Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-08-01
cIvlL-sERvIcE REFORM.

cIvIL-sERvIcE REFORM.
The President Sends Message to Con.
gress ON the Subject-Tho Work OF tho
Commission Reviewed and tho People
Congratulated ON the Benefit to tho
Cause Acoruing from Recent Leglsla-
ton. - : - .
WARRINGTON, July A.-The President
mas sent TO Congress the following mes
sage: @
ITO the Congress OF the United States:
Pursuant to the second section of chapter ~
OF the laws OF 1888, entitled AN act to regulate
and improve the civil-service OF the United
states, herewith transmit the fourth report
OF the United States Cvil-Servlce Commission,
covering the period between the 10th day OF
January, 1885, and the LIST day OF July, 1887:
While this report has special reference to
the operations OF the commission during the
period aforementioned, 1t contains, with it,
accompanying appendices, much valuable in.
formation concerning the inception OF Civil
Service reform and its growth and progress,
which can not fail to be interesting and in.
structtve to all who desire improvement In i'd.
mtntstrative methods. During the time GOV.
cred by the report, 1889 persons were az.
amined for admission in the classified civil
service OF the Government in all its branches,
Of whom 10, 746 passed the examination. and
tl06 failed. OF those who passed the exam.
nation 2,9T were applicants for admission
to the departmental service at Washington,
s,547 were examined for admission to the Gus
toms service, and 5,2e2 for admission to the
postal service. During the same period 547 ap-
po|ntments were made from the eligible lists
to the departmental service, 841 to the customs
service. and 8, 284 to tho postal service.
~Concerning separations from the classified
service, the report only informs US of such
as have occurred among employees in the
public service who had been appointed from
eligible lists under civil service rules. When
| these rules took effect they did not apply to
persons then In the service, comprising a
full complement OF employees, who obtained
their positions independently Of tho new law.
The commission has no record Of the separa-
tions IN this numerous class, and the dis.
crepancy apparent in the report between the
number OF appointments made in the re-
spective branches OF the service from the
list OF the commission and the small num-
Der of separations mentioned, is, to great ex-
tent, accounted for by vacancies Of which no
report was made to the commission, occurring
among those who held their places without ex-
animation and certifcation, which vacancies
were filled by appointment from the eligible
lists.
between the 10th day of January, 1886, and the
Both day OF June, 1887, among the employees ap-
pointed from the eligible lists, under Civil.
service rules, seventeen removals, thirty-s:x
designations and five deaths. This does not in
clude fourteen separations in the grade of
special pension examiners, four by removal
1--we by resignation and five by death.
in the classified customs and postal ser
vice. the number OF separations among those
who receive absolute appointments under civil.
service rules are given for the period between
the LIST day OF January, 1885, and the 3Oth OF
June, 1887 1t appears that such prepare
tons In the customs service for the
time mentioned embraced twenty-one re-
movals, five deaths, and eighteen designations
ana in the postal service $50 removals, 50
deaths, and 1859 designations. More than year
has passed since the expiration of the period
covered by the report of the commits
sion. Within the time which has thus
elapsed many important changes have
taken place in furtherance OF q reform in
GU: civil service. The rules and regulations
governing the violations of the law upon the
subject have been completely remodeled in
rsu@a manner as to render the en-.
lorcement OF the statute more eft.
iective and greatly increase its USE
1nlness. Among other things, the scope
:o1 examinations prescribed for those who
seek to enter the classified service has
oeen batter defined and made more practical
tneSaumoer OF names to be certified from the
ellg.ole lists to the appointing officers from
which selection is mnd1 has been reduced
from four to three, the maximum limitation of
tne age OF persons seeking entrance to the clas-
s1fied service to d years has been changed.
and reasonable provision has been made for
the transfer OF employees from one department
10 another In proper cases. A plan has also
been devised providing for the exa mination of
applicants for promotion in the service, which.
when in full operation, will eliminate all chance
or 1avoritism in the advancement of employees,
a n1tS Ton ~-l 20.
faithful discharge OF duty.
Until within few weeks there was no uni
form classification Of employees in the different
executive departments OF the Government
AS result OF this condition in some Of the
departments positions could be obtained with
out civil-service examination, because they
were not within the classification of :such de-
pnrtment, while in other departments an ex-
and certihcation were necessary to
obtain positions of the same grade, because
such positions were embraced in the CLASH.
hcattons applicable to those departments,
The exception OF laborers, watchmen, and
messengers from examination and classifica-
ton, gave opportunity in the absence Of any
rule guarding against II, for the employment.
free from civil-service restrictions, of persons
under these designations, who were immediate.
~ detailed to do clerical work.
All this has been obviated by the appltca
ton to 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
watchmen or messengers to clerical
duty.
Tho path of C1vil-Service reform has not
1t all times been pleasant nor easy, the scope
and purpose Of the reform having bee,amuch
and this has not only given
rise to strong opposition, but has led to it,
invocation by its friends to compass objects
mt IN fhA MAT <oA a. a.
sans Of the patronage system have naturally
condemned it. Those who do not understand
it, meaning either mistrust it, or when disap.
pointed because in Its present stage it is not
applied to eveIy real or imagined i'll, ac-
cuse those charged with its enforcement
with fatthlessness to Ctvil-Service reform.
Its Importance has frequently been underasti.
been lost by thei, 1aokof interest in it, success
these difficulties, those responsible |
for the administration Of the Government
n 70 k~~n~