Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-01
PRINTERS AND CIVIL SERVICE.
impracticable to Apply the Law to the
Government Printing Onice.

Every little while some civil-service enthusi-
asst flashes before the public eve a proposition
to shelter. under the wing Of his pet reform.
that great workshop-the government printing
Office. The practicability Of this scheme has
been denied by many. and very forcibly so
yesterday by Civil-Serviee Commissioner
Lyman in conversation with a STAR reporter.
AS a general proposition" said the commits
sioner. ''the thing is really absurd. OF course,
you know would not say anything thas could
be regarded as inimical to the spread Of civil
service ideas so long as the ideas are bounded
by reason, but no thinking man would ever
seriously advocate the classifying Of the en-
ployes of the government printing Office. The
great majority OF those who work in that bu-
reau are printers and bookbinders. and If the
civil-service rules were applied to any persons
in the Office they would probably be the ones
selected to make the trial on. Now, suppose
there were number of vacancies in the force
OF compositors and We were TO give notice 20
the public that on a certain day We would hold
an examination of compositors who desired
appointment in the Office. Judging from the
number of idle printers in this city,
in Baltimore, and in Philadelphia, il would be
safe to say that on the day set we would be
confronted with not less than a thousand men
and women. How should we examine them
On practical subjects, of course. They must
excel IN the particular line of work desired Of
them. Where could we examine. in practical
manner. LOCO applicants. To do that we should
have to take possession of all the composing
rooms OF the government printing Office and
all its branches. Each applicant would have
to show his or her skill a compositor on the
various kinds Of work that the Office turns out
plain, scientific, technical and tabuleted. That
would close the entire Office for a week, and
would cause more trouble and loss in the gov
eminent dQnartmpnts han wa asilx
calculate. Then suppose we had TO examine
pressmen; the result would be the same. And
so 1t would be with book-binders and stereo
typers.
THE UNION QUESTION.
"There is another and a more serious phase
Of this question" continued the commissioner
Suppose we should succeed in overcoming all
the difficulties attendant upon the examina-
tions and should certify to the public printer
the names of the three candidates who were
highest on our register and those persons hap
pened TO be non-union men. What would be the
result? What would become Of the public
printer who would appoint them2 What
would become of the administration which
would support him if he insisted ON retaining
them?
Il believe that there can be a decided re-
form In the manner in which appointments
and discharges are made, and think that such
reform should be put into operation as soon
possible. but do not see how the most eff
cient printer can be secured save by practical
examination, and that / have shown to be al
most impossible at this time. An examination
as to educational qualifications is valuable in
Its way. but you cannot test the capacity of a
printer and bookbinder by any such standard
A man may be an excellent linguist. a mathe-
matlclan, historian, a well-informed man
generally, and yet be a very poor mechanic"
AT THE PRINTING OFFICE.
Chief Clerk Benedict, of the government
printing Office, said to a STAR reporter yester-
day: Il do not think it at all probable that
this office viii become part of the domain con-
trolled by the rules of the civil service. To
the best of my knowledge the public printer
has never recommended any such action. and
l do not think he will. regard such propo-
sition as impracticable."