Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-21
LOCAL CIVIL SERVICE
Bankers and Merchants Generally Favor
the Extension.
Petitions to the President Being Ex-
tensively Signed by Leading Busi-
ness Men-Views Expressed.
From the Washington Times.

From the Washington Times.
That the sentiment of the financial and
mercantile community is largely in favor
| OF the extension of civil service reform IN
| the federal service, and especially to Dis
| trict offices. clearly appears from the many
| expressions commendatory of that reform
| which have been obtained of late from
| representative men of Washington.
The adverse action of the board of trade
| upon the resolution favoring the extension
OF the civil service regulations 80 as to In
clude District offices in the classified serv-
Ice carries little weight, for the reason
that 1t was taken under a misrepresenta-
| ton, and the matter will undoubtedly be
again brought to the attention OF the
members under circumstances which Will
permit mature and Intelligent express
sion of collective opinion.
Some valuable evidence of the opinions
| of men OF finance and business upon this
| subject may be obtained from the Pc
| titions which have lately been circulated
by the Civil Service Reform Association,
| requesting the President to extend the pro-
! visions OF the civil service law to the
| offices OF the District These petitions
| have been withdrawn from circulation be-
| cause of the belief that the President mas
| no power to make the extension desired,
| and that the reform asked for must De
| obtained from Congress.
| The pet1t1OnS IN question: ucCidio ehae
4 the merit system" embodied In the
| civil service law, insuIes good govern
| ment and in a great measure prevents
| those abuses that too long have been per.
mitted to endure in the civil service OF
| our country. We believe that the applica.
| ton OF this principle to the government OF
the District Is desired by the people mere.
| and that 1t will result in more ei1iclent
service than has hitherto been possible
One Of these petitions, circulated among
| bankers has received the following sigma
| lures:
John Joy Edison. vice president OF tne
| Washington Loan and Trust Company and
secretary OF the Equitable Building ana
| Loan Association: Charles c. Glover, OF
| Riggs x Co.; l.. $. Parker, president Co
| lumbia National Bank; c. j. Bell, president
| American Security and Trust Company;
| Daniel b. Clarke. president National Bank
| of the Republic, &. A. James, president
| Bank OF Washington; George C. Henning'
president Traders National Bank; +. =;
| Stevens, president West End National
Bank: George W. Brown and James T..
| Fitch, OF Bell Il Co.; W. E. Clarke, presi-
dent Central National Bank: BENJAMIN r.
| SNYDER president OF the National SaIe
| Deposit Savings and Trust Company
Lewis johnson Davis. of Lewis Johnson q
! Co: f. H. Smith, president Union Savings
Bank; e. $. Johnson; president president cln nSsisr
| ohio National Bank, and John Z. Eckion'
| cashier Second National Bank
Another petition was signed with the per.
| gOnal
| which are given below:
| S. w. Woodward: Il cannot but think
! its adoption would be OF great assistance
| to the Commissioners of the Dlstrlct IN
| their management of the affairs or the
1,District and result In great benefit TO locai
| interests as we'll"
A. M Lothrop: 81 believe it would be
| for the best interest Of our city to adopt
| the civil service law"
| Edward p. Mertz: 81 heartily tndorse
ths petition and the remarks of Messrs
| Woodward & Lothrop."
w b. Moses e. Sons: I'VE are in favor
| of any movement that will benefit or I'M
prove the offices of this territory. We
| recognize the injurious effect OF worthy
| assistants clerks etc, being forced out OF
| cftice to make room for the satellite of a
man who has no interest in this city,.
George w. Cochran: Il have always
| been of the opinion that all appointments
to public office should be on the merits
| Of the applicants, and that promotions
should follow merit and dismissals only
for cause In word. the same system
| should obtain In public office that is car
| ried out in private enterprise.
| A. Lisner: IT heartily indorse civil serv-
ice for the District. have always believed
besides it cannot fail to benefit the Dis
| trict"
R. Harris & Co.: 1--WE indorse the fore
| going sentiments and believe merit should
| give tenure of Office"
I Judd & Detweier: I'VE cheerfully ap-
prove the idea of placing the District gov
| eminent Off1CfalS as Tar as possible under
| civil service rules
Thomas Somerville & Sons, B. H. Stine-
l metz Son, Saks & Co.: 1--WE heartily in
dorse and approve Of the object covered
4 by the petition and earnestly hope the eff
| fort will be successful
| = John c. Parker: Il indorse all that is on
this paper. Business men never make
| changes In their clerical force unless 1t is
| to improve their service, and the District
4 affairs should be conducted on the same
principle: no changes unless unfit for the
service required of them"
| Myron NJ. Parker: From personal ex-
rerience 1 can say that very large
amount Of a Commissioners time is con-
sumed by members of Congress and others
| importuning for Office. The patronage Of
the District government is a source Of
material weakness, and should be removed
by the application of civil service laws"
| A list Of the members of the Civil Service
| Reform Association will also show the
/ character Of those who favor this reform
in the District. Such a list follows
w. B. Webb, Rev. Alexander Mackay
Smith, John Joy Edison, Rudolph Kauff-
mann, F. l.. Siddons, Charles w. Stetson,
Adolph G. Wolf, Charles c. Glover. August
| Donath, Chauncey McKeever, Joseph G.
Gurley. Franklin T., Howe, H. B. F. Mac
farland ]. NJ Saunders. T. A. Cruikshank.
William F. willohghby. Rev. E. NJ. New
| man. Daniel Murray. Charles F. Benjamin,
| Francis E. Leupp, Ferdinand Schmidt, F.
| c. Mendenhall, Charles Sturtevant, Charles
| c. Snow, A. l.. Sturtevant, Charles E. Fos-
ter, George w. Hill, Henry E. Pellew. Wes-
| ton Flint, Theodore L: DeLand John w.
| Douglass, william A. Hungerford, DIR.
Charles w. Richardson, B. w. Johnson,
| George Smart, Robert J. Boyd D. Lynn,
| Jr.; Chase Roys, Arthur L. Russell, Rev.
| J.. Stern, Dr. John Stearns, Philip Gerry,
/ Harry English, Marshall Macdonald, P. NJ.
Hughes, DR.. H. NJ Barton H. H. Classic,
| Noel P. Aldrich, Samuel G. Ward, Rufus
H. Thayer, Alexander Wolf. Rev. Teuns
| Hamlin, Anthony Pollock, j. H. Ralston.
| DIR. E. L. Gurley, Jules Guthridge, Benja-
| min F. Leighton, Tallmadge A. Lambert,
\ j. Havens Richards, DR.. John NJ. Gregory,
| w. c. Langdon, jr., and Charles King.