The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-09
Facts OF Interest to Office Seekers
Presented by the United states
CiviI-Servfce Commission.
PROTEST FROM REPUBLICANS
MKINLEY WILL BE ASKED TO AFRO
GATE CLEvELAND'S ORDER
BY Which Ii Is Proposed to LOp On
Pension Agencies-NO objection
to the Electoral Count.

WASHINGTON. Feb s-The thirteenth
annual report of the Civil-service Commits
sion. covering the past fiscal year. has
been submitted 10 the President. Ii re-
views the growth of the governments civil
service the efforts of the commission TO
eradicate craftsmanship in federal offices and
important civiI-service reforms and extern
sions contemplated During the year the
commission conducted Investigations into
charges of political assessments political
or religious determinations, Illegal appoint
ments and removals. and alleged fraud or
unit irness in connection with examinations
and appointments. In a number of cases
of charges of political assessments il was
found there had been no technical viola
tons of the law. The PRONUNCIATION of the
law this subject and the commission
warning TO employees during the campaign
that they could not be forced to contrib
ute to political funds, the report says, had
a most salutary effect. One investigation
was made at the Columbus co. postoffice
over year ago. 1t developed the fact that
for years IL was the practice of many en-
ployes, without regard to their party affilia
tons to contribute TO the campaign fund
of whatever party was in power.
In all cases wnere there Was the slightest
evidence of fraud unfairness the COM
mission required the REORGANIZATION OF the
competitors. The most serious case Of vio-
lation OF the civil-service law. the report
says. was at Erie. Pa. where the secre-
tary Of the postal board was found to have
opened package containing the examina-
ton papers and furnished the questions to
a competitor. an employee of the office, in
advance of examination. Both were re-
he nd haI
for trial. At the Toledo (O.) postoffice an
employee was shown to have made false
representations to injure the prospects of
appointment of certain other eligibles. Ac-
ton in this case is still pending.
During the last four years the removals
from competitive positions in the classified
departmental service at Washington have
been less than per cent year for all
causes, not including such removals as re-
suited from necessary reductions in force.
in the unclassified and excepted service at
have aggregated, in the four years, at least
so per cent. The conclusion drawn is that
either the persons brought in through ex-
animation are far more efficient than the
others or the removals from the unclassi-
fed positions haze been made for other
causes than the good of the service.
The total approximate number of posi-
lions In the civil branch of the government
is 1877. OF these 81, 107 are in the classi-
fed service and 81 6lO unclassified. OF T. use
not yet classified 66,l25 are postmasters Il
the fourth class. OF those remaining in t.
classifiable. but unclassified group many
will be transferred to the classified service
by the action of the rules.
The aggregate compensation paid in the
executive civil service of the United States
during the last fiscal year was, approx
mately. 100.000,0G0. The new civil-service
rules, the report says, give the commits
sion sufficient authority to regulate pro-
motions well to investigate cases
where discrimination Is charged in making
removals or reductions. Within a short
time satisfactory regulations are expected
0pDartmpnfS
so that promotions may be made wholly on
merit and removals and reductions be made
only Tor satisfactory causes, without re-
gard to personal, political or religious con-
side rations.
The report says that the temptation to
increase the number of employees or TO re-
tain employees when there is no work for
them To do, which was such a characters
tic feature of the "Spoils' system, has en-
tirely disappeared under the new civil-ser-
vice system. The pressure for office having
been removed, decreases of force have been
made from time to time in the classified
service of the departments during the last
fourteen years, as the work was completed
because there was no object in keeping un-
employed persons on the pay rolls.
As TO tenure Of Office the report says:
the anomaY Of De system system how
lions by the test of merit and changing
every four years the higher positions, like
postmasters and chiefs of bureaus, in which
the largest capacity and longest expert
ence are required. and thus FREQUENTLY sub
1ectinG subordinates TO inexperienced and
incompetent superiors. to the demoraliza-
ton OF the public service The gradual in
crease in the number of presidential offices
II Is asserted, is bound TO force a change
In the method o. filling them. There are
now nearly ten thousand persons i'm the
public service commissioned by the Presi-
dent. and this number is growing every
year. AT this rate of increase, says the re-
port, IN a few years IL will be physically
impossible for the President and Cabinet
officers TO examine the papers and hear ar
guments and complaints relating to the
large number of persons to be Commits
stoned, and the repeal of the four-year ten
ure laws will be absolutely necessary The
commission is of the opinion that the
fourth-class poStoffices may be included in
the classification by executive order When
these extensions of the classification have
office acts are repealed and regulations in
successful operation in all the departments
requiring promotions to he based the
efi1ciency or the employees, the reforms i'm
practically complete. The commission is
now making card system to show certain
Information regarding every person in the
. executive civil service
The whole number of persons examined
Tor the five branches of the classified SER
vice during the year ended June 90 ISqS
was 5l,2o9 OF whom 20.493 passed and 10 SO
1alleu 10 pass. This Is a material decrease
In failures. The whole number of appoint
ments was 50Sf, an increase of 292 over the
previous year. Special efforts have been
made TO keep the examinations as practical
as possible and radical innovations have
Deen made For some of the newly classi-
ned positions, especially those included
among the mechanical trades. new elements
In examination have been introduced. such
as experience. character as workman
age and physical condition. Ii is proposed
10 have no educational test. one with a
very light weight where educational ouali-
ncatiOns are not required
In reviewing the growth of the civil SER
vice, the report says that under President