Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-02-13
MAKES IT'S REPORT.
Civil Service Commission Gives m
Account of Its Stewardship.


the president shows that at the begin
ming of President Cleveland's admins;
tration there were about $4,000 places
included in the classified service. This
report embodies the work of the COM
mission for the past two years as the
report for 1896 was not issued owing to
the various amendments to the rules
made by the president and the COM
mission deferred it's report for that year
so as to include the thousands of posi-
tions placed under the classified service
during the past IS months. The total
approximate number of positions in the
civil branch OF the government Is 49,
717, of which 81, ,107 are in the classified
service and o1,610 in the unclassified
service.
The aggregate compensation paid in
the executive civil service of the United
States during the last fiscal year was
approximately $ioo,ooo,oOO.
OF those in the classified service s4,-
239 are arranged in classes by compcn-
sntion and subject to examination or
registration, 26 are appointed by the
presidentalone,7S ,7S1 are excepted from ex-
animation or registration, and 2,051 are
Indians in the Indian service. OF those
in the unclnssified service, 5,570 are ex-
cluded from classification for reasons
deemed best for the service, 4,S15 are
appointed by the president and con-
| firmed by the senate, 1854 are persons
employed merely us laborers or work
men, and 1881 are considered as class
ifiable, but not yet classified. OF those
II Aal cf,,,o osfs fs.r.o
| of the fourth-class. The classifiable but
still unclassified group will be trans
ferred to the classified service by t,e
action of the rules, as, for instance, il
| the customs service, when the number
of employees in q custom house becomes
as many as five, and in the post office
service when a post offices becomes q
free delivery office.
| Under the head of removals the re-
port says that during the last four
years the removals from competitive
positions in the classified departmental
service at Washington have been less
than two per cent. a year for all causes,
not including such removals as resulted
from necessary reductions in the force.
In the unclassified and excepted service
at Washington the removals are be-
lieved to have aggregated in the four
years at least so per cent. From these
figures the conclusion must be drawn
that either the persons brought in
through examinations are far more eff
ficient than the others, or the removals
from the unclassified positions have
been made for other causes than the
good of the service.
BY the revision of the civil service
rules practically all of the excepted po
sitions were transferred to the com
petitive list. The commission believes
that the greatest benefit will result tc
the public service by this action, which
transferred TO the competitive list man.
important positions, including those o
chiefs of divisions.
AS to tenure of office, the report say
the administrative system now present
the anomaly of filling certain iuferio
positions by the test of merit ant
changing every four years the positions
like collectors of customs and interna
revenue, postmasters and chiefs of bu
reaus, in which the largest capacit,
and longest experience are required
and thus frequently subjecting the sub
ordinates to inexperienced and incom
petent superiors, to the decentralization
of the public service.
The gradual increase in the numbe
of presidential offices, it is asserted, i
bound to force change in the metho'
of filling them. There are now nearl
10000 persons in the public service com
missioned by the president, and thi
number is growing every year. At thi
rate of increase, says the report, IN
few years it will be physically imposs
BILE for the president and cabinet off
: GERS to examine the papers and hear al
guments and complaints relating to tb
large number of persons to be commi!
. stoned, and the repeal of the four-yea
tenure laws will be absolutely necel
sary.
The report states that heretofor
> chiefs of division became the footba
of politics, as those who were adherent
: of one political party had to give wa
= to the adherents of another party upo
each change of administration. Sui
ordinate employees have been selecte
for promotion on account of their fl
ness, while previously chiefs of divisio
have often been appointed without r
gard to their qualifications. Natural
the chiefs, who had short terms of SER
ice, acquired little knowledge of the
own duties and knew practically not
ing about the work of their subord
mates, who were supposed to carry ou
their instructions in regard to the ma
ner in which the work should be don
The commission is of the opinion tn
the fourth-class post offices may be i
cluded in the classification by execute
order. When these extensions of Il
classification have been made al
= the four-year tenure of Office &C
j. are repealed, and regulations are
: successful operation in all the depar
Q ments requiring promotions to be bas'
= on the efficiency Of employees, the 7
> forms in executive civil service, it
l. said, will be practically complete.