Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-12-16
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Eho Commission Reports on It's Work.
Johnston's Minority Report.

Nho Commission Reports on It's Work.
Johnston's Minority Report.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12-The majority
report of the civil service commission
for the present year is a voluminous
document of about $4,000 words
AS long as the presidents mes
sage. The portion of special interest is
that bearing on the extension of the
classified service to free delivery post
offices, by order of President Harrison,
January 3, 1898. tits from this portion
that Commissioner Johnston dissented,
land. The majority report says of this
extensions:
This act brought into the classified service
bsi offices and since its PRONUNCIATION the free
delivery service has been extended to nine
other offices, thus making the total number of
classified post Offices at this time O. l0 in
cluding the tifty-three classified prior 90 this
extension"
The salary limit to the classified
service in the custom houses 10 con-
demned and classification by grade rec
commended, Changes in the New York
custom houses are cited as examples.
The satisfactory result of the classitica-
tion of tho railway and mail service
are dealt on at length. The work of
fourth-class postmasters subject to re-
moval for partisan cause is cited in
comparison with that of railway mail
clerks to show the advantage of the
system of choosing the latter.
The report closes with statement
showing that the number of persons
connected with the civil service in the
United States is about 300, 900, and Civ
ing in detail the regulations governing
hours of labor, compensation, promo
tions, etc.
Commissioner Johnston in his minor.
ity report takes issue with his col
leagues as to the extension of the clas
sitied service ordered January 5, 1898,
to include free delivery post offices. He
thinks that under the circumstances
| with the commission crippled for want
| OF clerical force with which to do even
! the regular work of the commission, it
was ill-advised, unfair and harmful to
| the cause of civil service reform. He
says:
THE American people realize that the ex.
| tension OF the classified service does not
| necessarily mean civil service reform.
| When that extension increases by thou
I
! q party whose members already in
| classified places outnumber the members of
| the other party in classified places in the pro.
! portion of probably three or four TO one, and
! when such extension is ordered by an admin.
| istration and goes into effect shortly before
! the government is turned over to another ad.
ministration of different political faith and
| party affiliation known to be friendly to the
! cause of civil-service reform, it is difficult to
reconcile it to fairminded men of all parties
Us n uon-partisan measure and us difficult to
reconcile it to believers in genuine civil.service
reform US helpful contribution to that worthy
and good cause"
The sending to the president of this
minority report brought to crisis the
serious personal and official differences
that, ever since Mr.. Johnston's appoint
ment as member of the com
mission, have existed between hin
and his colleagues, and it il
understood that Mr.. Roosevelt anc
Mr.. Lyman at once laid the mat
ter before the president, representing
that as Mr.. Johnston's views differed
from those of the majority on the vita
questions of policy it seemed quite i'm
possible that the personnel of the com
mission could longer remain as theI
existing. The result was Mr.. John
| stou's dismissal