The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-15

t,srty 10 forty positions thar we're ~ The
disposal Of the board % pubic works. II
Is moi the fagIf u the present commission
inat the common IahsrerS are brought tn
der the provisions ~ re charter.
= arm sure" added Hr. Blaine. THAT the
nsenlbers o. the commission VII BE- VERY
willing 70 ABIDE ~ tse action % TIE pee
pie IN the flnsi disposition o. tsse matter"
Prom an Attorney.
One ~ tire next men seen was Frederick
Bagssmaz, fhe sch known attorney. En0
Vas 2. member x tire charter commission
Tfieh incorporated the civil serYice sys-
tenn now under discussion. My. kauSman
wss nos aFeFee 10 being quote Eut he Wa
By 10 means positive n RS csnviefions.
1t IL frzte." said h. that I voted for
fhe eigll service provisions q the chsr-
ter locked Hp9n them as IN the ns-
fBre o. an experiment whfcn I WAS per-
feotgg wiling 20 SIC given a fair trial.
] think nat n sufficient fsrns has elapsed
70 show Whistler the experiment has been
s success. bur you must go 70 the Esen
who have watched is working 70 End
est- ] really do not knox enough about
i q say whether !; has been q success
Or not"
Hon. r.. q. Graves
No man In Seattle perhaps Is able 70
spsak with the same Ii gree OF confidence
and authority en eivii service IN general
- Hon. r. .. Graves. president q the
Chamber q Commerce. Re was for
many years directly connected with the
nationai civil service. twenty-five years
ago. almost 1T lrs Inception he was
member Of the treasury board Of civil
service examiners under President Grant
ia iksz and later b. became chief exam
iner Of the cfvil service While he was
assistant treasurer of the United States
hs contributed articles 10 the Annual
Encyclopedia for that year. the supple
nuent 20 the American Encyclopedia.
among others being & fun review Of civil
Service Reform In Great Britain and the
United States"
From the time 7 first became inter
ested IN the cIvll service movement. more
than a quarter Of "A century ago" said
Mr.. Graves last night. Il have not ceased
70 watch It's steady growth. both IN pub
lie sentiment and IN the application Or
the system 10 a constantly eBiargfuE
sphere Of public service. think I am
safe ia saying that al unbiased accounts
agree thai IL has effected a marked and
TrarVelous Improvement In both the eff
flciency and economy OF the public serv-
ice None Of the great publicists OF the
nation wonid now think for a moment
Of advocating a return 70 the old spells
system. The plain historic fact is that
the movement has gone steadily forward.
and with very few and slight exceptions
II has never taken a single step back
ward. or course its application to The
rational service IL nov far wider than
ever before. Not only this but practically
the same system. resting on the same gen
eral principle Of merit. has been intro
duced into several Of the state govern
4 fr4ra s.ff
81 the United States. OF all these. have
set to hear Of a single one which. after
3 faithful trial Of the system. has aban-
goned a.
sIn my judgment n return 10 the old
patronage and spois system I'm this city
would be 9 distinct and regrettabie ret
rograde step. II has been a source OF
eongratulaiion among the best friends OF
Seattle that she has. by the adop-
ton Of the civil service, ranged herself
in line with the most enlightened and
progressive sentiment Of the nation. IL
Is business and common-sense fact that
the standing and credit OF the city have
been vastly enhanced by the knowledge
that she had placed the various depart
ments of her municipal government I'M
der civil service rules. / can give any
one who cares to look into this matter a
commercial demonstration of it.
"As 70 local affairs. II seems 10 me that
any one who has observed the practical
working of the system must be convinced
that Il has promoted economy and ef-
ficiency In the various departments, and
has put an end 70 the scandals by which
they were once beset. There never was
a time when the administration of the
various city departments " "a at higher
standard than it is today. and IN
this. as IN other respects. Seattle viii
bear comparison with any city of equal
size In the United States.
THE adjustment Of the civil service
system would. In my Judgment. go
long way toward undolug all this. II
would mean a return 10 the old system Of
partisan patronage and corruption. IL
would add TO the expense Of the city
government. destroy public confidence
and iniure the city's credit. | for one
am willing to Join any movement that
would counteract the efforts to destroy
our civil service"
Chairman of the Charter Commission.
Harold Preston. who was chairman OF
the charter commission. said:
As a member Of the commission l
voted against the civil service provision
Of the charter not because I was op-
posed 10 civil service. but because | con-
sidered that the rules went too far I'm
depriving the chiefs Of the IRE and police
departments Of the power OF removal.
which I think. they should have. SIN
! think the rules AS adopted. are better
than none and | would advocate giving
them a further and fuller trial than they
have vet had with view OF improving
upon the provisions. rather than abro-
eating them entirely
John Fairfield Dore, well known
Democrat said
Il favor the civil service system as the
means OF securing the best results IN
municipal government. ! do not think.
however. that the system. rs now aa-
ministarea in this city. has heen afforded
a fair test / would ~ In favor Of retain
ing H. with such notifications % the
rules and methods rs experience has
shown 80 he necessary"
ANOTHER STRIKE THREATENED.