Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19
READY TO RECOMMEND 1T,
The District Commissioners in Favor of the
Proposed Civil Service Extension.

Proposed Civil Service Extension.
The proposition recently made to President
Harrison by Civil Service Commissioner Roose-
welt to extend the workings of the civil service
law to the clerks and other employees of the
District government seems to meet with the
greatest approval from all the most
interested parties in the big brick building on
1st street that answers as the home of the
local governing body. 1t may be authori.atively
stated now that some time prior to the recent
election the board of Commissioners decided
whichever way the election might go. TO recon-
mend to the President the extension of the civil
service law to the District employees. Up to the
present they have not been under the protec-
ton of this law, and il was so evident that the
best interests of the government would be
served by having faithful servants retained in
office regardless of their political faith that the
Commissioners practically decided to ask the
President to assist them.
In accordance with the provisions of the civil
service law the President has the right to ex-
tend its field of usefulness as, in his opinion,
the best interests of the government may de-
mand, but he has not the power to remove
the civil service restrictions when they
have once been imposed. In extending the APP
plication of the law to other branches of the
service toward the close of his administration
Mr.. Harrison. as has already been pointed out
in The STAR, would have as precedeuts the
actions of both ex-Presidents Arthur and Cleyo-
land.
The District government has on it's raw rolls
in the neighborhood of 300 permanent en-
ployes. This, of course, does not include
school teachers. policemen and fremen. In
addition to these there are at the busiest sea-
son Of the year about 1850 temporary en-
ployes engaged on streets roads and other
forms of public work.
The civil service law could. of course, only
apply to those who are engaged upon perma-
nent work. and there are some of these whose
work is of such nature as to exempt them
from the workings of the law. What the Com
missioners are anxious for is to have the law
The matter of what Offices should be included
is detail that might be settled as the best good
of the services calls for.
THE COMMISSIONERS FAVOR IT.
Commissioner Douglass, as president of the
board. made the following statement in refer
ence to the matter to a STAR reporter this
afternoon:
Il saw the paragraph stating that the civil
service commission had recommended the APP
plication OF the system to district municipal
offices. l was commissioner of internal revenue
Cor deputy when the civil service PROPOSE
ton was first practically attempted. favored it
then and have ever since, whether In Office
or out. There are a number of minor en-
ployes in the District service who are occupied
at irregular intervals and possibly it might be
little awkward to apply the system to
them. But this difficulty might be avoided by
plan of furlough. Without being specific L
am in favor of the civil service system and
always have been. Its good effects are no
where more apparent than in our city post
office where it has for years been practically in
operation"
Commissioner Ross in speaking on the sub
ject to The STAR man today. said that he was
heartily in favor OF the proposition. My
experience in the city post office" said he
'has satisfied me the civil service
brings in high class, of young men espe-
cially. who would otherwise be hampered by a
lack of political influence. vast amount of
our time is consumed in listening to appeals
for Office, and it would be great
convenience to us and an advantage generally
if all this sort of thing could be done away
with. Furthermore the civil service
system gives faithful and intelligent men
chance to obtain whatever promo
ton they may deserve. One possible
objection that might rise in the way of the ex-
tension Of the law to the District government is
removed when | say that the two political par
ties are so nearly equally balanced in our Office
now that neither would be materially affected
in any way by the change"
Capt. Rossell. the Engineer Commissioner,
also expressed himself as in favor of the prop
osition, as he said it would relieve the board of
agreat deal Of unpleasant responsibility.