New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-26
THIS SURELY rs REFORM.


SECRETARY CARLISLES LATEST vAGARY.
THROUGH HIS son AND CHIEF CLERK HE ISSUES
AN ORDER INTENDED TO WIPE OUT
NEPOusM.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE1
Washington. June 25.-The methods Of admins
tratlve reform" which have recently been In
auguratcd with much flourish in the Treasury Depart
meDt were calculated presumably TO produce IN effect
OF acute and painStaking zeal for the Improvement
of tie Government service. in it, very smallest
calls ana minutiae. But vast an amount oil at
tenton has been bestowed mp TO date on The
mercs, trihcs Of routine discipline ana so h',e
given to securing and maintaining efficient service
in the really important and responsible administrative
posts OF the Treasury that the venture Is already
In serious danger Of being taken by candid obS'rVcs
for piece OF cheap political huniug rather IMAM
q genuine effort to improve TIE quality Of the De
partmets work. In the newspaper columns
In which it is daily announced that the secretary Of
the Treasury is 10 begin has begun q wedding
ont" process which will Increase The efficiency oi the
force under him from 10 to Ii per cent can be-
found significant lists of chief clerks and heads al
divisions. long in The department service. dismissed
summary without cause by the Secretarys son ana
wicked partner TO make for political de
pcndcns and Democratic camp followers. After Inc
three months rule OF Logan Carlisle In the Treasury
fcw Of the more responsible posts In the department
are now left in the hands Of officials who have risen
to those grades after long and mer'orious service
and the impairment OF efficiency resulting from these
wholesale removals Of experienced and competent
heads OF divisions to make places for merely partisan
appointees is already only too patent 10 any Ole who
is oblig,A TO do business with the department.
To Offset the bad effect Of the ravagcs. OF his
wicked" son among the mole important and rcsponl-
bic posts in the Treasury service The vru0S Se''tar!
has now conceived The ingenious plan of naugur'ing
formidable and searching inquiry into the merit ana
efficiency of the great force Of clerks in snbordinat"
pestions who have rcspo 1sibhy whatever. and
the quality of whose WORK depends almost entirely
on the intelligent supervision and direction OF the
bureau chiefs and head, of divisions whose services
have becH cpnplacently dispensed with in ORDER
10 paw political debts. Having allowed his son to
break down as far as practicable the efficiency OF the
Treasury force by treating the vitality Important
posts as mere party spells, the Secretary Is now
enthusiastically endeavorrC to diver, attention from
this piece Of administrative folly by II series OF
yrtonslv severe Investigations Into the capacity and
industry OF the lower grades Of the force" IL"
me: he'd pursued this last spa>m of administrative
reform" is fairly illustrated In the following cir
cular issued the other day TO the heads Of divisions
in the Treasury Department
Gentlemen: You will please furnish this oace
division Of appontments) statement giving the follow
inc Information far as it pertains 10 your respective
offices divisions:
second the number If persons authorized or en-
Moved in each division tho number that are males ana
the number females With the total number oil no'h S
Third the o the persons employed III ea'h
DIVISION the number Of years each has boa employed III
the department and number who ente cd the service
under the civil Service law Of January 49, 1873
FOURTH the number employed in each division VINO
have wives husbands brothers sister. sons daughters
or other relatives employed the Treasury Department or
any other Government establishment in Washington
Fifth. the number Of persons employed III cs'h u'''
as clerks or cthcrw sc. with compensation eNee"ihs ""
rate Of 500 per annum, who are doing duty apptais
t. me POSITIONS CT and tina, should BE- pfo'"eu ~
mess nycrs assistant messengers a6orers, an" te mum
hr OF persons each division employed a. mc''"hfe''
assistant messengers. wstchmen or laborers VINO are aoS
clerical duties alpertahine to higher 'saHea o"ciS
You viii please make this work special ana iuf'h u'c
same not later thon the 18th Respectfully yonis
j. G.. CARLISLE. secretary
The information gathered by Mr.. Carlisle as to The
age of his female clerks and the number Of r'iNra
each employe has IN Office will no doubt b. promptly
used rs a basis for some measure Of rcforni' IN
crea sing the efficiency OF the service from 10 10
Is per cent? Those clerks who following the
Secretary's own example. believe that pnp"c ''"'
is family snap and have wide circle oil con
nectons in the Government service. may Tor IN
stance be selected most deserving OF promouon
for hcir enterprise and family spirit Or. again rs
the result Of these interesting inquiries administrative
reform NAV take the line OF rrgradins ihr female
force in the Treasury on the ime-honoreh pr'hoipe
OF age before beauty" some other equally gallant
What will really come Of all this upiurning oil uhr
personal and official history of the Treasury employees
no one II feed foresce. Only tn" other Gay WE
busy clerks received orders foroddine them reading
wspa pers. induging in conversation with each other
TO any one inside or outside Treasury abou' The
business of the Department TN; may or lS n ,
be fore'aste OF the risDrs which threaten l''
Treasury employees from the impeding pr'ghil ~,
vestiraiIons. 1t seems clear however NAT ,ley VIII
have uneasy month or TWO VIM lh' 'I, n
is working Of his accumulated reform zeal on hrI
meanwhile giving his wicked son ana associate Il
rein complete the actual dcnoralla,lol 81 w.
service by treating all The important ana resp"n,i"
Treasury posts much ma erial for mere partisan
one can Judge what the present ordeal which the
clerks have TO 90 through with IS from h' io%m'g
Each Government employe Is required to d",,Arr
whether he has daughter. father or mother,
brother sister. an uncle or aunt cousin nrpnIm
service of the Washington Departments Ai'cr lie
or she mas successfully overcome thrsc preliminary
difficulties, 1t is then made necessary Tor each 10 az"
clare whether there Is in the Government service any
or great srandHoer or grtal gran,
wildering list Of great uncc's sons ana great nhc'S
granddaughter and cousins Of every other dcSf'';;
After these come questions rs II" " m u'sr'oS VI
affinity. which are most p'rPeNing 81 az. -
After the gentle female clerk has declared npon
honor that She has grandsonn-law. no eT'nd
law in any Of the Government departments she, or
her fellow clerk Of the cpPo,ite SEX H., Is sacn RE, re-
best Of her or his knowledge or belief any person
in any branch of the Government, s.rvicc BEARING
Great grandfahcr-inlaw. great Grandmoihcr,in,law
great grand.cnin-law great granannnin'c c, mlaM,
fn.law Of great uncle. grand son, inlaw OF grea,
uncle. granddaughter Of great uncle son,ina% "i
law law Of nephew. daughter-n-law OF nephew son-In
law Of niece or daughternl,sw Of Niece herca nvovoa
In The answer to these last pn,%tions' particularly
among clerks from %nc family e t are Of d pcrHs
intrcacy, which. II Is said, IS ca,shg SOM OF 'hc
clerks loss OF sleep and unlvaing be"ildcrmrht'