the
war broke out he naturally became a war
Democrat. After the war be became a Repub-
lican. Ten years ago he became Democrat
again, and in lSsi lac became a Blaine Rcpub-
lican. He is very fond Of public speaking and
d everywhere popular on the stump.
THE SEED PACKAGES.
Those who receive the packages from the
Agricultural Department containing seeds SO
neatly packed may feel some interest I'm know
ing that most Of the work is done by women
/ The proper pockets are cut by machinery. then
they pass into the hands Of the women to be
folded and pasted, while others make them and
count them for the printer TO label. Thirty
! thousand are made on an average every day;
each folder is required TO make 900 per day,
and some make more. Two million Eve hun
dred thousand pockets and 100000 labels have
! been printed at the Department since June l.
/ l-56 The Government Printing Office ia addi-
I ton has printed 100000 labels. Afterwards the
4 pockets are filed by dexterous hands with as
tonishing rapidity. The pas,ing brigade again
! take them and close them. after which they are
again assorted with accuracy by experts. tied in
/ bundles and ready for agriculturaists all over
/ the land. The Commissioner and his able as
1 sistants have brought their best energies aud
I experience 10 make the seed division what il
should be, public benefit TO all who are de-
pendent upon it,
GREAT SEAS GAINED by OIL.
The photographic Office has received during
the last month about a dozen letters from the
officers Of various steam and sailing vessels
narrating their experience in the use of oil In
! the time Of storm mt sea for the purpose of
smoothing the water. There is a singular
Unanimity in the conclusions Of the writers.
/ that almost the instant the oil touched the
water IL spread far over the surface aud re-
duccd the threatening pillows to long aud
! heavy but harmless swclls. The writers de-
scribe variety Of eXtempOrized plans for APP
/ plying the oil. Several Of them attribute the
rescue Of their ships and crews from destruc-
/ ton 30 the application. OF the hundreds Of
similar letters received IN the past 40 instance
. Of failure has been narrated when the oil was
vegetable or fish oil. Kerosene and the
! lighter oils have sometimes failed % produce