The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-02
clvlL-seRvIcE REFORM.


Third Annual Report nj the Civii-Servic<
Commissioned Satisfactory showing o.
the Operations and Results During thu
Past Yexr--The Work mo- Longer Con
eidered as Experimental.
WASHINGTON, MarcH 90, 1ss;.-The third
snnual report of the Civil-Service Com
mission sent to Congress by the Presi
dent yesterday, covers the year from
January q. 1855, to January Is, 1885. II show
. comprehensive execution OF the Civil
Service rules, the particulars OF w nic u
are fully set forth. Applicants have been
examined within the year from every
State OF the Union, aud from every Territory
except Utah.
The whole number of persons examined
under the commission during the wear has
10 were females. Tie whole number thus
far examined since the net was passed has
been i7.la1.
OF the !.sss examined during the mast ye ar.
s.St attained the minimum Of sixty five pef
cent. which makes them eligible for ap-
pointment, and SIS failed to show that de-
gree OF Proficiency and consequently are In
eiigibIe Tor appointments.
The average age of tboae examined was
thirty years, from which IL would appear that
there musth have been on an average period
OF from seven To ght years OF practical Me
IN service between til. time OF completing
their education and the time Of their en-
trAnce into public service.
1t Is further shown by the report that the
average age of those who fHile'i Is less than
Elk months above the average aye OF all
those who succeeded. so thar the longer ex-
perienre Of business life 10 almost the exact
equiv aleut of mere fresh recollection OF
what had been learned in the schools or COL
leges. From this re-"it. IL would seem that
the examinations have been such to al
most equally divide the chances OF success
between those who are best posted In their
studies and those who are most exuerienced
hrr.f FAR Ia nf.,Atsl ann
Irary TO the general belief
The education of those examiner during
the year exclusive OF the t1T who took the
spe iai examipations) was as follow: Six
THOUSAND and fiftv three only In the 1nblic
schools. rs In part IN colleges and 3sS in
part in business colleges. II we class those
who have attended business colleges with
those 1ho have been I'm other colleges those
educated in the public schools alone are
more than eighty two per cent. of the whole
number examined. and those who have been
I'm college are less than eighteen per cent. II
business colleges are not so ciassed. the ra.
ito will re that OF eighty-six per cent edu-
catec IN the schools to fourteen per cent. in
the colleges.
The whole number Of appointments made
during the past year from those examined
has been 30. each for the probationary pc
riod Of six months. Tito those we add 800,
the number made during the previous eigh-
teen months under tue rules, it shows that
l.l7S have been appointed in two years. This
Is between one third and one fourth OF the
whole number If pisces to which the exam
nations extend. and indicates that those in
office when the Civil Service act took effect
will be replaced by applicants exam
ten Years. Every one Of these
without REGARD to political or religious
opinions. No complaint has been made to
the commission bv any person examined or
desiring to he examined, that any discrim-
ination had been made on political or re-
ligious grounds. or that he hal suf sred any
prejudice by reason of his aflilintion with
any church. party or faction. The adherents
Of each of the great parties being nearly
equal in number, II wouid seem to be a Just
inference tha: about two thousand Republic
cans and about two thousand Democrats
have secured places in the public service
under the Civil Service act.
As nearing upon the probability of dis
elimination and also upon the character
and capacity of those appointed under the
rules. il may he stated that during the past
six months probationary, term of 35S APP
ponrees to the departments at Washington,
and most OF them appointed under the last
adm n STATION. expired during til. year
endine the fourth day OF january last. Yet
every one of them except eleven has been
given 81 nermanent appointment. and one Of
the eleven. not At first so appoint ID, has
hpen restored 1t seems to ne thus proved
by experience that the examinations are 50
adequate "a test Of business canacity that
only ahout one out Of forty OF those who are
appel rted are rejected, after trial of six
months. in doing tn. public work. This in
ctpdeS all reflections. IL there have been any,
for political reasons.
THE report shows that i'm the previous
year all but two OF the l0s whose probation
bad expired were permanently appointed.
In otncr wor's, out of 4S9 persons W II Ose
probationary terms hal expired before the
18th of January last all but thirteen were
found worthy Of permanent appointments.
In regard to tie character Of those ap-
pointed. these facts appear in the report,
There had been before the 10th of january
last 12A appointments to the departments ut
Washington from those examined nnder the
commission From among them up TO the
18TH OF January last there had been In ali
just foUrt r-niova!s since the rules were
made-but one only hv reason of the
cOmulation ~; work. In other wor Is about
l ~ OF those appointed have been removed.
There are more than Is co. places subject to
the examinations. distributed as 70 lows:
5.'i.o in the departmental service ~ Wash
tnSton: 2.5s3 in the custo'n> service. and
several additional post offices are likely tn
come under tie examinations dur ing the
current wear.
The report states many particulars of the
evils thar were to he removed. AMI how
TAR they have been r-med:ed under tue
new system. hased on free open compe-
titon % merit. Political assessments have
been in q considerable measure suppressed:
have been greatly limited: members of
CoHsres. have been relieved from much
Gann"ysmee those administering DIN term. eth, the
much less taNei nv office seek
ers than formerly, and have con
seqrentiv had much more time Tor doing
pointmerts and en- force asse -smant-, which
has been the strength and the prOfit OF the
partisan ms"ipu!ators and d"magogu.s,
has. She report SAYS been diminished in the
same degree that faithful study in the
schools and good character and reputati
in private life have 4 cen encouraged and
rewarded. Partisan activity in the depart
ments Is much less than il WAS before the
Civil Service act was passed.
Each of the more than fourteen thou
sand places subject tn the examinations
Is. the report say, so much taken from the
spois to be dispensed by patronas ~ mongerS,
and so much added to the prizes to he won
by the most worthy applicants The report
shows how the examinations siren CITIZEN the
school system of the country. and tina: the
general results have been As salutary in New
York and Massachusetts,, where the system
L. now established. as they nave been in the
Federal service 1t sets forth details of the
trial OF the new system in these States, as
well as in Canada
The commission further declares that
IL has patronage AMI no
power to grant favors. Ii say that the
number OF those who attempt to try the old
SPOTS metho Is 10 secure favor> ut It's i,and>
is nothing compared with the numbers who
made such attempts durin. tue tr,t six
months. They have founA their IF 'rtS use
less. The growth OF a sentiment favorable
to the new system is declared to be rapid all
over the Union
Concer ming the President ami his Cabinet.
the report has this language: Under all cir
cUm>i anres. and In every part of lis work
through the past year. rot less than in pre-
NlOuS Years. tue commission has haV the
cordial and answering support of the Pres
ident In no instance has the commission
had occasion to complain of any lack of
friendly support on the part of any head Of
a department, but, on the contrary, il has
had decisive evidence from each of a pur-
pose to enforce the rules in good faith
Pres dent cleveland has neither allowed
their application to be demolished BY sin
gle Office, nor consented to the APP
pointment OF a single officer in violstton
of the rules. The commission expresses
the views of the President and OF the
members OF his Cabinet in declaring that
the enforcement OF the new system thus far
has clearly demonstrated its beneficial