The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-16
THE GREAT AMERICAN oCrorUs
The Civil Service Communication Jnc~e ala.
Its Expenses Yearly aud Ever Ext,s
ing It's TentMclea Ia Search of Prev

ing It's TentMcies In Search of Prev
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sir. Ia.
TO 30 supposed that the taxpayers kpo.
how much the Civil Service Comm ISL n IN,
| cost since its organization! Let us consI.,
the matter briefly. The Commi- sion was ora.
ated by act OF CONGRESS- Jan III. 1883. Tler,,,
| APPROPRIATION was t22.30o. and provided Tor sal.
aries OF three Commissioners ut $3.50 each.
ono chief examiner ~ 5000: emo scrre,n,,
| 81, 600; one stcnographer. $1,000; one mrsssn.
ger. 5000. ana travelling expenses, tj.Ull rbI,
was tho beginning, and year By ,ent Ulo!r mon.
~ has been granted. as the tcntacles I tho Ca.
| topus are reaching out into every iarg ct,yi,
| the Union. A contingent expense account VA,
! allowed OF $1,000 per year from 1854 TO lss;
when II disappeared, being since included IN
| the appropriation for contingent expenses NJ
| the Interior Department. and tho rr.cls.
| amount eS pended on this account by tho nm
| mission can be determined o;Ir hye,amln,.
| ton OF tho vouchers on rle ia tie Treasure
Department.
An average OF ten clerks per year from ro
| different departments has Il, en- ,!c,nilmi IA,
| the clerical force OF tho Comm ssion Al a,
| average salary each OF $500 per annum
| They net rs examiners In the Washington
| office. but their names are still retained ON IN,
| pay rolls OF their respective departments ar1
tD0lI SAIatl0S 90 not UpEohT IN mo NJ
| the Commission. This is calculated I, mia.
| lsad AMI lower the apparent cSrrnsn .. IN.
Com nission. because for every clerk thus ds.
| tailed another must 10 adic 20 tire ;,g, roll n,
| his department. The regular force o. IN,
| Comm iss;on has teen increased fr IN timo IA
| timo till it now numbers twenty go. lDru,,
| ing the three Commissioner. ma arrr,n,a.
| ton for salaries for tho Conni ~ioa %, IN
| fiscal year beginning July |. 1891. Is Sam
| and for travelling expenses $3.50 a,n'al a,
| $4,000 Tito this amount be nGdrd tn. sal.
| aries OF tho ten detailed clerks, IL. OtlhnlINa
contingent expense account. csiinIat,d II.
| $4,000. the cost Of tho Commisson /, nov ar.
proximately $50 00O per year.
Still tho Great Octopus cr!es Tor m rn" IN
the text OF the seventh nnnupl reuo.t o'ra
Com mission for ls89-?0 an ~ pcnl /, n.sto,
ton additional clerks, Mt an average saRryn
81 400 or $1,000 each. to do III" work OF marking
papers now marked by the local boutds In thu
States, and also for $4,000 to pay tie menb +,
OF the local boards for their services This /,
allowed. will increase tho a,;r rr'ati.n 10
over $4,000. The sum OF $500 10 Day Tho
local examiners was asked for in lSj, in IN,
sixth report. Congress did not sce 1T TO grss,
the request. and at tho recent Sos ion failed 10
provide funds to print the seventh annual 10.
port. These significant facts SHOW tina, Con.
gross has little admiration for tie Civil Scr.
vice Commission.
1would suggest what tho excessive nodcety
OF tho Commissioners probably prevents
their asking. that first class booAEceper
b. furnished to enable them 10 g.. up
an Ineligible report. with balance
sheet appended. showing in dciali the moneys
received and expended under their direction.
whether Tor salaries. travelling or contingent
| expenses. or other purposes. Only in his W.
can tho public know Just what The Octopus
costs year By year. l estimate TINT tn. Ckl
Service Commission. including sa,aries. t'sv
cling expenses. and contingencies during Tho
eight years OF it's existence. has cost the coua.
try an a,erage OF $4,000 pcr annum. ENy
year valuable clerks, many OF them Union s1.
soldiers. are discharged By the Departments
during the interim OF Congress-, because the
appropriations become exhausted und tho
force must Dc reduced. though the work lags
behind and afterward new clerks have TO b.
provided. l submit that II tho $50. 600 per IN.
mum now wasted on the Civil Service COmmis.
zion we're used to DAY clerks In the dspsi:.
men's for necessary work there would
seldom or never be needed an appropriation
for extra clerical force. Let 1t DO the golden
rule Of tn departments to takc applicants on
capacity and sloth viii SPEEDILY b. discovere Cd
merit AMI Industry recognized. Ours is -
nhovesnmsnt OF ths people by the people e,
ments Tne civil service examination Il
be rulhIessIy cut down Dy their nwn u ms.
sion the Commissioners show In tnc'r reno
iSs th1t hs nySrss Of
,ica!iy excludes Tho ex-so!die 5. WHO say t.lGo
eouatry from al anarshy TO W,"m ys 1
INV. 1t Ia protecting tho 4.
When the yrO.s csns!, tsehlNs vans;
in the 'e fs,K OF wsns s
nee building. Certain Indies Of that rs eau,
protet tel by tho tivil ssrvc" G"mm,sio..'
surveying tho busy scene with aStnnshm,u.
when one OF them WAS heard to exclh.tn: ~
never saw any i hing ike ii how iu"ny" 10
and her companions were Protected. The
WORKERS were trying to mai e such records o.
ice. like Dr. Holiness one-hoss shay.
jus. as bnSDI:: DO When The. ."I JUST "si"S '''
each one hoped that she would be repor'Naso
ell lent and industrious a to gain u tranrt
T. desk In some permanent buruau VI tse
The N CIvii Service Commission Is favorins
trained hecau-s often The e,aminni! n T. er.
tons l,G I,a no seaI heurns IT.. work whtn
claim that the clerks In the dorar men b Of the
Government. except In tho very uighr' cnssrs
or in the scientific branChe find their attain
meDts OF no great henriif. lioes q fine Latin
scholar use his learning in the Treasury Is ,Ot:
snyor geology Of service In thn Pension oNl"e'
The great bulk OF WORK in the depart u. OTIS
can easily be done by men ard wrmrn with
fair common school education and 1t is q ne
ticeabe fact that MS these sit side BY side with
collcgs graduates the latter do not d. better
work in tho aJorlty 81 cas"s. In two OF ther
annual reports the Comm aionnra. In CON.
pairing the clnsSes. acknow ridge tho com anon
school educated clerks do nLout ms we'll
That this class mai Oh good clerl IL generally
admitted by ali who have business with the
departments IN Washington.
The clerical force OF tina Crnsus Office ID
largely Of the common school educated class.
None ot than came ia undor HE Civil Service
Commission. and they are among the most
efficient clerks In the public service. In refer.
ring to the Consus Office III his last animal 70.
port. tho terrctary OF tho Interior SAYS:
The examination OF The force. which was
made under tho statute AMI outside q no
OWL Service Commission. has been found
sufficient 10 secure good clerks, and yet 10 10
SO pliable as 10 have enabled rapid increase
when REQUIRED. as It Will now allow q audden
decrease without disappointing the ms, OK.
pectsttons OF any OF those engaged In this ser-
vice. ]! has been also very gratifying to OBJ
serve that those In the Census Bureau have
been most devoted 10 thoir woI K. and haooa
eAery occasion responded With cheerful ness e
extra doInan da upon their time anil giles