The times., 1897-05-23

so high as to engulf private secretaries
| chief CLERKS, financial clerks, chiefs of di
| visions and the entire executive and adj
ministrative official force OF departments
] until, by dismssals, reductions, promo
| tions, transfers and appointments, each
| head of a department had these offices
| filled SO as to control and direct the force
| employed Co carry out the policy of the Ad-
ministration, a part of which they We're,
and these appointments having been made,
| and made, as appears, from a partisan
standpoint, the appointees were, by an
order Of their President, permanently in
stalled in place to aid in promoting the
policy OF an Administration they were TN
eDle to defeat, and to become the conf
Dental advisers and executive officers OF
those with whom they were confessedly not
IN touch or sympathy.
Mr. ButterworUh continues rather sar-
castically as follows:
IF the order by which this was done
had been promulgated before the official
sha king up in the several departments il
might have escaped the suspicion or being
partisan and lacking trace OF the leaven
OF true civil service reform. But ref
ormation after rigor mortis has set in is not
ass uring.''
AlInont Barnes, formerly an employe in
the statistical bureau of the Agricultural
Department, told the committee of the
working of the law under Secretary Nor
ton, and called special attention to GER
tain alleged violations of the law in the
appointment of clerks. Barnes, himself
resigned, hut was reinstated in 1891, but
In no w
that his superiors wanted his place more
than they W anted him" After he had been
out some time, and the depar rtment learned
what character OF work he had been doing
he was asked to return and finish it as
per diem empIoye. This he refused TO do.
William Berten Nassau was then ap-
pointed to do the work, which was Con-
neCted with the issuance of bulletins re-
lating to our foreign markets. He was,
according to this witness, appointed at 81
q day, and then made head of the section
st 81, 400, and subsequently promoted to
So, 500 year. Mr.. Barnes said he pro-
tested to Civil Service Commissioner Roose-
velt about the irregularity OF the appoint
ment, but nothing came of it, because as
Mr.. Roosevelt said, Secretary Morton was
a difficult man to deal with, and they Tad
better let the matter drop. Nassau sub
sequentiy resigned. The witness cited the
appointment of Mary A. Mack, who was
on the temporary roll and then made per-
manent, although she passed no examina-
tion.
Another alleged irregularity was noted
in the appointment of James L. Watkins
to investigate some questions relating to
the cotton gro wing industry, and who
was later on put in the classified service
without an examination at 81 800 year.
The case of George d. Skinner was given
particular prominence by the witness. Be-
fore the printing office of the \ Agricultural
Department was put under the control Of
the Public Printer and In the classified
service, Skinner was put In charge OF the
office. Skinner was not citizen Of the
United States, and was permitted to take
q non-c competitive eXamin alton When
the alien birth OF the man was brought
to Secretary Morton s attention, Mr. Barnes
said that official stated thatsit made no
difference. When the department print
ing office was put under the main office
Skinner was transferred to an ST 800
clerkship under the classified service, and
is now holding the place, although he never
passed an examination.
Albert Baker, now a clerk in the Govern
Inent Printing office and formerly private
secretary to Public Printer Benedict, gave
testimony as to the working of the civil
service reform rules in the Printing Office
The boards of examiners appointed from
the various branches of the trades In the
office, in an advisory capacity, were, he
said. selected equally from the two 20
iHn
as he knew. held a full meeting or passed
upon the questions prepared by the Civil
Service Commission.
In answer to direct question, Mr.. Baker,
who had had ten years experience in the
office, said the class Of employees supplied
through the commission was very good.
Only ten Of those SO appointed had to be
dropped during their probationary period
on account OF inefficiency. a statement
prepared by the Typographical Union show |!
ed that under the old system anywhercfrom |
80 to 400 had been dismissed year, and |
only 29 a year since the extension of the |
civil service reform law to the Printing |
Office.
DO you, then, get better men under the |
merit system?'' asked Senator Elkins
Mr.. Baker preferred not to express an !
opinion, but upon being pressed, replied: I
'The results are in favor Of the civil SER
vice reform plan"
Wnen asked if a non union man could be
appointed, Mr.. Baker replied that n ron
union man would be a discordant element |
n the division TO which he might be as
signed He might get in under the civil
ervice, but, added Mr.. Baker, "Non-union
,len have been dropped out, as the records
show. for incompentency."
sCan O man who is not member OF the