Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-27
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
Congress Asked To Appropriate - Sum SUM-
Gent to Enforce IL.

Congress asked To Appropriate 70 sum Suff-
cient to Enforce IL.
The National Civil Service Reform League.
Of which Mr.. George William Curtis Is presi-
dent, has addressed to all the members OF the
new Congress a circular letter containing a
statement relative to the reform Of the civil
service Law. which, the letter states, will come
before Congress. if in no other way, on the
question of securing sufficient appropriations
for its enforcement
The circular says: at is not our purpose
here to present arguments at length in favor
Of continuing the present civil service law
That has abundantly justified itself The old
objections land il is noticeable that all the OBJ
jections are old. for no new ones APPEAR are
fully met by the actual results OF eight years or
experience For instance the fear that boys
fresh from school would pass the best exanilna-
lions and obtain all the places mas proved
wholly groundless. The sixth report OF the
civil service commission shows that the average
age of those who passed the examinations In
the department service was -. IN The customs
service 81. in the postal service %, the railway
mail service %; the average age Tor all branches
a. These are not the ages of school boys, but
of men with practical experience and Just en-
tsrinc the prime of life. As to the constantly
repeated objection that the questions in the
examination papers are theOretlcaI needlessy
technical and out Of practical relation to the
HOrE. the simple ~ III thO HaEcio
themselves There are no such questions
Again and again the challenge has been made
70 produce one and not one Is Produced IL Is
only complete ignorance or intentional mlsrep-
resentatiOn that can continue tins perVerslon
Of fact Many ridiculous instances are quoted
of such questions but when examined they in
yariably disappear or the questions are found
to be appropriate ard necessary. The much
ridiculed letter carrier question of the dis
lance of the earth from the plane. Mars was a
han mn
was to an applicant for tho place OF assistant
astronomer.
at is objected that this system is English and
aristocratic. The system prevailing In Eng
land at the time OF the American revolution
was the patronage system Under that old
system the chief offices were controlled by the
great aristocratic families. The reform which
was begun about 1854 was a movement on be-
half of the common people OF England, and
was resisted by those families who had up to
that time the monopoly of the offices. The
present reformed system Is most popular
among the masses of the English people. who
now have q fair opportunity OF getting the
offices under conditions tina. make them sub
servient to no man for his gift or influence.
Under the reformed civil service sons OF poor
men, without social or political influence, have
IN equal opportunity with the rich and proml-
nent of getting appointments, and depend
solely on their own character and ability
1.-The civil service law is no longer a theory.
II has been in practical operation for eight
years. Whenever the law has had fair trial 1t
has proved a success. The persons selected
under the merit system, as q whole, are bet
ter than those appointed under the 'spoils sys-
tenn and wha. is more important the ohlcers
are not used to undermine our republican in
situations. 1t is surprising how well the law
has worked when we consider what q foothold
the ''spoils system" had obtained, and what in
iuences intrenched in public office and power
full in political machinery have been brought
70 haor aOaiust The Law ia aDDrOyed by
almost all the high administrative officials, and
hardly any one openly condemns H. We DO
not claim that the system Is ideally perfect; no
law is. We do claim that the merit system IS
BY far the best that has been tried or suggested.
What is now most needed for the successful
operation of the law Is q sufficient appropria-
ton to enable the commission to administer it
effectually.
1.-The commission has to aid them a chief ex-
aminer, secretary, stenographer and messenger.
Ten clerks are nominally detailed from the de-
partments, in reality the commission seldom
has the full number. Under the commission
are tho local examining boards, composed of
persons in the public service residing In the
state or territory in which the board is to act,
who perform the additional work required Of
them without extra pay.
s.The force of clerks assigned to the commits
sion is wholly inadequate and prevents the law
being carried out as 1t should be. Even by
working extra hours il has been found impossi-
bic to keep the work up to date. This is not
fair or Just TO the clerks and examiners; and it
is a great hardship to those who have been ex-
amined, as they do not know the result for
several months The number of persons wish
ing to be examined is constantly increas-
ing. BY the order of the President
the Indian bureau is placed under the civil
service rules. The number of papers to be
marked will be greatly increased and 1t will be
necessary for the commission to travel much
more than before. II the work is to be well
done sufficient means should be given to do it
with The last Congress appropriated al $50.
With the additional work required of the COM
mission at least s70, 900 is needed TO properly
administer the Law. This sum would be less
than one-fifth of one per cent of the amount
annually paid for salaries in the classified civil
service. We ask you to see that sufficient APP
propristions are made by the Fifty-second
Congress for carrying out and extending the
nroYisions Of the civil serYice act