The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-01
INCLUDES THIRTY THoUsAHD.
What ihel Civil Service Ccn7mls sion
Has to Report.

Has to Report.
WASHINGTON, November 30.-The annual
report of the Civil Service Commission shows
that the classified service now includes over
10000 people. The report gives figures for
the departmental service at Washington fo-
the entire period during which the law has
been in force, nearly seven years, and says:
henumberCfresignation and removals have
to be given together because it is impossible
to differentiate the voluntary from the forced
designations. OF the HOO appointees who
came into the departmental service through
the civil service examinations during CleVe
lands administration 91, or little over s
per cAnt., were removed or resigned during
the first year Of the present administration.
OF 80 appOintees who entered the service
through these examinations during Presi-
dent Arthur's administration. about 80, or
between and per cent. were removed or
resigned during President Cleyeland's first
year. During the last year of President
Arthur's administration, % removals or re-
signations occurred, between aud per
cent. All of the force had at that time been
appointed under his administrator. The
evident difference between the percentage in
this case and the percentage during the first
year OF President Cleveland's admInistra-
tion and OF the present administration afford
probable measure for the removals which
could by any possibility have been for pOliti-
cal reasons. This difference is nearly half of
one per cent, and so small it may be entirely
dlsregarded, for 1t is likely to have arisen
from iron other than political causes.
When only eight per cent of the
appointees of one administration are
separated from the service during the first
year OF the succeeding administration, the
year in which under the old system the
greatest number of removals for political
reasons were made, it is safe to say that DO
litical considerations have practically disap-
peared as factors in making removals in the
classified service of the departments at
Washington. Doubtless in force of 5000
employees, where changes are continually be-
ing made, some Uf these changes are made
for improper reasons. This is true of any
system and any business, public or private.
In the departmental service at Washington
the figures show that for the past seven
years the law, as whole, has been faithful
ly and honestly observed in the departments,
although having been subjected to the strain
of two changes of administration. In the
customs and postal services the result is less
satisfactory.
The portions of the civil service law inter-
dieting political assessments have undOubt-
edly much abated the evil. There is one
point where the law is systematically eVaded.
The commission in the course Of investiga-
tion found in 1888 and 1890 that certain
campaign committee of the dominant party,
which procured full lists of various en-
ployes in the government service, and of
their home residences, sent letters soliciting
campaign subscriptions to them at their
homes. These letters were sgued by men
not in government service, acting for the
different campaign committees.