Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-16
PRINTERS AND CIVIL SERVICE.
The Talk Of Extending Protection 10 the
Government Once,

MANY VIEWS ON THE sUBJEcr-DEMocRArs WHO
THINK THE REFORM SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRO-
POSED BEFORE THE ELEoTIoS-wHAT COM
MISSIONER LYMAN SAYS.
Never since the civil service law went into
effect has any reform proposition called forth
SO great number of local supporters and an
tagonists as has the proposition to make en-
pioyes OF the government printing Office more
secure in their positions by giving the civil
service commission full legal control Of the con-
ditions upon which the makeup of the force
depends. Naturally, the majority of those
now employed in the great building favor any
thing that looks like an extension Of the term
through which they may continue to place their
autographs on Uncle Samuel's pay rolls. Quite
Is many are there on the outside who want to
return to the places which they occupied prior to
! the incoming of this administration. Between
; the two classes there can be no harmony. no one
ness of sentiment. The ''ins'' want to stay in,
and the ''outs" are fully aware of the fact that
If the fins" are permitted to remain the ''outs'
need not wait around here until the 4th of
| March. There are those, however, who have
no personal interest either in the government
printing Office as an establishment, or In any of
its employees, and some of these have taken up
I the banner of civil service reform, and pro-
pose to wave 1t persistently before the eyes of
| President Harrison until he fixes their standard
to the halysrds of the government printing
office flagstaff. Among these philanthropists
there now seems to be a satisfying impression
that the President will shortly accede to their
wishes. although up to the present time the
chief executive has made them no promise.
COMMISSIONER LYMANs VIEWS
Two obstacles stand between the extension
Of the civil service rules to tho government
printing office and our DESIRE" said President
| Lyman Of the civil service commission to a
/ STAR reporter. lone Is the jealousy which
would naturally be felt by the typographical
union, the other is the difficulty we might ex-
perience in providing for practical exAmina-
| ton OF those who would present themselves
as applicants for positions. 1t has been init
mated to me by persons who ought to be con-
versant with typographical matters that the
first difficulty is not a serious one; that it
| could be removed quite easily. and that Ii prob
ably would be done by the union itself if the
| matter was properly presented. Under
| the present arrangement the union il
! itself the sole judge as to mans quail
, fications as printer; under the
idea, should it ever be put in force. board
/ Of examiners-themselves conversant with all
| the technicahties--wouldr report on the skill or
! otherwise of the person examined, and
their report would his appointment depend.
! The second dithcuity-lack OF facilities for ex-
| amination-may be overcome by the printing
| year there could probably be spared for the use
! Of the examiners small corner Of the great
| building und when there is II recess of Congress
there would doubtless be ample room for our
I purposes. 1t must be plain, however, that in
| other c could possibly hold such an ex-
animation would be necessary. There is but
/ one government printing Office and it is To-
| Gated here 30 Il must be evident that all ex-
aInnatiors woEld have TO be conducted In this
| city. We co1ld not reasonably request the use
0tr
country unless we were possessed of the imam
cal wherewlthal to Temuncrate the proprietors.
| The possession OF that Is quite improbable"
THE SKILLED AND THE USsKILLED.
/ Some of the people who are engaged in
agitating for an extension of the rules have not
| planned to include the skilled laborer, which
| would mean the competitors, pressmen and
bookbinders. They simply aim TO secure pro-
lection for the labUrers-who are maryland
the watchuen OT.these two classes the number
employed is not uncomfortable. and while half
a loaf may not satisfy the more ardent adj
vocstes OF reform, still il is undoubtedly
better than no bread at ALL II has been tried
al the bureau of engraving and printing and
works quite well. There is considerable diff
ference. however. between the skilled
laborer at the bureau and the skilled laborer at
the government printing Office. Plate printers
are scarce; composltors are plentiful. 1t would
be practically impossible at this day to dis
Z
fiji their places with strangers. 1t would be an
easy thing to find substitutes for every one of
the many hundred compostors in the govern
ment printing Office. To bring the plate
printers within the civil service fold would
have bu; little effect one way or another: to
protect the compositors. pressmen and book
binders of the government printing Office
would put an end to most interesting quad
rennial fight.
VIEWS SENT TO THE STAR.
The discussion on this subject has had resur-
rectionary effect. "Old Subscriber" PRO
Bono Publico" .'veritas" and host of other
well-known contributors to the press have
written out their views in full, and frequently
on both sides of the paper. in order that the
community and the President-wno is a part of
the community-may be thoroughly nfghtened.
"One of Mr.. Palmer's victims writes as fol-
lows: THAT was pitiful tale told by Wash
ington' and narrowing picture presented, in
Mondays STAR under the caption: The q. ?.
o. and the Civil Service Law 1t would have
been capital idea to have applied his panacea
for the numerous ills he conn plains OF when Mr.
Palmer was swinging the with such stall
wart arm In the earlier days of Mr.. Harrison's
administration: when the heads of democrats
were chopped OF by the score, until now there
is hardly voting democrat left among the
5000 employees. Mr.. Palmer, according to
Washington. has much to answer for. and the
people of the country have just afforded some
oi uS NictiIils an opportunity 20 secure lustlce
in the near future. 1t will take something
more than iron-bound and copper-riveted
law TO hold in place some of those partisans
who SO gleefully applauded those decapitations
OF democrats and the consequent misery"
WOULD BE BENEFITED By A CHANGE.
Civil Service wants To know why it il THAT
the government printing office and that alone
of all the different branches of the public SER
vice is left outside of the pale of civil service
protection. Is there any Just reason" he asks,
"why its thousands of employees should not be
protected against the spoils system as well az
those of the other departments? There can be
no doubt but that the public service would be
greatly benefited by such n change. Under
| the Influence system ability cuts little or no
! figure in appointments. and at the beginning
/ of every new administration the government is
! a loser. both financially and in the quality of
work turned out. because of the hundreds of
new and III many cases incompetent workmen
who engaged for political ressons.'
THE OK THAT Is GoREp.
''Auti-ciyil Service" gloats most ghouiishly
| over the probabilities that may follow Mr.
Clevelaud's Inauguration. Says he: at makes
| considerable difference whose OK is gored.
! Some of the government printing Office people
zee that now Why didn't they-these lovers
| of their country and of the civil service law
discover before this the necessity for an ex-
| tension of the rules? Many Of them have been
I a. g.