The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-19
THE CIVIL SERVICE
POINTS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE FEDERAL COMMISSIONERS.
Number of Government EmpIoyes
Protected and Unprotected by Law 2
Indiana Postoflices Criticised.

WASHINGTON, June 1S-The forthcoming
annual report OF the United states Civil
service Commission will show that the
Wnoie number OF persons regularly en-
pioyed in the civil service OF this country
Is about 100000. OF these Approximately.
one-toUrth are in the classifie1 service. sub.
Ject to comparative examinations under the
civil service rules. OF those in the unclag
sihed service, 22.0O0 are laborers. 5000 are
appointed BY the President subject to con.
nrmation by the Senate. 1900 are in the leg.
islative branch Of the Government. and
200 are in the judicial branch. The civil
service act excludes these classes from
classification The total number or posi-
tons affected by the extension OF civil
service rules from March 4. 1898, TO January
3. 1895. was s.1Si. OF these 5.5s7 were added
to the classified service by original classI-
hcation. and 2,ei1 by transfer of places
CLASSIFIED. but excepted from examination
10 list OF places subject to competitive ex-
animation. since Jan. 3 all employees of the
Agricultural Department have been brought
into the classified service except the Secre-
a private secretary to each, chief OF the
weather Bureau and his private secretary.
me chief clerk of TIE department and his
private secretary and laborers.
A comparative statement shows that at
the end of President Arthurs administra-
CLASSIFIED was, l5,5IS; at the end Of Presi-
dent Cleyeland's first term there we're - $50,
and at the end of President Harrison's ad-
ministration there were 1897 places classi-
1ed Executive acts brought 2SS7s OF the
latter number into the service. while the
1905 others. principally in posto:;ices be-
came classlned by reason OF growth from
small offices.
Investigations made at the request OF the
commission show that the salaries OF Gov
eminent clerks in the principal foreign
countries are lower than those paid by this
Government, but the pay OF higher officials
is generally more than paid here. In all OF
the principal countries an entrance exam
ination, both mental and physical is re-
9T9 ha before appointment to the service.
The tenure or office is permanent or during
good behavior. and after the employee has
become incapacitated by reason of age,
length of service or physical infirmity. ne
Is retired with a pension. the amount OF
which varies in proportion to the length OF
service from one-sixth to four-fifths or
actual salary. In some countries it is OPP
tional with the employe to retire after if-
teen years OF service. In other countries,
from thirty to thrty-five years OF service
are required before retirement. Females
are not employed at all by some govern
ments, while by others their employment is
operators and positions in the postal serv-
ice. The investigations also showed that
the hours OF labor vary. In the far north
ern, as well as in the tropical and SEMI
tropical countries, the hours of labor are
short. In nearly ALL including the
n nnted states. sne , hours , or labor OF
other government employees. The time al
lowed for lunch, the amount OF annual
leave with pay and the amount of sick
leave with pay vary in the different coun-
tries. In some the time for lunch. or rest.
or annual leave is fixed according 10 the
employees being allowed more time than
those of inferior rank Many countries
the United States. An unusually large num-
Der OF holidays is allowed. especially in the
oriental countries. They are. as rule, re-
ligiouS ones, Christmas and New Years
day being generally observed in the Euro
pean countries. In some national events are
also celebrated. The report gives an ex-
haustive review OF the investigations OK
violations of the civil-service laws.
Among the postoffices on whose investi-
CATION the commission Is still engaged Is
that at Rutland, VT. Postmaster Hanra-
han charges that the Republican employees
of his office are conspiring against him.
while they in turn charge him with making
political removals. The case has been under
consideration since last November.
The commission also lately called the at
tention Of the Postoffice Department to the
condition of many Indiana postoffices which
it regards as, on the whole, worse than
those of any other State except possibly
Mississippi In the complaint the comms-
sion stated its position follows: This
commission holds that where a postmaster
makes sweeping removals of employees OF
one party and fills the vacancies by the APP
pertinent of persons of the opposite party,
there is presumption that he is con-
trolled In the matter by political considera-
tions and is to be so judged unless he shows
to the contrary. the burden of proof rest
ing him. Undoubtedly there are cases
where such presumption will be overcome
by a disclosure OF the facts, showing that
there justifable cause for every re-
moval and that selections for appointment
were made in strict conformity 10 the civil
service rules. But even in some OF these
cases. although the record is technically
correct, the law has, nevertheless. been
evaded. Many cases have come TO the no.
tice of the commission where employees or
one political party were freely dismissed
for offenses which. perhaps, justified the
action. but which passed unnoticed when
committed by employees of the opposite po-
ltical party. A public officer is not 10 be
relieved on the charge OF partisanship when
he has applied different standards of dis
cipline to persons of opposing politics. More
over when he finds IL necessary to make
sweeping removals of employees opposed to
him in political faith, il is his duty 10 make
the public understand that he is not actu-
ated by political bias by taking such affirm
alive action as will prevent the necessity
of making appointments from registers on
which all the names are members OF his
own pOlitical party.