Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-10

Mr.. Porter has some ideas on civil service
reform, and when he gives them full play in the
census bureau they are perhaps practical ideas.
But when paternal fondness for the bantl;ng he
has created, causes him to say that other ad-
illustrative systems, Of which he has not had
% much experience, are bad systems, that have
stood for several years and been approved by
officials a. prominent and a. able a. himself to
judge-he lays himself open to the charge of
acting on prejudiced ideas. Mr.. Porter In his
statement to the House committee to examine
the workings OF the civil service says that he is
In favor Of selecting appointees by examine
ton, but that examination should not lead to q
system of barnacleism, and he claims that the
civil service law does lead to the establishment
Of such a system. He also states that the En-
glish system tends In this direction. Mr.. Porter
gives nothing but assertions to sustain this
charge for his preference for clerks that pass his
own examinations over those who have passed
the limited Examination by the civil service COM
mission, il not proof Of anything except his
Partially for his own methods. In this he is
not singular. Mr.. Porter gives the census Office
o civil service scheme which works, and he
does not like the schemes OF others, some Of
whom at least have had more experience than
himself and who are working on general and
not special lines. This tendency to specialism
in department work leads him to maintain his
position in favor Of departmental examine
tons, against the testimony of high officers Of
the government in all Of the recent admins
trations, and the present one Of Mr.. Harrison.
In this opinion he differs widely, it is
evident, from the able Secretary of the
Treasury, who has said that his department
- in hat han in
before, including some recent improvements.
Pursuing the policy of his predecessor, he has
made few changes and made them gradually.
The departments manned now by trained
clerks as to all the lower grades, and very
many Of the highest officials have seen years Of
service. Departmental examinations never
produced. while they were in use. altogether
such an effective corps Of employees. In educa-
ton and other respects the clerks who pass the
civil service examinations are equal to the best
ever appointed. The chances for the appoint
ment of inefficient clerks have been lessened
by the system.
The civil service law may possibly be i'm
proved, but it has in the main worked vastly
better than the old so-called departmental sys-
tenn. Itprovides general basis of competency
not infallible, but reasonably adapted for the
purpose-and is therefore more systematic and
workable than any special system providing
examinations for each department could be.
Barnacles there may be in the service, but for
the most part they got there under a system
formerly in vogue and remain because the new
system is not yet strong enough to thrust them
of, holding Oh as they do by the strongest
political and personal influence. The tendency
of the new order Of things is not to barnacle-
ism. but to efficiency, by so much as open COM
petition on merit is superior to favoritism.