Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-24
CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
Message by the President Discuss
 ing Reform.
HE SAYS IT WILL FLOURISH.
The Scope of tho Reform and Its Pur- poses Misapprehended-Part Of the Patronage System - Alleged Fnithlessness Of Public Officers Annoyances to Executive Officers.

Fnith1essness or Public Officers
 Annoyances to Executive Officers.
 WAsHINGToN, July 24.-The President sent to Congress to-day the following message: 10 the Congress Qr the United States:
 Pursuant to the second section of chapter 27 of the laws of 1888, entitled "An act to reg ulate and improve the civil services of the United States" herewith transmit the fourth report of the United States Civil Service Con- mission, covering the period between the six teenth day of January, 1886, and the first day of July 1887.
 During the time covered by the report 15,- s52 persons were examined for admission in the classified civil service of the government in all its branches; of whom 10, TAG persons passed the examination and ,106 failed. Of those who passed the examination ? 977 were applicants for admission to the departmental service at Washington, 2,547 were examined for admission to the postal service. During the same period 537 appointments were made fram the eligible lists to the departmental service, 641 to the customs service, and 3254 to the postal service.
 Concerning separations from the classified service the report only informs us of such as have occurred among employees in the public service rules. When these rules took effect they did not apply to the persons then in the service, comprising full complement of em- ployees who obtained their positions indepen- dently of the law. The commission has no record of the separations in this numerous class. and the discrepancy apparentin In the re- port between the number of appointments made in the respective branches of the service from the lists of the commission, and the small number of separations mentioned is, to 8 great extent, accounted for by vacancies of which nc report was made to the commission, occurring among those who held their places without examination and certification, which vacancies were filled by appointment from the eligible list.
 In the departmental service there occurred between the 16,h day of January, 1886, and the S0th day of June, 1887, among the en- ployees appointed from the eligible lists un- der civil service rules, seventeen removals, thirty-six resignations and five deaths. This does not include fourteen separations in the grade of special pension examiners, four by removal, five by resignation and five by death. In the classified customs and postal service the number of separations among those who receive absolute appointments under civil service rules, are given for the pe- riod between the 1st day of January 1888, and the 18th day of June 1887 It appears that such separations in the customs service fer the time m mentioned embraced twenty-one removals, five deaths and eighteen rcsigna- dons, and in the postal service 256 removals, twenty three deaths and 469 rcsignations. | More than year has passed since the expi- | ration of the period covered by the report of the commission. Within the time which has I thus elapsed many important changes have l taken place in the furtherance of a reform in our civil service. The rules and regulations governing the voators of the law upon the subject have been completely remOdelled in l such a manner as to render the enforcement of the statute more effective and greatly in- | crease its usefulness.
 | Among other things the scope of the exam nations prescribed for those who seek to onter the classified service has been better defined and more practical the number of names to be certified from the eligible lists, to the appointing officers from which selection Is made has been reduced from four to three; the maximum limitation of the age of persons seeking entrance to the classified service to 45 years have been changed, and reason able provision has beon made for the transfer | of employees from one department to another in proper cases. A plan has also been devised for the examination of applicants for promotion in the service which, when in full operation, will eliminate all chance of favorit-
 ism in the advancement of employees by making promotion a reward of merit anf | faithful discharge of duty
 1 Until within few weeks there was no uniform classification of employees in the diff l terent executive departments of the govern ment. As q result of this condition, in some | of the departments positions could be ob- | tained without civil service examination because they were not within the classihca- of such department while in other depart | ments an examination and certifcation were necessary to obtain positions of the same grade, because such positions were embraced | In the classtfcations applicable to those de- partmentS.
 l The exception of laborers, watchmen and ! messengers from examination and classified ton gave opportunity in the absence of any rule guarding against it, for the employment, free from civil service restrictions, of persons under these designations who were immedi- l ately detailed to do clerical work All this has been obviated by the application to all 1 the departments of an extended and uniform | classification.
 The pain of civil service reform has not at 1 all times been pleasant nor easy, the scope 1 and purpose of the reform having been much misapprehended and this has not only given rise to strong opposition but has led to its Invocation by its friends to compass objects | not in the least related to it. Thus partisans l of the patronage system have naturally con- | demned it. These who do not understand it's l meaning either mistrust it, or when disap- pointed because In It's present stage it is not | applied to every real or imaginary i'll, accuse those charged with it's enforcement with
 faithlessness to civil service reform. Its im-
 portance has frequently been underestimated
 and the support of good men has thus been lost by their lack of interest in it's success. Besides all these difficulties, those responsi-
 ble for the administration of the government in Its executive branches have been and still
 are often annoyed and irritated by the dis loyalty to the service and the insolence of ems ployees who remain in place as the benet1ci-
 aries, and the relics or reminders of the
 vicious system of appointment which civil
 service reform was intended to displace. And
 yet there are these incidents of an advance
 movement which is radical and far-reaching.
 The people are notwithstanding, to be con-
 graduated upon the progress which has been
 made, and upon the firm, practical and sensi-
 ble foundation upon which this reform now
 rests.
 With continuation of the intelligent fidelity
 which has hitherto characterized the work of
 the commission, with continuation and in-
 crease of the favor and liberality which have
 lately been evinced by the congress in the
 proper equipment of the commission for its
 work, with a firm but conservative and req | ohIa sunD0rt of the ref0rm by all it's friends