Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-10
CIVIL SERVICE In NAVY YARDS.
Commissioner Roosevelt Expresses His GRAFT
ficatiOn a. Secretary Tracy's Position.

Commissioner Roosevelt Expresses His Craft
fication IA Secretary Tracy's Position.
The probabilities are that no individual In
the United States was more gratifed by Secre-
tary Tracy's statement as to the non-poiitical
organization of navy yards than was Civil
Service Commissioner Roosevelt. To u STAB
reporter who saw him this morning that gentle
man said: ''Mr. Tracy's declaration of policy in
reference to the navy yards is of an importance
difficult to overestimate. Hedeseryes the hearti-
est praise from all friends of the reform, and
his speech and declaration of intentions reflect
the greatest credit not only upon him but also
upon the administration of President Harri-
son. 1t would be impossible to use language
more emphatic than he uses in speaking Of the
curse patronage has been in the navy yards.
With the possible exception of the Indian ser
vice there is no place where patronage does
more harm than in the navy yards aud
the Secretary deserves the thanks, not only
OF civil service reformers. but of all
American citizens interested in seeing that we
have d thoroughly efficient navy for cutting
out what he rightly callG the cancer of the
patronage system from the yards.
ut is the greatest step in advance that could
be taken. of course it will finally need con-
gressional action to make it permanent, but it
il far better that il should be applied first
in an experimental form under the Secretary's
own supervision. When the plan has been
perfected and put in operation by him it would
be comparatively easy to have it enacted into
law and made permanent. When this has been
done and when the fourth-class post
mastere have been disposed of on
some such plan as that outlined in
Mr.. Lodges bill, and when the limits of the
classified service, as now existing, have been
extended to take in all the Offices which can
possibly be included under il. the spoils ques-
politics.
II am particularly pleased to see BY Presi-
dent Harrisons letter to the Cambridge
Civil Service Reform Association that
he has under advisement the extern
sion of the rules to the Indian service;
although here, too, it must be borne in mind
that there must be Legislative work also to re-
move the Indian agents-infnitely the most
important Of the Indian employes-from poll
tics.
.All of this means q great and real ad-
vance; 1 am much gratifed at secre-
good character of the men supplied
him through our examinations and
especially at bis stating that they are superior
to the men supplied under the old patron
age system Secretary Window in his
last report said the same thing in
less there can be improvements made
in the present civil service law, as in every
other law on the statute books, but the i'm
proyemente must be in the line Of making il
more stringent, as in the bill submitted by the
civil service committee of the last House.
ut isnoteworthy thatthe opponents of thel law
have never been able to point out q really seri-
Gus defect in its working except that
it doesn't go far enough. am
Assistant Secretary Of the Navy Solely
he has intimated that the classified
service may soon be extended to take in
the clerical force of the navy yards. This
would be most desirable. am glad
at this time to bear public witness to the work
that Secretary Tracy and Assistant Secretary
Solely have done for civil service reform.
For some months past they have been
deyoting much of their time, pressed as
they are, to studying out methods BY which TO
remove the force of government employes in
the Navy Department out Of politics and raise
it to the highest standard of efficiency. They
are entitled to the thanks Of all good citizens."