The times., 1897-07-14

foreman Of the specification division Of the
Government Printing Office, whose testi-
mony was not concluded at the meeting I'll;
Friday; Mr. Andrew Day, q one-arrned
war veteran clerk i'll the Treasury Depart
nent, and Mr. Frank 1. Stewart, former
employe Of the Government Printing Of
flee.
Senator Morrill,, OF Vermont, was rn
interested spectator during a large iart
OF the hearing yesterday. Senator P.lrch-
ard, chairman of the committee; Senator
Harris, and Commissioner Proctor, of the
| Civil Service Commission, Were also in
attendance.
Mr.. Oysters testimony was heard first.
He said there were many discharges in all
administrations, andproduced figures show
ing the changes made in his own division
Under Mr.. Benedict three-fourths of the
discharges We're Republicans. Some of tie
men dropped were among the most eff
cient in the office, and they were let out
on account of politics The same course
had been pursued by Mr. Palmer, and in
Mr. Oysters division siXty-nine men, under
that chief, had been discharged, and thirty
Democrats.
ON this account Mr.. oyster was certain
that the great majority of the discharges
made under the various administrations
were for political reasons only. This re-
suited in injury to the office and the in
Production of the merit system was he
said, very much better.
Did you get your place under the merit
SYSTEM asked Mir. PritchaTd.
No. replied Mr. oyster, Il received
my appointment through the only method
in vogue at the time. was given place
iu the office at the request of the late
Senator Simon Cameron. There was no
reform civil service then
In view of the fact, then" asked Mr..
Pritchard, that efficient men have been
dropped for political reasons, should those
same men be required to stand neXamina-
tion before reinstatement, while men who
have never passed an examination are now
retained under the reformed civil service
rulings. WHAT'S your view in this natter?''
'If the record of these men sho%cd them
To be efficient" said MI oyster, per
sonGlIy, / can see no objection 10 their re-
inStatcnent in such manner
Mr.. oyster said he recommended to Mr..
RenediCt only two days before the office
was placed under the civil service that 24
out of SO men W no had been discharged and
were efficient, be reinstated. Mr.. Beaedict
refuse % DO this, on the ground thathe had
refuse theentreaties of his friends to pad
the office. and would do nothing to nullify
the cirji service law.
Prcsiss Mt Proctor. of the Civil Sergice
Commission, submitted a statement show
ing when and by whom persons employed
in the Government Printing Office at the
time OF its classification, August /, 1885,
were appointed. The total number of cIas-
sifications was 2,71O. or these there were
appointed prior to May Z. 1899, the be-
ginning of Mt Palmer's first atlnlinistra-
| ton, 665 There were appointed by Mr.
Palmer during his term 203 There were
in the office May Q, 1894, the end Of Nj
PalIner's term, 1,S6S persons, that Icing
50 per cent of the total Classification
There were appointed by Benedict from
May 9, 1894, the beginning OF his second
term, to the date Of the classification OF
the office, $40. The operations from the
date OF the classification to 4 pril 1897,
amounted to 343.
Commissioner Proctor questioned Mr.
appointed 10y the Typographical Union 10
visit the Civil Service Combustion Mr..
Oyster said that the local typographical
union has expressed itself strongly
in favor of the civil service reform.
Nh. Proctor asked Mr.. Oyster if his ex-
pegience in tie office Lad not shown him
many evidences of the rankness Of the
political method of supplying the office
with printers.
The witness stated that all of his ex-
perienca in the office had shown him that
it was expensive andin every waymuch in
feriOr to the present plan.
Mr. oyster went OH to testify as to the
feeling OF labor organizations, not only
the Typographical Union, but others, with
regard to the civil service reform. He
cited many resolutions of the oreaniza-
tons and action taken by them upholding
the system
AS 10 the recent action Of the Interna-
tional Typogra phical Union condemn
ing the system, Mr. Oyster stated that he
had been delegate to the convention and
that lie believed the International Union
was not well-informed OF the system
Mr.. Oyster made another interesting state
ment relative to the politics of the en-
ployes of his office, the specification
roou he referred TO testimony which lad
heretofore been given, TO the effect that
there were 15S Democrats and 46 Re-
publicans in his office He believed that
this WAS not the fact His per sonal
knowledge Of his men was that there were
more Republicans among them than Demo-
Gratis
Mr.. Andrew Day was the next witness.
He has been reappointed, but was dis
missed in 1894. He stated that he was
separated from the service because he
was a Republican. His reasons for be-
lieving this We're strong. lie was trans
ferred and reduced in the Treasury De
partment to a position in the sixth auditors
office, when Major Howard was made
auditor. lie had lost one arm in the war,
and in his new position, where manual
labor was required, was at a disad-
vantage lie was only kept two or three
days and then discharged for incompetence
to perform manual labor.
He was afterwards told that many men
who had been in the office for years, and
lad two arms, did not do as much as be
did. Major Howard was in the rebel army
md he was in the Union, and he and sew
eral other one-armed men were thrown out
within n short time of Major Howard's
appointment.
Mr.. Frank ]. Stewart, a printer, not of
the Government Printing Office, and who
stated that he is not at present employed,
made one of the sensational statements Of
the investigation. It's effect was after
wari partially modified by questions put
to him by Commissioner Proctor, but for
few moments there was huShed interest
in what no had To saw