Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03

49, an increase u CO oNCA thS
previous year.
The report states that the requirement
Of law that the appointments In the lie
partments at Washington shall be appor-
toned to the states. territories and the
District of Columbia on the basis Of popu-
lation has been carefully observed. and
that great pains are taken to see that APP
plicants are actual bona fide residents OF
the states in which they claim residence
Every state has received substantially Its
due share OF appointments, any departure
from a automatically exact apportion-
ment being caused by the need occasionally
of filling place requiring highly technical
qualific atoms with the best qualified per
son without reference to ms place OF resi-
dence. Comparatively little attention has
been paid to the apportionment OF appoint
ments in the unclassifed service, where In
fiuence of one sort and another Is the ION
trolling factor.
Practical Character of the Commits
siOn's Work.
The commission states that the folly of
the mIsstatements INDUCED An as to the
questions asked in the examinations has
been so patent that they are now rarely
repeated. One Of the favorite .untruths of
the spoilsmen is that the questions are fr-
relevant or impractical, but, as matter of
relevant to the duties of the positions
sought. S.hi
Competitive Examfna tfons.
The commission states that II is not
claimed that, under all circumstances. a
system OF competitive examinations would
be best for filling all positions, but what is
claimed is that under existing conditions
this system is infinitely better than the
patronage system, which Is at present the
only alternative. Experience shows that
as a matter OF fact all the positions In the
government service. with POSSIBLY few
exceptions, can we'll be filed under the
competitive system, and In the great
ma jority OF cases they cam be better filled
in this way than in any other at present
devised. S'
The Clerical and Examining, Force.
Stress Is laid upon the importance of the
action taken by Congress in dlvorcing the
commission from the departments in the
matter OF clerical help, and putting 1t upon
an II dependent footing by placing its
whole force under it's exclusive control,
the result being the building up of force
that 1T is believed for ability and efficiency
will bear comparison with any other force
of like number in public or private en-
ployment elsewhere.
Examinations and Inspections.
The commission states that 1t has not
been able hitherto, on account of small
force and lack of sufficient appropriations
for travelling expenses, to hold examipa-
tons as the law requires, twice a year in
each state, and to make the Inspections Of
local offices sufficiently to guarantee a full
observance Of the law in these offices. In
the last two years the appropriation has
fallen short, and 1t has been impossible to
hold examinations in some of the outlying
states more than once This is not hard
~, ,,to I'D
hardship to the people living in the outly-
ing states.
The Postal Service.
About one-half of all the employees of
the classified service are in the 6lO classi-
fed post offices. In the larger offices 1t is
said that the law is now better observed
than it has ever been before, and the post
Office at Baltimore Is mentioned as one in
which marked Improvement Is shown,
and affordng an instance of the good done
by the commissions Investigations. The
Indianapolis office is also spoken of as one
which was very bad from a civil service
point of view, and which has now become
a very good office under the late and the
present postmaster. Boston and Chicago
are said to be offices where the law Is OBJ
served WELL The postmaster at Chicago
states that the character of the men Oh
tanned through examination is better than
that obtained in private business. The
postmaster at Boston states that the ma
jority of the men appointed under the late
republican administration Of the office have
been democrats. In almost all If the larger
post offices, as well as in most branches
of the departmental service at Washington,
politics have been practically eliminated
in making appointments and removals.
There have been complaints from many of
the smaller offices, showing that a large
number Of removals have been made for
political reasons, although other offepses,
liz Df @I1@
ed as the ground Of dismissal. In some
offices there have been practically clean
sweeps.
Railway Mail scrtice.
Here the law has been absolutely OBJ
served, and neither appointments nor re-
movals have been made for political rea
sons. The commission points out obiec
tons to the bill which passed the House
Of Representatives at the last session for
the reinstatement of the railway mail
clerks turned out in the spring of 1889,
after the change OF administration.
Indian school Service.
1t is said that gratifying progress has
been made in the administration of the
civil service law In connection with this
service; that the great majority of those
appointed have been retained, and that new
appointments have been made on a basis
consideration. 1t is said that the super
intendent of Indian schools has testified
in the most emphatic manner to the good
conferred by the civil service law and TO
The extreme difficulty there would he in
managing his office effectively in the in
terest of the Indians were it not for the
protection afforded by the law.
Reasons for Dismissal.
The report states that from the terms
of the law politics should and rightfully
car have nothing to do with continuance
in or exit from the service, but that I'M
fortunately in many cases the facts have
been otherwise, and that to some extent
religious and political reasons will influence
dismissals until there is requirement of
law or rule that not only shall the reasons
for dismissals be made a matter of record
and be made known to the person dis
missed, but that he also be given an OPP
portunity to be heard in his owr defense
In this liz e practice has been lately
introduced by the Postmaster General in
the postal service. which. far as results