Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-12

did not business II vas the or ginal inten
ton 10 put the stock OF the varioqs refiuerie.
in the hands of the i-ritel States Trus
Company, and it was pity it hasl not beer
done. as the functions of the present trustee:
had been falsely stated. The statement that
they had controlled the sugar business oi
this country was entirely untrue The re
fineries that came into the trust after it:
formation were not represented upon the
board Of trustees.
The chairman asked Mr. Havemeyer who
conducted the negotiations 10 bring in those
retineries subsequent y the formation OF the
trust.
The witness replied that was assuming
that negotiations Of this character had taken
place v hich was not fact. There was no
authority given to anyone to negotiate.
The witness said that John E. Searles Jr.,
originated the movement for the orgaliza
ton Of the trust. The prime object of the
trust was economy ana to avoid loss from
lie marketing OF the Louisiana crop, which
is about 40 per cent. Of the conumpstior
during the winter months. During the mar
keting Of the Louisiana crop the reiners had
10 reduce their production from y To 80 per
cent. Witness said there was 200.U00 tons
of raw sugar imported into ana refined in this
country annually. There has been no time
III the last five years that sugars OF all grades
have not been cheaper in this country than
IN Engind as ia any other country.
The forthcoming report of the civil ser
vice commission will show, assert Democratic
authorities that steady progress has been maie
IN direction of reform. The commission will
recommend very large extension of the
classical service. \ very very large number
Of the clerk, below the $500 class viii be
taken into the classified service. The new
rules will probably iuelule all cOpyists and
messengers rho are now employed in clerical
labor. These, at present, receive compen-
sation of $50 and $50 per month. BY this
extension of the civil service rules, 1T least
1000 places will be Withdrawn from political
laAipulatiOn IN Washington. There will be
left To the politicians, if this rule is adopted,
nothing but charwomen and laborers. The
field for the spoils hunter is getting very
small.
The commission is now hampered by the
small appropriation for its suSteGance. on
this account 10 compulsory examinations in
he departmental service will take place this
spring. The clerical tarce of the commits
slon is altogether 10 small To properly exam
ine and rate the examination papers Of more
than one department per year. In fact, it
would be next to impossible to 10 justice TO
the papers of any one of the larger depart
ments. Should the postmaster general or
the secretary of the interior ask the commits
Sion to institute IA examination for promo
ton, the commission will eudeavor to hold
one. 1t is said that Mr.. Dickinson is very
anxious to weed ont the incompetents in hls
department, and Mr.. Y Has is also said to be
willing to see the force of the interior de-
partment subjected to a thorough scrutiny.
The compulsory examination OF the war
department clerks, made last year, was not
entirely satisfactory to the commission, the
secretary or 70 the President. 1t was an eX-
animation presumably for promotion, aud to
some extent for the retention of the places
held by the clerks. The war department
clerks were confused by it. Some Of the
best workers i'll the department were so
scared that they were almost useless month
before and Il month after they were exam
med. After the examinations were cOnClui-
ed, and it was found that nearly everybody
passed, sentiment changed into contempt for
such methods. 1t is altogether Likely that
the next examinations for promotion in the
departments, will be much more difficult.
1t is certain that the last year of Mr.
Cleyelan'- administrator will show forward
steps in civil service reform. He is
altogether likely 10 extend the classified ser
vice 50 rs 10 Include those at the bottom
who are now left out, and to take in some
hundreds of those above the $500 class who
are nov appointed without reference to any
civil service examination.