Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-27

Theory and practice do not always &C
cord. The most inviting plans frequently
turn out to be failures when serious effort
is made to practically apply them. This,
however, cannot be said of civil service
reform. for the more there Is OF reform the
greater Is the efficiency of the public serv-
ice. To this Postmaster-General Bissell
testifies strongly in his annual report. In
that more than ordinarily interesting docu-
ment the Postmaster-G General states that
nearly thirty-three thousand employees in
the post-ofice establishment are under the
protection of the civil service law. AS an
illustration OF the efficiency of the law as
thus applied, he cites the case Of the Rail-
way Mail Service, which, when looted for
political purposes In 1889. at once fell off
In efficiency, from 1904 correct routings
to 1 error, to 1854 to 1. After the service
came under the operations of the civil SER
vice law the ratio began to rise. until, in
1893 1T stood I,144 to 1, and in 1894 it was
1881 to 1, an unprecedented record.
Not unnaturally the Postmaster-General
reaches the conclusion that If so much of
civil service reform is good that a great
deal OF 1t would be better, so, after re-
ferring to the fact that wherever it Is pos
sibie to do so without serious detriment to
the service vacancies above the classified
grades have been filled by promotion, Mr.
Bissell remarks:
If a sy stem which relieves the appoint
Ing officers OF the department of a great
burden, which protects the service by re-
curing reasonable test OF competency
before an appointment is made, and which
assures the appointee that his tenure will
be undisturbed long as his efficiency
and good behavior continue, has produced
such good results in the clerical force of
the department, it is reasonable to inquire
whether something like it could not be ap-
piled with advantage to the lower grades
of postmasters."
The backbone OF all argument favorable
to civil service reform is the unassailable
fact that the system is based upon bust
ness principles, and is completely and
gratifyingiy non-partisan; to this feature
of the debate the Postmaster-General de-
votes himself with highly commendable
vigor. Recognizing the probability that
complete rerorm-a thoroughly satisfactory
automatic system OF postal administration
will not be achieved for some years, he
nevertheless assumes that the good sense
or the American people will surely prevail
ere long, to the enforcement OF partisan
politics and business. From the day when
our post-off1ce department commenced to
be there has been improvement in our
postal service, but every advance that has
been made has been in spite Of the spoils
system; which has up to this time been
stumbling block of great magnitude in
the path IF successive departmental heads
who have been anxious to promote better
ments. AS things are now the Postmaster
General is compelled to give up the larger
part OF his time and attention to the settle
ment OF controversies about appointments,
to the exclusion of all other business" To
nhI tn list in n Sn
himself by giving the country such a
postal service as it should have-present
cenditions-improyed as they have been by
the civil service law-muSt be most irk-
some. As to this, Mr. Bissell testities
powerfully. He declares that:
improvements in administrative meth
DDS, investigation OF abuses, economy OF
expenditure-everythi thing, In short, or per-
manent advantage TO the puDnc-muSt give
way to this one absorbing but temporary
interest, the selection OF some tens OF
thousands OF appointees from among some
scores OF thousands of candidates. IL an
appointment when finally made were 10
last during the good behavior of the APP
pointee, the time spent in making the
choice would not seem so nearly wasted.
But, under the practice TO Ypich long
usage has given somewhat the force OF an
unwritten law, the process is unending.
The same weary round must be trod
through the four years OF one adm1nlStra-
ton, only to be retIod through the four
years of the next, and so on through an
infinite succession OF administrations.
few years ago the politicians would
have jeered and hooted at a cabinet officer
who would speak as plainly In behalf OF
civil service reform as Postmaster-General
BisselI has done. The practical politician
unfortunately for the republics still In
existence But where are his jeers today?