Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-11
THE DESIRE FOR OFFICE.
C COMMISSIONER EDaERToN TELLS
HOW 1T EXISTS ON HOPE.

The Same Being melted by Civil Service
Reform-Two Reports on the Lamar
Case-Need OF More Soldiers Homes
Financial Bills MISREPRESENTATION Of
the Debates-Notes-Capita Briefs.
WASHINGTON CRY, Jan. 1.-THE attention
Of Mr. Edgerton, OF the civil service com
mission, was called to the statement that
only l,259 appointments have been made
from its Qualifications since the civil service
commission was organized, and of this num-
Der about one in eight have been women,
and that the number OF applicants who have
had their names put on the eligible register
is at least fifty for every appointment made.
To this Mr.. Edgerton said: "Without I'M
dertaking to give the exact figures can
say that the statement is practically cor
rect"
sand how does 1t happen, then, that SO
few appointments have been nader
"The answer ID a very simple one. There
were no more appointments made, for the
simple reason that there were no more va
caneies. Appointments are only made to fill
vacancies and vacancies are only created by
three causes--death, resignation, removal
The total number of vacancies arising from
the operation OF these three causes in the
period indicated has been the number
named. Aud TO my mind, to be frank about
it, this fact of itself calls attention to what
appears 10 me to be the greatest weakness in
the civil-servios system. The eligible regis
tiers are filed ont of all proportion to posi-
BILE appointments The effect upon the
young men and women Of the country is bad.
The competitive examinations hold out hopes
20 hundreds of worthy young people of both
sexes which can never be realized. Fifty to
one is very small estimate OF the ratio of
successful applicants upon the eligible
registers to appointees, ar forty-nine
persons who are not appoint are grievous-
ly disappointed They are in many in
stances induced by the hope of appointment
to turn their attention from regular bust
ness pursuits where they would be successful
to the ignis fatuus of the government serv.
ice Their names go upon the eligible regis
ter and they live in hope. They don't enter
into other pursuits, as they are allured by the
possibility of government service. There
have been registers with the names of seven
ty-five persons upon them, all between the
average grade of 80 and 100, from which
there has not been an appointment in two
years The highest number ever appointed
to the departmen service in Washington I'M
der the civil service certifcation was $50,
and these were appointed directly before the
Democratic board came into office There
have been years when only flfty-three persons
were appointed in the executive departments
in Washington from the Qualifications. II is
TO be said that the grade of successful appli
cants upon the::eligible registers is constantly
improving, and that a whole register will now
be necessarily filled with applicants who pass
at grade which you would not have reached
in the early examinations But this does not
help them to secure places. This is al wrong
and it ought to be corrected. The examine
tions should be restricted so that they will
bear some more just ratio to the number OF
probable appointments. The Young people
of the country ought not to be misled by
false hopes. There are names on the eligible
registers now to last an indefinite period
But as it is, the answer to your inquiry why
more have not be appointed, is because