Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-09
PRINTERS AND CIVIL SERVICE
Talk About Including Them in the Olassi-
fed List.
What Mr.. Benedict Says-A Merit Sys-
tenn Already In Force in the
Government ONCE.

q Oennlte eHOrt WOulQ De MADE In the IN
terval before Congress should assemble
to put a considerable number Of the en-
ployes in the government printing office
under the civil service rule. The special
encouragement for this movement is the
fact that President Cleveland has several
times expressed himself in favor of such
action. and 1t Is believed that whenever
the Typographical Union and the friends OF
civil service reform agree on a program
the thing will be done. But the initiatory
steps come. 1t is said, from the civil serv-
Ice commission, ard thus far the Typo
graphical Union has not assented. and Is
not likely to assent, to the action proposed.
The union now maintains in the govern
ment printing office a system which the
members Of the union claim is essentially
as effective as any examination which the
commission could make of candidates for
positions in the office. By this system an
applicant must be a union printer. holding
his union card, showing he has worked
four years at his trade. and when admit
ted he is given a place only on probation.
standing committee of printers In his
chapel" after a suitable time. usually a
month or six weeks, makes a formal re-
port on him to the foreman Of the room
and the man goes or stays, according to
that report. This is what the union calls
its civil service, and 1t is claimed by men,
bers of the union that this method Sc
cures the best skilled labor available and
keeps out Objectionable workmen.
Printers Satisfied.
This Is all the civil service large Lum-
ber Of the printers want. The union has
been opposed to putting the office under the
civil service rules. 1t was today rumored
that several "chapels'' in the printing Of
flee had declared in favor of the PROPOSE
ton, and would petition that the action de-
sired by civil service advocates be taken.
Ia n G
say nothing of the probabilities in the sit
uation. Secretary Padgett of Columbia
Typographical Union said when the matter
was mentioned to him that he knew moth
ing of it. II am very sure" said he, there
has been no chapel action upon that prop
osition. OF course, there Is talk all the
while about putting the government print
ing Office under civil service rules. But so
far 1t is only talk. We know that the prop
osition will come to be seriously considered,
just as we believe that civil service has It's
friends and is extending itself slowly and
surely throughout the many and various
parts of the public service. But it is not
here yet, so far as the government printing
office is concerned"
What MIR. Benedict Says.
Public Printer Benedict said the matter
was all news to him. 'In effect, we have
civil service here" said Mr.. Benedict. I'VE
keep the best skilled labor and dispense
with that which is untitled for our work.
The policy during the two terms that I
have been fere has been to keep only COM
petent workmen, and now We are trying to
have here only as many as can earn in six
days of full labor the wages provided for
them by statute; When l went out of this
office in 1889 left 2.132 employees on the
rolls and at work here. When I came back
I found 1862, or 1.430 more than were here
in 1889. Nearly all were people who were
working by the piece three or four days a
week. Well. any one can see that such
state of things was squarely against the
efficiency of the office. Such half hands
cannot be as efficient as whole-week hands.
We had no right to ask competent men to
share their loaf with these extra people.
The force had to be reduced, and it was
done practically on examinations. AS
matter of fact. we are having examinations
continually. Everything a man does here
is practically done in competition with
others.
A Competitive Examination.
For instance, we give out to 200 COM
pos tors 200 equal takes of copy. In five
or ten minutes $50 Of those men will dump
their sticks on the 'galleys.' and so Of
them will be behind. In a minute or two
the others come in with theirs. We know
the 30 who keep the 40 waiting. We know
the 40 that keep 16O waiting. We know
the 80 that keep 17O waiting. We know the
20 that keep the 1SD waiting. We know the
10 that keep the 100 waiting. When the
force Is to be reduced we know just who
ployes are kept. And let me say that this
office has never had better skilled labor
than 1t has now. The use of the type
setting machines has displaced men that
heretofore would never have thought Of
coming here.
"The idea Of putting the Office under the
rules is new to me- continued Mr.. Bene-
dict. IL don't thiDl, the Typographical
Union has taken any action on 1t. If 1t
has don't know it. There are consdera-
tions that do not commend the proposition
to printers already here.
Appointments by Quota.
'If the office were under the civil service
rules, appointments would be apportioned
to the states, which would certainly change
the prospect for printers living here.
'If the idea IS to relieve the office from
pressure. that is another matter, but 1 do
not consider II q sufficient ground for the
change. In all the removals 1 have made
here 1 have never had a Senator or men,
her insist on my keeping an employe who
was objected to on the ground of unftness
doubt II the civil service rules would save
US at all in that regard
"Of course, the idea has been, and will be-
talked Of, and 1t may be done some time
Yet, as 1 said, there Is not the demand for
1t that there may seem to be-"