New-York tribune., 1896-12-30
AN ABUSE NOT YET ABATED'
ALLEGED CIVIL SERVICE INSTITUTES"
AND THEIR METHODS.
ALTHOUGH OFTEN EXPOSED THEY siii'b r
yIcTrMs-EFFoRTs TO ERADICATE THEM

A, ruorcu OFTEN EXPOSED THEY STILL FIND
yIcTrMs-ErFoRTs TO ERADICATE THEM
UNSUCCESSFUL THUS FAR
fuY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE]
WASHINGTON. Dec 29--If one wishes to ge' All
idea Of anti-reform methods and practices he mas
only IN learn n few facts regarding some or the so
called Civil Service Institutes. OF when there "o
a number here. In Mr. Roosevelts term as NN'
Service Commissioner ne had more than one -"
counter with these alleged training schooIs. 'ne'
oueer WAYS are well known. and yet they 'on-
tirue not only to find victims. but to get occa
s,onaI graduates into the Government service
Many persons are so anxious for employment III
the Civil Service that they VIII yled 10 All SUI
of exactions at the hands OF trickstcis ana nun"
hugs for even the ghost Of a chance Of such en-
pIoymcnt. Years ago. before the great mass y,
places here had been included in the classileo
service an elderly minister OF one or the popular
denominations wrote to n friend in this city whon
he thought potenfial with the powers that were
nj that time requesting his correspondent 10 se
cure for him a clcrkship or some othcr place. anu
promising to give a portion OF inc hrS' 'ea
salary as compensa ton for the labor OF procuf"s
tho nIacc. The offer which Indignantly re-
tectcd differed from other offers Of the kind only
In the fact that the preacher was surprised 10
learn that there was anything wrong In the trans
action as he had been told that the thihs was
done every day No doubt his idea was tne gen
eraI orc tha, 'infuence" did everything, ana was
itself understandable commodity
Since tho Introduction Of the classifeh System '"'
evils Of the former time have diminished In large
measure or. where they still flourish assu'' "'
forcrt sbapcs The ''institues' alluded TO ahoV'
are rank specimens OF abuses that the 'Ni' S'rNVV
Commission and other friends Of the reform h''"
not succeeded In abatinG Tribune correspondent,
saw ycsterday a letter written by a distinguished
votlran of the War OF the Rebellion, who declared
t,f, fa,to ascertain
whether the claims of a circular sent TO hlin ana
which seemed to be for general distrlhution were
not fraudulent. The circular In question cnana'"l
from a civil Service training school. or ailesen
school. with a Understanding name II prolesse..
would be asked at the next examination TOT cle'IV
places In the - partmenf service at Nhsnih@ton hiu
secure ccrkship Ten collars tuitioii was V'.a. 49,,
which certainly seems SUFFICIENT Tor the unl' 'l''e
sary TO prepare the applicant for so easy an eA
animation. 3u; that WAS not all ne applcan,,
reimburse the institute to inc furth'r eN'i,
Of per cent Of such income as he might obtain
from tho Government if he SUCCEEDED III se''ihs
Most o; these Institutes are more modest. They
expect only certain sum paid down or q per
centaec Of the first years salary. Eut the one r."
fogred to appears to bind rs victims nde'ln'"&y. & %
so long they hold the places secured ines"
civil Service training schools. or some OF them
profess to furnish the very questions that NJ" 10
be asked Mt the examinations. The plan thcy OPP
crate upon Is something like this Ihcir graIlit,sS
are expected 10 commarcat" with the teacher I'm,
medlntey after examination and let him know u
the questions differ. and In whI' respects tncy an
fer. from those which the new CLERK used IN pre-
pairing for examination.
Two observations are pertincn. her" FIRST. sucl
examination. ono" iass,d. Is never rep"atrrl;; IL
remOto for future coaching, second II the exam
nations wer" rcrea,od with variations; as sug'
gestcd. and the Govorrm"ni "xartcd sil"nc" me
inoulcation of - breach OF confidence would he "A
rascaily thing for prof"sS"d t'acn"rS 10 90