Evening star., 1897-05-15
THE PUBLIC PRINTER
How Civil Service Rules Affect the
Government Printing Office.
NOTIFICATIONS WHICH BE SUGGESTS
The Auditor for the Post Office
Makes a Statement.
OTHER WITNESSES TESTIFY

The Senate committee on civil service
and retrenchment resumed this morning
the hearing upon the execution of the civil
service law by the last administration.
Those present were Senator Pritchard of
North Carolina, chairman of the COM
mittee; Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,
Senator Harris of Kansas, Senator Elkins
of West Virginia and Senator Chiffon of
Texas, President Proctor of the civil SER
vice commission, Mr. G. r. Wales, civil
service examiner
Maj. Howard, auditor of the Treasury
Department sixth auditor) was heard first.
He referred to a statement made at the
last hearing by Mr.. w. w. Hill, TO the ef-
feet that Auditor Howard had only passed
the accounts of the letter carrier special
agents after he had been allowed to select
some Of the employees himself. He said he
had made inquiry to the appointment
of those employees, who were then termed
echanics, but who we're to investigate the
letter carriers. Subsequently their appella
tions were changed to secret agents."
The chief of the free delivery service then
asked MIR. Howard to suggest a proper
man for duty at Nashville, which he did.
ard asked to name another, and, upon
his transfer, then third. That was the
extent of the matter. Mr.. Howard said he
mad looked up the legality of The secret
agents, and subsequently got an opinion
from the solicitor of the treasury, disal-
lowing the expenses of these employees
reaching above 81 per day. That was after
the time when the Post Office Department
had called upon him to name the above
mentioned three employees. Controller
Bowler, upon appeal, had overruled his dis
alio"1ns OF the accounts, but 1t was all
a1ter he had named the three men,
or,
ice TO form comparison between the men
appointed through certiication from the
eiVll service committee and those other
".Se appoLt ted: asked Mr.. Proctor.
Yes, SIR" said Mr. Howard
i ?hould like your opinion on the point
l think very highly of the men received
from certification of the commission They
are tar superior to these appointed prior to
Mr.. Hownrd's Statement.
MT Howard submitted the following
statement to the committee:
The present auditor for the Post Office
Department assumed the duties of the office
April IT, 1884. This office was at that time
greatly IN arrears in the business of its
money order branch, and as IS well known
had occas1oned much correspondence and
also discortefa with the many thousands of
fete postmasters throughout the country
who desired final settlement of their ac-
counts. The present administration of the
treasLry has given this office fair and just
recognition, but 1t is a matter of history
that it had torne for years the sobriauet
CT the Botany bay of the Treasury De-
partn ent. and was the dumping ground
for the d1ssipated and Objectionable ma
terial in that great department.
II was therefore necessary to weed out
and discipline this material. The present
condition of the office evidences that much
has been accomplished in this direction for
DettGrmenf no off -
III good condition, with the work current
The successor Of the present auditor will
find well-disciplined force. with the work
up to date.
faVorably and are UP to the standard of
the best divisions of any of the great de-
partments of the government. There are,
however, number of employees in this
office who are incapacitated from age. and
a smaller number who, from want of abil-
ity or from lack OF interest in their duties
should be dropped from Its roll. A ma
jority of the employees are republicans, and
republicans, Notwithstanding that this
statement includes the auditor, deputy au-
ditor and others who are within the eX-
cepted class of the civil service rules.
There are thir:y-eight officials and en-
ployes in this office, including the auditor
and deputy, who are not subject to civil
service examination; twenty-five are demo-
Gratis and thirteen republicans; twenty
ty-five are males and thirteen females.
There are i49 clerks and messengers sub
ject 10 civil service examination. This in
cludes the chief clerk, the Gisburs.ng Clerk
and seven chiefs OF division; 191 Of these
are democrats and 25S are republicans; 424
are white; q are colored; 314 are males and
l5J are females. There are 4SI officials
and employees in this office. of this num-
Der PIG are democrats and oI1 republicans;
las are white 50 colored; 339 are males and
LIS females" The percentages Of sala-
ries are given.
He says: "Eighty-four employees now on
the rolls of this Office report themselves
as ex-soldters or sailors of the United
States army and navy. This number is
24.7 per cent of the entire male force Of
this Office. The following changes have
been made among this class of employees
from March 4, 1893, to March 4, 1897: APP
pointed, eighteen; promoted nineteen; re-
moved, twenty-one; resigned, ten; reduced
twenty-three; transferred, thirteen; died.
four.
Public Printer Palmer.
Public Printer Palmer was then called to
make a statement with regard to the ad-
visibility of applying civil service rules to
the public printing office. He quoted, In
reply, a statement which he had formerly
submitted In writing.
That statement was as follows:
LAS applied to this Office, which Is simply
a great manufacturing plant. involving
varied branches OF Sk1iied LABOR OF nlgn
grade, the civil service rules are, in my
Judgment, an obstruction rather than an
aid to efficiency and economy. In my
opinion the civil service rules as promul-
gated for enforcement here should be modi-
fed radically, suspended or repealed"
What would you substitute for the civil
service rules?" asked Senator Lodge.
IT would substitute the system which
was in vogue before We had civil service
rules" he said.
Mr. Palmer said the present force is a
fairly good one. The employees who were
appointed by him during his former term
were good workers, or they would have
all been weeded out long ago.
why is 1t the civil service gives you in
efficient employes?" asked Senator Lodge
Because the rules are cumbrous and un-
satisfactory as applied to a great rnanufac-
turing establishment"
He said the probationary period is unsat-
isfactory. because under II the employees
are allowed to stay six months. In COM
mercial establishments il the empioye were
found inefficient he would be removed be-
fore six months. Mr.. Palmer contended
that he was better qualified to select his
employees than q board which has no re-
sponsibility.
Hampercd by Civil Service.
Mr.. Palmer said that when he took hold
raeontlv ht, would have Nked fr, nave.