Evening star., 1897-05-29
PRATT ON THE STAND
His Views on the Administration of
Indian Schools.
THINKS CIVIL SERVICE RULES FAULTY
Political Standing of the Govern
ment Printing Office Employees.
MR.. RICHARDSON'S DENIAL

Nix. RlCH HARDSON'S > DENIAL
The Senate committee on civil service
and retrenchment resumed its hearings this
morning. Those present were Senator
Pritchard, Senator Chiffon, President Proc
ter and Mr. Wales of the civil service COM
mission.
Senator Pritchard laid before the COM
mittee a communication from Public Print
er Palmer, showing the political complexion
Of the government printing Office April j.
1897. The total showed 2.4G6 democrats and
512 republicans. scattered through the vari-
Gus divisions a. follows: First division, day
force, sc democrats, Ia depublicans; night
force. 103 democrats, republicans Sec
ond division, 90 democrats. republicans;
third division, 50 democrats, 10 republicans;
fourth division, "a democrats. republi-
cans; fifth division, sc democrats, II
Iublicans: sixth division, 125 democrats, 20
republicans; Treasury br- nch, g mocrats,
) republicans; specification division, l5S
democrats, 46 republicans: job room, ~
ccGfocrats, II republicans, stereotype foun-
dry, 81 democrats, 10 republicans; proof
room. day force. "A democrats, republic
cans; night force ~ democrats, u republi-
cars; stereotype foundry, night force, >
democrats, republicans; War Department
branch, 10 democrats, l republican; Agri-
cultural department DrSnch, III democrats,
republicans; State Department branch, Is
democrats, 3 republicans; Interior Depart
ment branch, II democrats, republicans
Navy Department branch, Is democrats,
republicans; press division, 1863 democrats
A. republicans; bindery. 449 democrats.
IL. republicans; branch, x, democrats
20 republicans; folding room, 3a5 DEM
ocrats, 100 republicans; superintendent
PUBIC documents, u democrats, republi-
cans; clerks Office, % democrats 4 repub-
hcans; miscellaneous, 22S democrats 10
republicans.
Harold Benedict ContradIcted
Representative Richardson of Tennessee
was in attendance this morning having
| been attracted by a statement which was
made about him at the last hearing. At
| that time Mr.. Harold Benedict said that
in the latter part of Public Printer Pal
| mers first administration Mr. Palmer ap-
pointed as many as seventy-five men in the
| printing office for Representative James
ID. Richaidso at that time chairman OF
| the committee on printing.
Representative Richardson was sworn
| and stated that Mr.. Benedicts statement
was untrue. He SAID he had served on the
printing committee for ten years, and for
| six years was chairman. and during that
| time he had secured the appointment of
| eighteen men, all from his district. or
this number thirteen are now in the gov
| eminent printing office.
Il don't want t6be understood. however"
| said Mr.. Richardson, 'tnat have not rec
| commended other men for appointment
| have received applications from men in
! both parties to help them secure appoint
| ments for their friends. In those cases L
| have simply indorsed the applications of
| those senators and representatives and IL
| they were appointed they should not have
| been charged 10 me-
| Mr.. Richardson read letter lust rece.y-
| ed from Public ex-Printer Benedict bearing
| out the above statements. This letter he
| said, w: S uncolicited OF. his part.
| Have you always taken pains to recon-
| mend v vell-Qualified men?" asked Senator
| Clifton.
Mr.. Richardson said ne had exercised due
| caution in this regard.
| II want to add" said Mr.. Richardson.
| that he public printers list there were
| seventy-three men charged to Tennessee,
| but they were appointed by other members
| of the Tennessee delegation. Only eigh-
| teen, as said before, were from my con-
| g1essional district"
could you give an opinion of the efIi-
| cheney Of the printing Office in the past
| two years compared with former ad-
| ministratior s?' asked President Proctor.
| MT. Richardson said that as far as his
| observation served him, the general work
of the Office seems now TO be In better
| shape than ever before. As to the eff
| c.ency of employees he could not speak
| from his own knowledge.
| In reply to a question by Mr.. Chiffon, Mr..
| Richardson outlined the duties of the print
ing committee of the House and its SUPER
| vision of the printing done for Congress
and the duties of the Joint committee On
printing
Experience at the CarlisIe School.
Can't. r. H. Pratt, Z. s. A, superintcnd-
ent of the Carlisle, Pa Indian School, then
took the stand to give his observations
upon the results of the application of civil
| service rules in the Indian schools. He
said the present regulation over employees
| of Indian schools were established in
March, 1892. He presented voluminous
| mass Of documents, for the purpose, he
said, of showing that he was sustained by
| figures.
The analysis of this exhibit. he said.
| showed that of the 105 school superintend-
| ents in the service in 1892, only twenty-six
were IN the service at the end of 1896. or
I the seventy-five matrons, only seven re-
main, while of the 3l9 teachers there were
| only eighty-eight at the end of 1896. He
also submitted a statement showing the
changes among the minor employees OF
thirty-five of the larger Indian schools,
from 1892 to 1896. In several of these
schools no one of the 1892 employees was
left in 1896, while in all of them the reeuc-
| ton was large. In summing up his ccncia-
| sions Capt. Pratt said:
| server of the Indian service for thirty
years. and have actually participated In
that service for twenty-three years. have
| very wide knowledge OF the time prior 10
the introduction of the present system and
| Of the abuses of the so-called spoils sys-
tenn
Evils Under the Present System.
This knowledge. compared with my
knowledge of the present system from the
facts presented and other evidence. leads
me to say that no greater abuses OF change
were practioed under the old system than
are practiced under the present system.
Indeed. doubt II the old system can show
as many radical and hurtful changes as
those practiced under the present system.
That the present is equally a political sys-
TEN is apparent to every official participat-
ing in it,
"A great evil is the dificulty of getting
efficient help" said Capt. Pxatt. He cited
several instances coming unler his own
| knowledge and experience He also called
| attention to the delay which. he said. often
characterizes the efforts TO get employees
| through the civil service.
THE failure of the present system 10
| find out the experience and personal quali-
ties Of applicants and to give due credit
| therefore Il a vital omission" said Capt.
Pratt The practice Of placing greater
| Importance upon the mere scholastic quail