The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-22
Civil SERVICE REFORM.


WASHINGTON, March 21-Representative
Andrew of Boston has completed the re,
port upon his bill, ITO exclude political
Influence in the employment of laborers
under the authority of the United States
The bill, according to the reports ne mas
received, will affect some 2l,OOO employees,
and will require that henceforth they shaI !
be appointed or employed without regard
to political considerations The report
corrects misapprehension which
it is said is held by some
army and navy officers that
the system contemplated by the bill VIII
require certifcatiuns through the civil
service commission. The only purpose OF
the legislation, Mr.. Andrew points out, IS
10 compel the appointment OF properly
qualified men in the order of their apphca-
tion. and this purpose can be carried out
by the officers authorized to give the en-
ployment without any cumbersome ma
chinery Mr.. Andrew gives a table, com
piled from recent statistics, showing that
the official force of the government IN the
executive departments is 13,16O, and that
of this number only 81, I26 are actually
subject to competitive examination.
The bill proposes a wide extension of the
noD-partisan system by a much simpler
method and at much less cost than the eX-
tensions which have already been made.
JC is not proposed TO require competitive
examinations of laborers, nor subject
them to any scholastic test. The framing
of the rules bywhich they are to be appoint
ed or employed Is left To the discretion of
the Civil Service Commission, but it is in
tended that these rules shall simply pro-
vide for proper evidence of the physical ut
ness and the good character of applicants.
All that is to be required beyond this is the
registration of applicants In the order of
their applications, and this will require,
under proper system of rules, no more
labor on the part OF officers in charge of
public works and in the various depart
ments. than is now required TO file appli-
cations or make out list of employees
The labor of appointing officers ought to
be even less than at present when the new
system comes to be thoroughly understood,
because such officers Will be relieved from
the pressure of outside parties, and niIl
have nothing to do but make appointments
IN the order ofapplications.
lt Is left by the bill within the diScre-
tion of the civil service commission, with
the approval of the president, to provide
for technical skill where it is required, but
these tests may be as simple and as practi-
cable as they would be under any con-
scientious and intelligent appointing Off
Ger. The commission is also authorized to
permit employment without any system
OF registration. and at the discretion of
cles of the service seem to require it. The
simplicity Of this system makes it practi-
cable to extend 1t to much larger num-
Der of men at small expense than the sys-
tenn of competitive examinations could
readily be extended to.
The statement showing the number that
will probably be affected by the proposed
bill gives 3, 633 in the treasury department,
10, l27 in the war department. 6. l2S in the
navy department, and in all. including the
other departments. 81, 10 Mr.. Andrews
states that the method proposed of exclud-
ing political influence from the employ
ment Of laborerS is not an untried expert
ment, and he quotes the system inaugur-
ated by Secretary Tracy in the navy yards,
and in force in the cities of MASSACHUSETTS
for the past seven years in proof
of this statement. There are obvious
advantages, Mr.. Andrew argues,
IN establishing by law, under
the protection, of the civil service
commission, and applicable 10 all depart
ments, a system of Gon-partisan appoint
ments which has already proved so efficient
IN improving the service IN the municipal 1
work of the cities of Massachusetts, and in
the navy yards of the United States. The
system should be established by law. 1t
should be established under the protection
OF the civil service commission, iii order
that the commission may apply the same
general system of rules TO laborors under
different departments, and where the con-
dltlons are the same make as nearly uni /
form as may be practicable the manner of
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