The Springdale news., 1888-07-27
THE CIVIL SERVICE.


 r,ss ,ccompanyinC the Fourth hcpo't
 of the Civil I-Service Commissi"h-"" ""s,
 the Commission Has Done !" t"'
 Reforming the Methods or the
 W,su,Ncroy. July 2L-The Preslaeht yesterday sent the following comihuhlea tion to Congress: ~
 TO TIE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED .,y Pursuant to the second sccton oI In"ptI. of thrlaws of 1ss3. entitled An act to reguiats " V. s t-,,.c the civil service of the unlted States herewith transmit the fourlh 'ep0l' of tbe Tinted States Civil-Service com covering the period between the siAiecll'H 555 of January 1SS6, and the frs day CT JuiS ',, ,,l While this report has especial relfFthCo '' ~ orerations of the commission uu'lnt
 pcriod above mentioned IL co'tata., c, with it's accompanying appendices mueu ,ain,hIe information concerning the | ;ncention of Civil Service reform andt grown ora rrogresS which can not fall 10 be interest inc and instructive to all who desire lHtio nent in administrative methods. DurihB t @ time covered by the report l2.s7@ persuH9 VI" s1 examined for admission m the classlht" ,'i' service of the Government ln nil lls a e5' of whom 1O546 passed the eNamihaelon ,,nd ; t0s failed or those who passeu .he examination 2,9,7 were appilcah1s ,or admission 10 the depaf1ulsht soryire at Washington, 2,5i1 were eNaHuasu ' | for admission to the customs serVice, anu ''-~- for admission to the postal serFiee. Duilne t"e same period 5i7 appointments were ma"e % run the eligible lists to the departmental sct'i.e, Gi1 to the customs service 3,25f 10 the postai service Concerning separations from the classified service the report only informs us oi such as have occurred among empioycs lh tilo public service who had been appohteu run eligible lists under Civil Service rules. when these rules took effect they dia hot % applv to the persons then III th. service comprising q full eotnPicInens o emploves who obtained their positions lh. denandentlv of the new law The commission has no record Of the separations in this nuher- ous class. and the discrepancy apparent in the report between the number of appointments ID ade in the respective branches of the service from the lists of the commission ana the sihdti number Of separations mentioned IS, 10 eftae extent accounted for by vacancies, oi Whlch ho report was made to the commission occurring among those who held their places without examination and certihcation, which Faeae= cies were filled by appointment rom the eligible lists In the departnentai service there occurred between the sixteenth day of January lss6, and Inc thif= tieth day of June, 1887, among the employes appointed from the eligible lists under GlVli. Seryice rules, F removals, 36 resignations and deaths. This does mol include II separations in the grade of special pension examiners, ey aemoyal, by resignation, ane hy death. In the classified customs and postal serVicc the number of separations among those who re- ceived absolute appointments under Gtf1t= Service rules are given for the period between the first day Of January, lSS6, and the thittteth day Of June 1887 It appears that such sepa= rattons in the customs service fer the time mentioned embraced 9l removals deaths, and 1s resignations. and in the postal service 256 removals g deaths and f69 resgnations.
 More than year has passed since the expi- ration Of the period covered by the report ot the commission Within the time which has thus elapsed many important changes have take place in furtherance of a reform in our civil service. The rules and regulations gov erning the execution of the law upon the sub feet have been completely remodled in such manner as to render the enforcement or the statute more effective, and greatly increase it's usefulness. Among other things. the scope of the examinations prescribed for those who seek to enter the classified service has been better defined and made more practical. the number Of names to he certified from the eligible lists to the appointing officers from which a selection IS made has been re- duced from four te three; the maximum imita= ton of the age of persons seeking entrance to the classified service to forty five years has been changed, and reasonable provision has been made for the transfer of empiuye, hon one department t6 another in proper cases A plan has also been devised providing for The examination of applicants for promotion in tho service, which, when in tui operation, will eliminate all chance of fayortlsm in the at. yaneement of employes. by making promotion a reward ot merit and faithful discharge ef duty
 Untl within few weeks there was no uni. form classification Of employees in the different executive departments of the Government. As a result of this condition in some of the de partmcnts positions could be obtained without Civil Service examination, because they were not within the class hcation nt such depart ment, while in other departments an cXamina- ton and certiication were necessary 10 obtain positions Of the same grade. because such DO sitioHs were embraced in the class sifcations applicable 10 those departments
 The exception of laborers, watchmcn and messengers from examination and classified
 ton gave opportunity, in the absence Of any rule guarding against, it for the employ
 ment- free from Civil Service restrictions, Of persons under these designations who were i'm mcdiatcly detailed to do clerical work. All thls has been obyiated by the application 10 all the departments of an extended and uniform classification, embracing grades Of employees not heretofore included, and by the adoption of q rule prohibiting the detail Of laborers, watch men, or messengers to clerical duty The path of Civil Service reform has not at all times been pleasant nor easy. The scope and purpose Of the reform have been much misapprehended. and this has not only given rise To strong oppo- siton, but has led to its invocation hy it's friends to compass objects not in the least related to it. Thus parttsans of the patronage system have naturally condemned il. Those who do not understand it's meaning either mistrust it. or when appointed, because in it's present stage II IS not applied 10 every real or imaginary i'll. accuse those charged with it's enforcement with faithlessness to Civil Service reform. Its importance has frequently | been underestmate6 and the support oi good men has thus been lost by their lack of interest in its success. Besides all these difficulties those responsible for the administration Of the Government in its executive branches have been, and still arc, often annoyed
 and rritated by the disloyalty to the service
 and the insoence of employees who
 remain in place as the benehciartes
 and the relics and reminders Of the vicious
 system Of appointment which Civil Service re form was intended to replace. And yet, these are but the incidents of an advance movement,
 which IS radical and tar-reaehing. The people are, notwithstanding, to be congratulated upon
 the firm, practical and sensible foundation upon which this reform now rests
 With continuation of the intelligent hdpiltv
 which has hitherto characterized the work of the commission with a continuation and in crease Of the favor and liberality winch have lately been evidenced hy the Congress in the
 proper eaalpmsa. oi l5s- -selplsi---S for its work; with firm but conservative and reason able support of the reform by all it's friends and with the disappearance of opposition which must inevitably follow it's better understand ing the execution Of the CiviEServicc law can not fail to ultimately answer the hopes in which it had it's origin.
 f.