The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-12-05

report Of the secretary, which is herewith
The need of law'officer for the depart
ment, such as is provided for in the other
executive departments, is manifest. The
failure of the last congress to make the
usual provision for the publication of the
annual report should be promptly reme-
died. The publicinterest in the report and
It's value to the farming community am
sure will not be diminished under the new
organization of the department.
recommend that the weather service be
separated from the war department and
re-established as a bureau in the depart
ment of agriculture. This will involve an
entire reorganization both of the weather
bureau and of the signal corps, making of
the first purely civil organization, and of
the other purely military staff. The re-
port of the chief signal officer shows that
the work of the corps ON its military side
has been deteriorating.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The interests of the people of the District
OF Columbia should not be lost sight of in
the pressure for the consideration Of meas
ures affecting the whole country. Having
no legislation of its own, either municipal
or general, its people must look to con-
gress for the regulation of those concerns
that are the subject of local control. Our
whole people have an interest that the ma
tional capital should be made attractive
and beautiful and, above all, that its repute
Tor social order should be maintained. The
laws regulating the sale of intoxicating
drinks in the district should be severed,
with view to bringing the traffic under
stringent limitations and control. In the
execution of the power conferred upon me
by the act making appropriations for the
expenses of the Distrist of Column
bia for the year ending June 30, 1889,
| did ON August 7, last, appoint Ru-
dolph Herring, of New York, Samuel w.
Gray, of Rhode Island, and Frederick
p. Stearne, of Massachusetts,, three eminent
sanitary engineers, to examine and report
upon the system of sewerage existing in the
District of Columbia. Their report, which
is not yet completed, will be, in due course,
submitted to congress. The report of the
commissioners of the district is herewith
transmitted and the attention of congress
is called to the suggestions contained
therein:
WORLDS FAIR.
The proposition to observe the four hun
dredth anniversary of the discovery of
America by the opening of worlds fair
or exposition in some one of our great
cities will be presented for the considera-
lion of congress. The value and interest of
such an exposition may well claim the at
tention of the general government,
CIVIL SERVICE.
On the 4th of March last the civil service
commission had but single member. The
vacancies were filled on the 7th day of May,
and since then the commissioners have
been industriously, though to an inadequate
degree, engaged in executing the law. They
WI q roA hty n hot fol NNrt
would be given them in the faithful and
impartial enforcement of the rules and reg
ulations adopted in aid of it. Heretofore
the book of eliglbles has been closed to
everyone except as certifcations were made
upon the requisition of the appointing offic-
ers. This secresy was the source of much sus-
picion and of many charges of favoritism
in the administration of the law. What is
secret is always suspected, ana what is
open can be judged. The commission, WlSh
the full approval of its members, has now
opened tie list of eligibles to the public.
The eligible list for classified postotfices
and custom houses are now publicly posted
in the respective offices, as are also the
certifications for appointments. The
purpose of the civil service
law was absolutely to exclude
consideration in connection with appoint
ments other than that of merit as
tested by the examinations. The business
proceeds upon the theory that both the ex-
aiming boards and the appointing officers
are absolutely ignorant as to the political
values and associations of all persons in
the civil service list. 1t is not too much to
say, however. that some recent congress
ional Investigations have somewhat shaken
public confidence in the impartiality of the
selections for appointment. The reforms
of the civil service will make no safe or
satisfactory advancement until the present
law and its equal administration are well
established in the confidence of the people.
1t will be my pleasure, as it is my duty, to
see that the law is executed with fairness
and impartiality. If some of its provisions
have been fraudulently evaded by the APP
pointing officers 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 sin
cerity that is not affected by the considera-
ton that the party to which we
My predecessor ON the 4th day of January,
1885, by all executive order to take effect
March 10, 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 eli
gible 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 pro-
vision contained in the original order as to
states in which an eligible list was sooner
obtained. AS a result of the revision of the
rules of the new classification and of the
inclusion of the railway mail service the
work Of the commission has been greatly
increased and the present clerical force is
found to be inadequate recommend that
the additional clerks asked by the COM
mission be appropriate for the duty of APP
pointment is devolved by the constitution
or by the law, and the appointing officers
are properly held to high responsibility
in its exercise.
The growth of the country and conse-
.quent increase of the civil list, have mag
1hified this function of the executive dispro-
portionally. 1t can not be denied, how
ever, that the labor connected with this
necessary work IS increased often TO the
point of actual distress by the sudden and
excessive demands that are made upon an
incoming administration for removals and
appointments. But on the other hand, it
is but time that incumbency is q conclu-
sive argument for a continuance in office.
Impartiality, moderation, fidelity to public