Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-10-12
INTERESTING.
The Facts Discovered by the Dockery.
Cockrell Investigation.
THEY ARE ASTONISHING.
Wholesale Nepotism in the Departments
at Washington Men of so and
30 Drawing Salaries-CiyiI
Service Law Of
Little Ef-

WASHINGTON, Oct 10.-The Dockery-
Cockrel1 joint commission, which is in
vestigating the executive departments
to see how the service may be i'm
proved, is gathering some surprising
information. 1t is usually considered
that one member out of a family is
enough at the public crib. The COM
mission finds 5,610 people with rela-
tives drawing salaries in the depart
mentS at Washington. Five officials
have eight relatives apiece on salaries
with them. Four have seven relatives
each in government service. Ten have
six apiece; twenty-SiX have five apiece;
ninety-six have four apiece; 2T9 have
three apiece; 1,036 have two apiece,
and 451 have one apiece. There are
II, 500 persons in the departments at
Washington, and 500, or one-third OF
them. have relatives similarly favored.
In thirty-seven cases both husband
and wife are drawing government sal
aries.
In one case, husband, wife, brother
and son, and one other relative are on
the pay roll.
In another, husband, wife, sister
and five other relatives are provided
with places.
There are ss7 cases of brothers in
service and 627 cases of sisters.
One woman clerk has her husband,
two brothers and one sister drawing
salaries with her.
Two officials have four brothers
apiece in Office, besides three other
relatives each.
The parents employed who have sons
in Office number 333.
Fifteen officials have both sons and
daughters in office.
Two have sons and daughters and
! other relatives.
This wholesale nepotisn in the de-
partments, the length and breadth of
which nobody imagined until the com
mission unearthed the facts, will be
the subject of legislation of a radical
and stringent character.
There is a very strong sentiment in
this country against civil pension
list. Yet the commission finds what
amounts to the same thing prevailing
on a large scale in the departments.
Men and women who have outlived
their usefulness are being carried upon
the pay-rolls because their superiors
are too sympathetic to dismiss them.
They do next to nothing. There is one
are six between s5 and 80 years of age;
thirty-three between so and S5 years;
thirty-six between 75 and So and 181
between 20 and 75 years. The number
between 65 and 20 is $50. The number
in the departments is over 60, which is
thought to be the limit of efficient ser
vice, is Lab, which is nearly one-hal
the entire departmental force in Wash
ington. The great defect in the gov
ernment civil service is that there is
not limit of age or service. There is
no way of getting in fresh blood There
is much truth in the old saying, that
government officials seldom die ano
never resign.
One person now in Office at Washing
ton has been drawing government pay
for sixty years Eleven have been or
the payroll forty years. One hundred
and nine have records of thirty years
Those who have held their official posi-
tions twenty years or over reach th'
number of 2,065, or one-eighth of the en-
tire force. Nearly half of the 17,59
officials in the departments have haC
ten years or more of the good salarie
and easy duties which make these posi-
tions so highly coveted.
Women now hold 5, 631 places in th
departments. They number one-thir,
of the entire payroll.
Most of the persons in Office in Wash
ington got in without having to pas
any civil service examination. The.
were in before the law went into opera
ton ten years ago, or they escaped tn
formality some way. 1t appears fror
the investigation of the commissio
that there are only 1878 officials nov
{ in service who have passed the civi
service examination, just one-ffth @
: the entire number drawing pay AZ
l cording to law there are s,021 person
/ who hold positions subject to civil SCI
: vice examination for appointment. bu
t 4, 762 of them escaped this by being i
, before the civil service law went int
S operation and sticking to their place:
: The commission has gone far enoug
q in its investigation to uncover tn
necessity for great reforms in the civ
service.