Dodge City times., 1889-12-05

and established as bureau in the depart
ment of agriculture. This will involve
an entire reorganization both of weather
bureau and of the signal corps, making
of the first purely civil organization and
Of the other purely military staff or
ganizatiOn. The report of the chief sig
nal officer shows that the work Of the
corps on its military side, has been de-
teriOrating.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
The interests of the people of the Dis
trictn of Columbia should not be lost
sight of in the pressure for consideration
of measures, affecting the whole country.
Having no legislature of its own. either
municipal or general. its people must
look to congress for the regulation of
those concerns that are the subject of To-
cal control. Our whole people have an
interest that the national capital should
be made attractive and beautiful and that
its repute for social order should be main
tanned The law regulating the sale Of
intoxicating drinks in the district should
be revised with a view to bringing the
traffic under stringent limitations and
control.
| e In execution of. the power conferred
upon me by the act making appropriation
for the expenses of the District of Column
bia for the year ending June 30, 1889,
did on the 18th day of August last ap-
pcint Rudolph Herring of New York,
Samuel NJ. Gray of Rhode Island, and
Frederick p Stearns CT Massachusetts,,
three eminent sanitary engineers, to ex-
anime and report upon the system of sew
erage existing in the District of Column
bio. The report, which is not yet COM
| pleted, will be in due course submitted
to congress. The report of the commits
sioners of the district is herewith trans
mitted, and the attention of congress is
called to the suggestions contained
| therein.
| THE WORLDS FAIR.
The proposition to observe the four
hundredth anniversary of the discovery
of America by the opening of a worlds
fair, or exposition, in some one of our
great cities will be presented for the con-
sideratiOn of congress. The value and
interest of such an exposition may well
claim the promotion of the general gov
ernment.
| THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
On the 4th of March last, the
civil service commission held
single member The vacancies were
filled on the eth day of May,
and since then the commissioners have
been industriously, though with an mad
| equate force, engaged in executing the
law They were assured by me that
cordial support would be given them in
the faithful and impartial enforcement of
the statute and of rules and regulations
adopted in out of it. Heretofore the
book of eligibles has been closed to every
one except as certifications were made
upon the requisition of the appointing
officers. This secrecy was the source
of much suspicion and of many
charges of favoritism in the admins
tration of the law. What is secret is always
suspected and what is open can be
Judged. The commission with the full
approval of its members has now opened
the list of eligibles to the public. The
eligible lists for classified postOfice and
custom houses are now publicly posted in
the respective offices as are also the GER
| tificatiOns for appointments. The pur-
pose of the civil service law was
absolutely to exclude any other
consideration in connection with appoint
| ments under it, than that of merit, as
tested by the examinations. The business
proceeds upon the theory that both the
| examining boards and the appointing
officers are absolutely ignorant as to the
political views and associations of all per
sons on the civil service lists. Is it not
too much to say, however, that some re-
cent congressional investigations have
somewhat shaken public confidence in the
| impartiality of the selections for appoint
ment?
The reform of the civil service will
make no safe or satisfactory advance un-
til the present law and its equal admins
| tratiOn are we'll established in the conf
dence of the people. 1t will be my pleas
ure, as it is my duty, to see that the law
| is executed with tirmness and impartial
ity. If some of its provisions have been
fraudulently: :evaded by appointing offi-
GERS, our resentment should not suggest
the repeal of the law, but reform in its
administration. We should have one
view of the matter and hold it with sim
cerity that is not affected by the consider
alton that the party to which We belong
is for the time in power.
My predecessor on the 4th day Of January,
1889, by an executive order to take effect
March 18th, brought the railway mail
service under the operation of the civil
service law. Provision was made that the
order should take effect sooner in any
state where an eligible list was sooner
obtained On the 18th day of March, Mr..
Lyman, then the only member of the
commission, reported to me in writing
that it would not be possible to have the
list of eligibles ready before May l, and
requested that the taking effect Of the
order be postponed until that time, which
was done, subject to the same provision
contained in the original order as to states
in which an eligible list was sooner OBJ
tanned.
As result of the revision of the rules
of the new classification and of the inclu-
sion of the railway mail service the work
of the commission has been greatly in
creased, and the present clerical force is
found to be inadequate. l recommend
that the additional clerks asked for by the
commission be appointed and appropriated
for. The duty of appointment devolved
by the constitution or by the
law and the appointing Off
GERS are properly held to a high
responsibility in its exercise. The growth
of the country and the consequent in
crease of the civil list have magnified
this function of the executive dispro-
portionally. 1t cannot be denied how
ever that the labor connected with this
necessary work is increased often to the
v,osu< of ocf,,ol dis$rocc hv tho cuddop op1