The morning call., 1891-04-09
NAVAL REFORMS.
Employment Of Labor at the
Federal Yards.
Secretary Tracy to InauSuFate a New
System Of Hiring WOrkmen.
He Proposes to SquelCh the Ward Boss,
and Make Merit One Of the RtquiS.
lies for Appointment.
Special to THE MORNING CAaL

Boston, April s.-The largest political
years was attracted by the first dinner of the
Republican Club of Massachusetts, which
was held in Music Hall this evening. Covers
were laid for $40. besiles the guests and
speakers. President Roger Walcott pre-
sided and among the prominent guests were
Secretary of the Navy Tracy, Lieutenant
Hale, Congressman Walker, Lodge. Green
halge.and Morse, Ex-Governor Ames, Senator
Aldrieh, Ex-Governor Bracket and General
Banks.
Secretary Tracy, in his speech. paid a
high tribute to the Republican party and the
present Administration. He defended the
Fifty-frst Congress against the charge of
extravaganza. The Secretary then gave
detailed account of the work in which the
Navy Department is at present engaged and
concluded as follows:
zone last point in naval affairs remains
to be considered-the question of the en-
ployment of labor at the navy-yards. For
fifty years this has been the weak spot in
the naval administration. Whatever the
party in control of the Government, it
seems hitherto to have been powerless to
exclude political influence in the employ
mert of nayy-yard labor. 1t is not enough,
apparently, that the mechanics aud work
men in the Government shops should be
Republicans or Democrats, but they must
wear the collar of the ward bosses who run
the local political machine. This practice
is source of demoralization TO any party
that attempts to use 1t, destructive to the
4 l.I.,. -
and national politics. 1t is an ulcer to the
naval administrative system, and l propose
to cut 1t out
The Secretary said the details of the sys-
tenn he proposes to adopt are being pre-
pared and in short time will be in full
operation. The essential features, as ap-
piled to navv-yards, are:
First-The appointment at each yard OF
registration board to register all applicants
for employment in the department of un-
skilled labor, to 6e selected as required on
the principle of first come first served, with
reference only TO army or navy veterans, or
men having families to support.
Secoud-The registration of all applicants
for positions of skilled labor under the same
rules of preference and employment on
trial according to merits.
Third-The selection of foreman upon
competitive examination.
The board will consist of officers of the
navy engaged in conducting the work OF the
yards.
The Secretary added that, having begun
in this way, ne does not propose to stop un-
til the principle Of efficiency and worth is
the only test of navy-yard employment. He
is satisfied the plan can be carried out, SO
that it Will remove all suspicion of machine
politics from the navy-yards, and that the
economy and efficiency of the work will be
promoted, while the community will be
sure that the navy-yard in its midst, instead
of being the focus of local political intrigue,
is the place of employment of body OF in
dependent and self-respecting workingmeD,
whose only road to promotion lies in good
work
whether the present civil service law is
the best that could be devised 10 improve
the civil service of the country, do not
know" continued Mr.. Tracy, ''but l do
know from personal observation in my own
department that persons appointed under
the system are unquestionably more eff
cient as a whole than those selected under
any system of patronage; and | know
further that no Republican charged with the
responsibility of administering one of the
great executive departments of the Govern
ment can be true to himself, to the faith of
the Republican party or to the people if he
fails to employ any and all means within
his power to elevate, purify and render
more efficient the civil service of the
country"
Mr. Roger Wolcott, in the course of his
speech, said: The Republican party must
rally to its standard the recruit and drum
out the merCenary. The loss of thousands
OF votes in this State was due to the Penn
sylvanian who is still Chairman of tho
National Committee. The kind of personal
politics that seeks and requires what is
called viz Indication is always at the ex-
pense of the party, and is a blunder when it
is not crime"