New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-11
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSION.
THE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION THAT RESULTED
IN Mr.. JoHNsTON'S EEMOvAL-pIOGREsS
MADE IN TILE RIGHT DIRECTION.


IN Mr.. JomNsToN's ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MADE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
| Washington. Dec. 1o-The Civil Service Commits
sion has sent to the President two reports cover
ing the opera tons of the commission during the
| last year the majority repor. being signed by
| Mr. Lyman and Mr.. Roosevelt, and the minority
| by Mr. Johnston. The majority report shows that
| the great feature in the operations OF the COM
mission has been the work done in connection with
the extension Of the classified service to all free
delivery posoiilces. This is. perhaps. the most
important extension that has ever taken place
under the Civil Service law. The only one APP
proximating to II was the extension of the cassi-
fed service to the railway mail service in 1859.
BY this extension there added to the cassi-
fed in 557 offices total OF 1850 employees.
The addition OF this large number of Offices and
employees to the service very nearly doubled the
work Of the commission.
AS to excepted places. the reports say that the
commission il and more convinced that In
the great majority Of cases II IL positive detri-
ment 70 the service to except them. This applies
not only II the postal service. but also 70 the
departmental service at Washington. whore the
chiefs OF division and many other offices are eX-
cepted the commission firmly believes 10 the deTl-
ment OF the public service
The commission again earnestly calls attention
10 the evil results of the present system OF having
a salary limit 10 the classified service In the Gus
tom houses The classification should be by grade
and by salary.
| EXPERIENCE WITH TIE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE
The report speaks in the highest terms OF the re-
| suits of placing the railway mall service uhder
| Civil Service rules, and says:
| "If Civil Service rcformers have ever wished 10
point to satisfactory object lesson In reform they
| can well afford to take the railway mall service.
At the time OF the changes OF administration IN 1879
and 1889 the railway mall service was unclassihea'
! and accordingly, with each change OF parties great
| blocks of railway mai! clerks were changed ana
| the whole service demoralized and thrown out OF
| gear to the great dciiment of the business IN
| terests of the country In 1898. the service hi'hs
| been classified nearly four years. the chahse OF
parties produced scarcely ripple among the pos'a
| clerks Over half the In the service had been
apponted under the Civil Service law. wholly WIN
On, regard TO politics and all were doing their
| dutv faithfully wholly without regard to the po-
utical complexion OF their superior ohlcerH a. :"
| always the case in a classified ONCE where' as
matter OF experience. II has been iouho 'a' just
| as faithful service is rendered by men VINO po-
utically disagree with their superiors as b. those
who are politically in accord with them The postal
clerks had nothing to fear from the change OF
| Administration. They continued to do their Work
fairly and honestly and they were leit uhhoeS'en'
In the case OF the railway mail service 'he c"SSh'-
cation acted like magic in putting a nearly com
pIete stop to changes for partisan reasons. II was
the unseemly exhibitions which accompanies me
wholesale removal Of railway NAL cierKs " , rssr
on the general subject Of civil Service REFORM
~ In reference to the questions OF appointment:
ehuae d oi The FIRST REHABILITATION that the facts
show that the more barbarous me nation me nor
life and that the grsana adopi9n OF ~ tbn cy
TEN such as that which Is esiaDs"c p one Of the
tests of q nations progress IN ciNHi]a'o"'
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Commissioner Johnston. in his minority report
takes issue with his colleagues as 10 the eAtonso"
Of the classified service ordered January D. N'' 10
include free-delivery postoliices. He obJectcd' he
sovs 10 the extension at the time IL was piopoSe"'
hut after the order was issued he say" ne en-
doavored as In duty bound, to enforce IT, but MS
onnlon OF the measure has never changed lie
thought then, as he thinks now that uhnet ."e
circumstances with the commission crippled ipa
want Of clerical force with which 70 90 even S, Va
ms ano work OF the commission. II was III advised
unfair and harmful TO the cause Vi w" '''0
The American peope says Mr. JohnsIon aery vice.
aze that the extension OF the ct e,in rrforu
When hat extension increases BY thousdnds tn-
representatives n oce Of party %hI ihe memsrs
Of the other party n CLASSIFIED pace one ~ and Nd When
portion Of probably d three Or 5 SuT 10 S@ mist
and goes into effect shortly before me Govern az, IL
IS turned oyer rs e " aSl parS
be friendly the cause OF CIVIL SERVE d rn Of
All partIes as non-partsan measure and II is
didlcujt 10 reconcile 1t TO believers IN st In
civil Service reform helpful rnpisr,.
that worthy and good cause. II s not up i.sris
that such Civil Service reform should De :,
70 the members OF the non-benehciary parry; anu
NAV account at least In part, for the Ditter p rS
dice against the system which exists III oe''''"
quarters to-day.
The sending to the President Of this minority re-
mort brought to a crisis the serious per- ua, UNI
official differences that ever since Mr. JohhStho
apnointment as a member Of the commission; nave
erisfed between him and his colleagues ahd II ~
Understood that Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. LYMAN az
once laid the matter before the PresidenL repre-
Santing that as Mr. Johnston's views differed 80
radically from those Of the majority sn sa ha fu the
nersonnei OF the commission could longer remain
as then existing. The result was slr. johnston
dismissal.