Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-14
TO REFORM THE REFORM,
Prof. Gregory's Plan Of Non-Partisau
Civil Service,

Ex-Civil Service Commissioner John NJ,
Gregory talked for upward OF an hour before
Nationalist Club, No. 4, at q recent meeting,
on what be considers true reform in the civil
SERVICE" After reviewing the civil service Of
France, Germany, Switzerland, England and
other countries Of Europe, with which long
residence and extensive travel have made him
somewhat familiar he commented upon our
own newly fiedged, badly equipped but none
the less deserving civil service compliment
ing its merits, but saying they do not 60 far
enough. Before attempting to nationaiizc the
railways, telegraphs and other monopolistic in
dustries SO ably and justly advocated by o
rapidly increasing number OF intelligent peo-
pie, he said, we must first devise some means
OF thoroughly organizing the civil service in
order that 1t may wholly be removed from par
tisan politics; otherwise the opponents to such
measures would clearly claim danger in An
army Of Office holders who could be nodded 70
suit the aims and ambitions Of the party in
power. Such non-partisan organization rap
idly summarized might be something as fol-
lows:
THE PRoYEssoR's PLAN YoR SoN-PARrrsAH on
GASIzArIoN.
The applicant to be between the ages of, say,
twenty to thirty. The examination to be such
as would test his or her general intelligence
the first year not to exceed fAOO, but at the
end Of each year an increase of SlOO 70 be made
until the sum Of $4,000 is reached. Special
provision should be made for expert work re-
quiring service Of high grade Of intelligence
or an aptitude for particular and difficult work.
As at present constituted, he said, the service
rendered 10 not commensurate with the emolu-
ments. In other words the pay 10 too great;
it is too much OF prize at the beginning, and
therefore Is held as a reward for party service
and the line OF promotion is almost, il not
wholly, at the mercy of the spoilers. Four
hundred dollars would not be considered .
great prize for party zeal. but the young man
or woman entering upon such service would
feel they wero adopting career; .
bright prospect would lie before them
gence would fail to attain; they would feel
themselves o part OF the government, while
the hours set apart for labor would not inter-
fere with any laudable ambition to acquire q
profession or win reputation as writer or
thinker on any great subject to which they
might give their mind Objections would be
raised, ipasmuch that in this way we would be
establishing class-a bureaucracy-hut then
we have classes, We have physicians, . very
good class; lawyers, also very good class when
which no very great objections have been
made, and why therefore, bject to Q class who
do the peoples work?
POSTAL REvoRM.
This reform, to be effective, must apply to
the states and municipalities as we'll as to the
national government, he said, and notably to
the post Offices throughout the country, which,
although federal appointments, their effects
mostly concern the municipalities The pres
ent system is faulty to degree, a system that
nothing can remedy but complete reorgani-
zstion on an entirely new basis. Then,
too, letter sent should be de-
livered to the person addressed. Such
| is the case now in large communities-if de-
sirsble In large communities how much
more SO In small and isolated settlements
where access to the post Office is difficult
! inconvenient and where delays In euch cases
are attended with as much danger, annoyance
and possible disaster as would happen In the
| larger community. In Switzerland, for in
stance and this will apply to other countries
might mention, he said, all letters are de-
| livered to the person addressed, no matter
how isolated his dwelling place may be. 1t is
| Just as important to the state that the dweller
| in the almost inaccessible recesses Of the Alps
should receive his letter promptly and at a.
| little Inconvenience TO himself az TO the busy
| city merchant 30 il should be iu this coun-
| try. We are 40 a people great admirers OF our
postal system and point to it with pride. / am
not one Of those. While good enough in many
respects it falls notably behind that Of severe
utria with vhich 4 IA ,iliap