Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-19
CLERKS AND COMMISSION
Is the Board of Experts Prejudiced
Body2
BEGINNING Their Work With Precon-
cefved Disgust and Horror Of Old
Methods - The Treasury.

mission investigating Treasury Department
| business methods for Mr.. Dockery's COM
mittee do not meet with general acqui-
escence among clerks and officials. A COR
| respondent of The Star writing over the
nom de plume Glorious makes some vigor-
Gus comments on the views of the commits
sion as reported in an article published by
The Star on the 9th instant from George
Grantham Balm. "If the article referred
| to, says 'Clericus,' may be taken as a
fair and impartial statement of facts, rep
resenting truly the views of the expert
| commission. one cannot but entertain we'll
grounded fears as to the correctness and
justice OF the conclusions at which they
may arrive or doubt whether reforms
| which they may recommend will be for the
best interest of the public service.
ANY jury, commission, or other body,
| whether laymen or experts, charged with
the duty of investigating any particular
/ fact or state of facts, or of examining into
and reporting upon the merits or defects of
any system. are by all elementary princi-
pies of right and justice required to enter
upon their duties with minds free from bias
or prejudice of any kind, and without any
preconceived notions or opinions which
would tend to influence their impartial
| Judgment.
Your correspondent adverting to an al
legged fact. that since 1900 the government
mas been vainly endeavoring to simplify the
business methods of the departments; that
the needed reforms never went very far be-
cause the work was Undertaken by depart
ment officials who had every reason to be
satisfied with the existing condition of af.
lairs. proceeds to say: The experts who
are doing the work now are not department
people. They have no interest with the de-
partment people, and no sympathy with de-
partment methods. In fact they have about
as strong disgust for the system as they
can possibly have
Does such feeling as this on the part of
tne experts augur fair impartial and
Judicious Investigation?
one having some familiarity with the b,s
tory OF our country would reasonably sup-
pose tnat the great men and able financiers
| VINO have filled the office of Secretary of
Ihe treasury since the days of Alexander
Hamilton with honor and marked snccess
| had some knowledge OF the business meth-
| ous OF the department over which thew pre-
sided, and that If they had found the sys.
TEN 10 De as faulty and defective as il an
pears to the expert commission they would
nave so expressed themselves and nut forth
| efforts for reform w.
What mistake II was on the part NJ
sir. eleveiand In not appointing some rail-
ioau oHclal as Secretary of the Treasury
instead OF MIR. Carlisle. who has for long
/ years rendered honorable ana distinguished
. ssrvlce IN the legislative department of the
fSoFefhment, but Is not fresh from the
| management of real business matters for
active business concerns" and must there.
iore be considered an Odd official satisfied
with the existing condition OF affairs ;"
CierlcuS suggests that no railroad COM
| pany desiring an investigation of its husi
| ness methods would consent TO vigorously
exclude from the board of Investigation ali
ramroad orlclals or persons familiar with
i vvtnt bAas,
investigation in the hands of persons having
| no sympathy with railroad people or rail.
ROAD methods, but entertaining the strongest
possible disgust therefor.
Doubtless" he says, 1.-THE business meth
DDS of the departments may be simpliiied
and excrescences which have fastened
themselves TO the original system may be
| judiciously Topped Oft. and methods adopted
which will expedite the dispatch of the pub
lie business. This, however, will be accom-
| plished only by fair and reasonable inyesti-
CATION, with spirit ready to accord TO the
existing system such merit as il has and
without disgust and horror therefor.
The system" the writer continues "is
by no means wholly respon sble for the con-
gested state OF the public business. The re-
suit would be quite different If every clerk
devoted his best energies and abilities to
his work. The expert commission will find
out by proper investigation, that some
clerks Including goodly number Of old
clerks) do four or i've times as much work
as others, who seek by all manner of de-
vices to do as little as possible. Again. un-
der the existing system of the civil service
chiefs of division are excepted from classi-
fed service. and appointed directly from
the outside. They come in entirely ignorant
or the important duties of the divisions over
which they are to preside. Consequently
they are more of a hindrance than a help
to the clerks placed under them. and they
perform no work themselves How differ
emit from the old-time systems, under which
the best equipped clerk was promoted TO he
chief of division. and came into the posi-
ton able to assist and instruct those under
him, and to perform large amount of work
himself
Upon the whole, the system of the Treas
ury Department inaugurated by Hamilton
and which remains practically the same TO-
day, has been a remarka BILE success 1t has
received the unqualified appreciation of dis
tinguished persons from other lands, who
have carefully examined it, and whose opin-
ions are entitled to respect. 1t has stood
the practical test of 1o4 years, during which
time the losses arising from fraud or mis-
take within the treasury in it's accounting
system have been trivial and insignificant
Can as much be said for railway corooe "a
items, banks and other business concerns,
which are managed by business eXpsrts?'
The corr5 jpon1ent suggests that the
spells system has much to do with the spirit
of unl<indne3s and injustice manifested to-
ward "old clerks"