Evening star., 1895-06-18
THE CIVIL SERVICE
Admirable Manner in Which the
Merit System Has Improved It.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
Wide and Steady Extension of the
Classified Service.
FACTS AND FIG q r E S

FACTS AND FIG URE S
The forthcoming annual report Of the
United States civil service commission will
show that the whole number of persons
regularly employed in the civil service of
this country is about 100000. OF these ap-
proximately one-fourth are in the classified
service subject to competitive examinations
uLder the civil service rules. OF those in
the unclassified service, 22,0O0 are laborers,
5000 are appointed by the President sub
ject to confirmation by the Senate; 1850 are
in the legislative branch of the government
and 2,666 are in the judicial branch. The
civil service act excludes these classes from
classification. The total number of posi-
tions affected by the extension of civil SER
vice rules from March !, 1923, to January 8,
1895. was S,1S4. OF these 5.537 We're added
to the classified service by original classi-
fio alton, and 2,647 by transfer of places
elias sified, but excepted from examination
to list OF places subject to competitive ex-
amina ton.
Extension of the Classified Service.
Since that period about 500 positions in
the Agricultural Department have been
brought into the classified service, and
recent amendment to the rules brings all
employees of that department into the
classified service, except the Secretary and
Assistant Secretary OF Agriculture, a pri-
vate secretary to each, the chief of the
wea ther bureau and his private secretary,
the chief clerk of department and his pri-
vate secretary, and laborers and char
women.
A comp lrative statement shows that at
the end of President Arthur's administra-
ton the approximate number of positions
classified was 1858: at the end of Presi-
dent Cleveland'S first term there were 2f,-
$780, and at the end of President Harrison's
administration there were 42,92S places
classified. Executive acts brought 29,S13
of the latter number into the service, while
the 13,O55 others, principally in post offices,
became classified by reason of growth from
small Offices
Some Interesting Comparisons.
Investigations made at the request of the
commission show that the salaries of gov
ernment clerks in the principal foreign
countries are lower than those paid by this
government, but the pay of higher officials
is generally more than that paid here. In
all of the principal countries an entrance
examination, both mental and physical, Is
required before appointment to the ser
vice. The tenure of Office is permanent, or
during good behavior, and after the en-
ploye has become incapacitated by reason
of age, length of service or physical in
trinity he is retired with pension, the
amount of which varies in proportion to
the length of service from one-sixth to
four-fifths of actual salary. In some coun-
tries it is optional with the employe to re-
tire after fifteen years of service. In other
countries from thirty to thirty-hve years
of service are required before retirement.
Females are OF employed at all in some
governments, while in others their en-
ployment is limited to the work of teach
ers, telegraph operators and positions in
tHa tS1 Nhn inv ff,f,S- n leo
Shove that the hours of laEor vary. In
the far northern, well as in the tropical
and semi-tropical countries, the hours OF
labor are short. In nearly all, including
the United States, the hours of labor of
postal employees are longer than those of
other governmental employees. The time
allowed 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 to the
grade of the employe, the higher grade of
employees being. allowed more time than
those of inferior rank. Many countries are
more liberal in regard to sick leave than
the United States.
An unusually large number of holidays
are allowed, especially in the oriental coun-
Christmas and New Year day being gen.
orally observed in the European countries.
In some national events are also celebrated.
Results of Investigations.
The report gives an exhaustive review of
the investigations OF violations of the civil
service laws Among the post offices on
whose investigation the commission is
still engaged, is that at Rutland, VT. Post
master Hanrahan charges that the repub-
lican 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 late
no1 H. of he H1,1
Department to the condition of many In
diana post offices, which it regards as, on
the whole, worse than those of any other
state, except, possibly, Mississippi. In the
complaint the commission stated its posi-
tion as follows
This commission holds that, where a
postmaster makes sweeping removals of
employees of one party and fills the vacan-
cies by the appointment of persons of the
opposite party, there is presumption that
he is controlled in the matter by political
and is to be SO judged unless
he shows to the contrary. the burden of
proof resting upon him. Undoubtedly there
are cases where such presumption will be
overcome by disclosure of the facts
showing that there was a justifiable cause
for every removal and that selections for
were made in strict conformity
to the civil service rules But even in
some of these cases, although the record
is technically correct, the law has never
theless been evaded. Many cases have
come to the notice of the commission where
employees of one political party We're freely
dismissed for offenses which perhaps JUS
titled the action, but which passed un-
noticed when committed by employees of the
opposite political party. A public officer
is not to be relieved of the charge of
when he has applied different
standards of discipline to persons of op-
posing politics. Moreover, when he finds
it necessary to make sweeping removals of
employees opposed to him in political faith
it is his duty to make the public under
stand that he IS not actuated by political
bias by taking such affirmative action as
will prevent the necessity of making ap-
pointments from registers on which all
the names are members of his own political
party"
THEY THREW STONES.