The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-28
Those Of John Bull Constitute .
Body Of Very Diseour-
....s..-. teous Men.
49, - 81 8 49, 80 r.
But They Also Have To Stand .
Heap Of Abuse and
Ridioule.
Once In once There He Stays TIL Old Age
Doth Remove-Onces and
Examinations.

Especial Correspondence OF HE lNDEPENDENT.J
LONDON, Sept. A.-There is no class Of
public servant that has to stand more
abuse, and for the matter of that ridicule,
than what are known as civil servants Of
John Bull. Many are called "civip' SER
wants on the lucusa non lucendem princi-
pie for it would be hard to find a body of
men from whom you can receive more in
civility If you are ever unlucky enough to
do business with them than these same
''civir' servants. a
The civil service in England is very
different affair to what it is with you. Per-
haps here there is quite AZ much need Of
civil service reform but it ia in somewhat
different direction. England is not afflicted
rs America is with that great horde Of Office
seekers who live move and have their being,
either in Office, or, when out, on the pros
pect of an Office. The cries OF ITO the VIC
tors belong the spoils'' and what are We
here for2" are to all intents and purposes
unknown, and when once man IL fairly
installed in the English civil service
whet her it is as a clerk in government
Office in London or postofiice in the
70 sW ~ tsss Se be-
haves himself.
Probably the reason for the abuse and
ridicule levelled at the government clerk by
novelist. caricaturist and penny liner ID
owing to the popular belief inRrained in the
people for generations that the government
clerk has nothing to do. The saw hath IL
that the civil service is like the fountain In
Trafalgar square because "they played from
10 a. m. to 4p. M" This may have been
true in the old days when berth in the
ence," and it was the harbor of refuge for
all the younger sons and impecunious rela-
tives of the aristocracy, or those In political
power, and safe place to dispose Of those
born on the wrong side Of the aristocratio
blanket; In these hes days political Jobs were
they are with you in the present day, and
offices were made for the men, not the men
for the offices.
But a change was soon to come over the
spirit of the dream of the English Office
seeker. No longer was place to be had
protege. The aesh pots of Egypt were to
be ACQUIRED and the Augean political stable
swept out, and the way this was to be done
WAS by competitive examinations. It is not
aminations became all the rage in England,
and they have got to that stage that man
cannot get the post of doorkeeper in pub
lie Office withSut being able to prove by de-
duction and compound mathematics the
number Of beans it takes to make five.
nations 10 that for the Indian civil service.
In addition to the home offices John Bull
has a number of snug berths abroad he can
give to those Of his sons who show an apt
itude for having crammed into their reten-
tive or unretentive brains large stock Of
knowledge that will be found to be next to
useless in after life. Whom the queens
government took over from the John
Bull company the governing Of the great
empire of India the Indian civil service was
formed and though at first it was ''close"
service and appointments to it were to be
had only by influence, the competitive ex-
animation was soon established and I sup
pose the examination is the ''stiffest" in
the world. The prizes no doubt are great,
but before q man can pass the necessary ex-
eee more varied than that . Of an Admirable
Crichton, and of physique that will stand
the 6trictest medical examination. When
the candidate by the aid Of what are known
as "crammers' does pass, he has then to
best years Of his life, and live in a country
where snakes and tigers do their best
to render the Malthusian doctrine su-
perfuous. The majority of men further
assist the climate in making their lives
source Of discomfort by the aid of copious
draughts Of brandy pawnee. For all this
man has big salary as salaries 60. COM
bined with corresponding amount of hard
work; and at the end of twenty or twenty
i've years he retires with good pension
and q bad liver. II the same man had put
profession at home, the chances are he
would have made double the amount in
half the time, but the desire to get money
from the government rather than by private
enterprise seems to be inherent in the hui
man race all over the world.
The prizes of the home civil service are
not nearly 30 great as those to BE- obtained
abroad, but, on the other hand, the
entrance examination, and the work to be
done when once in, are not nearly 80 heavy.
The berths in the English civil service are
In the war Office home Office, inland reve-
nue., (Somerset house, custom house, post
Office and telegraphs. The colonial Office has
a service Of its own. In addition to the reg
ular service there are other branches which
do not come exactly under the head of civil
service, but which are often more lucrative;
Offices in the educational department, such
as inspector of schools, and under the
mines and factory acts there are a number
Of valuable inspectorships. Everything in
the civil service is open to competitive ex-
animation, and influence Of any sort is USE
less in getting in, but once in you can be
showed on at q double portage rate if you
have any one in power to back you. This
is owing to the fact that promotion is not
by seniority, but by merit. The class of
work the civil servant of the crown has to
perform 10, az rule, not of kind that re-
quires any great amount of brains, but still
it requires some. The work is generally
mere routine, but every now and again
something crops up that is out of the COM
mon, and the chief for the time being can
appoint anyone to do it whom he chooses.
He generally selects one whom he wishes to
help, and, when it is done. he has then an
opportunity to promote this person for
"mefitorious SERVICE
The only appointments that change with
the government are private secretaryships,
and these do not come under the head of
civil service. In spite of all that is said
against them, English civil servants will
compare favorably with men of their class
IN any country in the world. The tradi-
tions of centuries of red tape and circum-
iocution certainly still cling to the aver
age civil servant and in manner he is often
most Questionable and bumptious, trying
to impress on the outside public that the
throne of England is supported on his un-
aided shoulders. But he is improving and
no doubt in time he will acquire the same
manner as that of his brethren in America,
whose place depends on your vote and who
has to spend half his income setting 'em
up" against next election.
Mutilated by SWINE
NEWCASTLE, Pa, Sept. GA three-year-
old girl named Cooper accidentally fell
into pig sty tonight. In an instant two
powerful pigs attacked her and before any
one could come to her assistance lacerated