Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-12
POLITICS AND THE OFFICES.

| POLITICS AND THE OFFICES.
Commissioner Roosevelt Before the
House Investigating Committee.
| HE VIEWS on Civil. SERVICE REFORM. PoLIffcs
| AND ToRcHLIGHT PRocEssIoNs--CoMPARATIv
| sTATHMINf OF REMOVALS AND APPoINrNENTs
UNDER ARTHUR, CLEVELAND AND HARRISON.
The investigation into the general workings
| OF the civil service reform commission was con-
tinued this morning, the examination of Com
missioner Roosevelt being commenced. Mr..
| Roosevelt desired to make a statement before
any questions should be asked him. He said
| that the reform OF the civil service had as its
| foundation the taking of the public service out
| of politics.
In answer to a question he said he had no
| objections to politics, he liked politics and
always took hand in the game whenever he
could, but he objected to a trained band Of
men whose desires were not the interests OF the
yearning for office. Such an influence was
noxious. Men should get office through their
| fitness and not through being the henchmen Of
some prominent politician.
ToRoHLIaKF PROFESSIONS.
Mr.. Stone asked who was going to organize
parties get up torchlight professions and such
amusements DO you object to torohlight
processions?" said Mr. Stone.
Not at all" said Mr.. Roosevelt; "rve walked
| in them many time"
| Mr.. Stone asked what objection Mr.. Roose-
| Welt had TO this administration-being repubi-
can-havlng republican sub0rdinates
| Mr.. Roosevelt said that the value of q clerk
and his efficiency had nothing to do with his
| politics.
| HOW MR.. ROOSEVELT WOULD FILL THE OFFICES.
Mr.. Stone asked if, for instance, when party
came into power after the opposition party had
| held control for many years, if it would not
hamper the new administration to find the
entire departments filled with opponents in
| politics.
Mr.. Roosevelt said that the position where
| the occupants helped to frame the policy of the
| administration should naturally be held by
| men in sympathy with the administration, but
| that this should not apply to the subordinates.
Now that the service classified, he said
no administration could come in and find all
the subOrdinates OF the opposite political
faith.
ONE DAYS WORK OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMITS
sIoNER.
Mr.. Roosevelt took up the question of what
the commissioners did He gave as an example
his duties of yesterday.
The first duty, he said was to read and an
| swer his correspondence, which was of the
most multlfarious character. Letters from
congressman. Senators, officials. &C., asking
questions. making complaints, &c. The next
| thing yesterday was to come to the Capitol for
this investigation. On returning to the COM
mission rooms Mr.. Roosevelt said he had
several interviews with irate individuals.
Much followed after which he busted him
self with the statistics which he Is preparing.
Then followed some trouble concerning the
railroad mail service, which necessitated q
meeting of the board and the writing of Sc veral
letters. Next followed some complaints from
departments, which had to be settled. Then
until late i'll the afternoon work was continued
on the reports.
AN IDEAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION OF ONE MAN.
Mr.. Roosevelt thought that in an ideal exec
utive department the civil service should be
single handed, but practically he thought it
would be difficult to make such a change. He
thought the best idea, if the right man could
be found, would be to have one commissioner,
and that one democrat under republican adj
minstrations, and vice versa. The man to fill
such position, he thought, however. would
have to be a remarkable man, and he knew of
only one example and that was Gov. Thomp-
son.
Mr.. Roosevelt said that one-third Of the
duties performed by him yesterday could have
been done by 81 900 clerk.
ADMINISTRATIONS COMPARED AS TO APPOINT
MESTs AND REMOVALS.
Mr.. Roosevelt made a statement in regard to
the appointments and removals under the
classified service in the departments at Wash
ington, comparing the different years of diff
ferent administrations and showing the per-
centage OF removals.
In the last year of Arthur's administration
| there were 37S appointments and 90 removals
or designations. In Clevelands administration
the appointments and removals were as follows:
N m rem ais
second year-appointments, 356; removals. 29;
third year-appointments, 303; removals, SO;
fourth appointments. 2G4; removals, II,
making l,109 appointments and 100 removals
during Cleveands administration.
In the first year of Harrison's administration
there we're 399 appointments and 1873 removals
or the 1873 removals 81 were of men appointed
under Cleveland, or per cent of the ap-
pointees of Cieyeland's administration were re-
moved in Harrison's first year. In Clevelands
first year So of the 1913 employees appointed
under Arthur, or per cent, were removed.
WHOLESALE CHANCES.
This record did not include the mail and
principal medical examiners. In these cases
nearly complete change was made I'M
der both Cleveland and Harrison. In Earri-
sons first year los removals designations
took place in this force of $50 men or less, as
against 135 FOR all the rest Of the 5000 men in
the departments.
III 10 TIE post 0ihceS IN the
first year of Harrison's administration Indian
napolis showed IA per cent OF removals; Dem
yer. 10 per cent, New York. per cent; Jersey
City, 10 per cent; Chicago, 7 per cent; AIiIwau-
kee, per cent; Philadelphia, II per cent;
Newark, per cent; Syracuse, 2S per cent;
Albany % per cent; Pittsburg. 20 per cent;
Kansas City, per cent; New Haven, Is per
cent. and Hartford ~ per cent Showing, said
Mr.. Roosevelt that from 3 to 20 per cent of
removals were made during that time
CLEvELAND's LAST YEAR.
In the last year of Cleveland's administration,
continued Mr.. Roosevelt, when no politics
would be supposed to enter into the removals,
the per cents were: New York, Is per cent;
Brooklyn, 10 per cent Boston, per cent;
Worcester, per cent; Hartford. per cent;
Jersey City: II per cent, and Des MONIES, 4 per
cent.
The removals in this case ranged from 4 to
81 per cent when there no change of adj
ministration, and Mr.. Roosevelt urged that
politics, therefore, did not enter into the re-
| movals under Harrison's first year.
Mr.. Roosevelt then gave some figures for the
first year OF Cleveland's administration. The
per cents were; Boston, per cent; Brooklyn.
ii per cent; Philadelphia. 28 per cents New
Haven. "a per cent and Albany As per cent
MIR, Roosevelt thought 20 or rs per cent of
removals did not necessarily show anything
improper at the post Office. and in cases known
| N . a HArA tar