Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-17
The Board of Trade and Civil Service
Reform.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
AS a member of the board Of trade, who
was present at the annual meeting held
last Mon Jay evening, the writer Is OF the
opinion, judging from the press reports,
that more Or less misrepresentation exists
as to the treatment accorded the civil SER
vice reform resolution by the board of
trade. This resolution, heartily approving
the proposed extension of the operations
of the civil service law to the government
of the District of Columbia, came before
the board, it will be RENE mbered, as hav-
ing been unanimously adopted by the board
of directors and recommended to the board
of trade for Endorsement.
First, DIR. Pardon made a brief speech on
the subject, which, unfortunately, has been
construed by some in sense very different
from that in which he intended it, Indeed,
a few moments later, he was on the point
of Offering an amendment Indicative of his
stand In favor of placing our local offices
under the protection Of the civil service
law, when all further proceedings were
summarily cut short by the ill-timed and
ill-advised motion of Mr.. Jesse b. Wilson
to lay the subject on the table Mr.. VIII
son, 1t may be added, finds but little COM
pany in his position among the other bank
presidents of the city, all of whom, with
the exception of two, who could not be
found at the time, have signed a petition
in favor of the proposed essentially bust
ness system of conduc ting our municipal
government
DR.. Fardon's recent outspoken and salts
factory communication, printed a few days
ago in your columns, makes 1t clear that
he holds views of an advanced type in
favor Of better methods of managing our
civil service. His published criticism of and
objection to the pending resolution was
that it stopped short of expressing all that
1t should set forth. There now appears to
be no cause for dispute between DR.. Far
don and those advocating the. approval by
the board of trade of the principles of
more businesslike administration" Let
them Join hands, add a strong recommended
ton in favor of home rule"-Dfstrict men
only for District offceS-and perhaps make
other notifications in the direction of
strengthening the resolutions, and then
surely there, will be no difficulty in securing
from the board of trade proper considera-
ton of the problem whose solution, SO ad-
mirably pointed out in the editorial columns
of The Star a few evenings ago. means so
much for the business and all other inter-
ests Of the national capital.
The action Of the<b board of trade likewise
may not be well understood by those not
present at the meeting. The occasion being
the annual meeting of the board 1t was
necessary under the bylaws to have read
and to consider twenty or thirty committee
reports, some very lengthy. to elect di-
rectors by ballot, &c. There was, in short
flood of business to be disposed of In
the one evening.
1t is only fair to the board of trade to
state this fact, giving rise, of course, to
the strong presumption that the resolu-
ton relative to the including of the Dis
trict offices under the classified service was
laid on the table merely in order that IL
might be inteiligently and properly con-
sidered at the next meeting. 1t would be