The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-11
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Two Reports Sent in Concerning the
Operations Of the Law.

Operations Of the Law.
Washington, Dec 10.-rhe civil service
commission sent to the Pres ident two re
ports concerning the operations of the
commission during the last year, the ma
jority report being signed by Mr.. Lyman
and Mr. Roosevelt, ana the minority by
Mr.. Johnston.
The majority report shows that the
great feature in the operations of the
commission has been the work done in
connection with the extension of the
classified service to all free delivery post
offices. This is, perhaps, the most i'm
portant extension that has ever taken
place under the civil service law. The
only one approximating to it, was
the extension of the classified service to
the railway mail service in 1889 By this
extension there were added TO the classi-
fed service in the 557 offices classified,
total Of $50 employees. The addition of
this large number of Offices and en-
ployes TO the service nearly doubled the
work of the commission.
WORKS WELL.
While great good has resulted to the
service by this extension the system
seems to work better in the larger Offices
than in the smaller ones, yet even in the
hUldllGSb IL NOIhS Ilutu DtJtCf budn inc
old system worked but in these il is
difficult to prevent the law being invaded,
and for that reason tho commission is
strongly of the opinion that ii should be
allowed to investigate and report upon all
cases of removal and should be given
power TO administer oaths and examine
witnesses.
OBJECTION TO EXCEPTED PLACES.
AS to excepted places the report SAYS
that the commission is more and more
convinced that in a great majority of
cases it is a positive detriment TO the
service to except them. This applies not
only to the postal service but also the de-
partmental service at Washington, where
the chiefs OF divisions and many
other officers are expected, as the commits
sion firmly believes, TO the detriment
of the public service. A large proportion
of the present excepted places the report
says, ought TO be struck from the list,
and appointments thereto should be made
by open competitive examination, or by
promotion. The latter should undoubt-
edly be the method applied in most cases.
The committee again earnestly calls
attention to the evil results OF the pres
ent system of having a salary limit 70 the
classified service in tho custom house.
The classification should be by grade and
not by salaries.
THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE
The report speaks In the highest terms
of the results Of placing the railway mail
service under civil service rules, and says
IF civil service refOrmers ever wish TO
point 10 satisfactory object lesson Of
the reform they can well afford TO take
the railway mail service. At the time of
the change Of administration in 1886 and
1899, the railway mail service was unclas-
si6ed and, accordingly. with each change
of parties great blocks of railway mail
clerks we're changed, and the whole SER
vice demOraliZed and thrown out Of gear,
to the great detrlmeut Of business interests
of the country. In 1893. the service hay-
ing been classified nearly four years, the
change of parties produced scarcely a
ripple among tue postal clerks. Over
half the men IN the service had been ap-
pointed under the civil service law, wholly
without regard to politics, and all were
doing their duty faithfully, wholly with
out regard to the political COM
plexion of their superior Off
GERS, as is always the case in
a classified Office, where. as a matter Of
experience, II has been found that just as
faithful service is rendered by the men
who politically disagree with their supe-
riOrs as by those who are politically in
accord with them. The postal clerks had
nothing TO fear from the change Of ad-
ministratiou. They continued TO DO their
work fairly and honestly and they
were left unmolested. In the case Of