The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-09
[ CIVIL SERVICE FACTS
Interesting Points of the Commits.
=. sioners' Annual Report.
REGARDING TENURE OF OFFICE.
Hhs Commission Declares That Under Ex.
fsting Conditions Skilled Employees Are
Frequently Placed Under Inexperienced
and Incompetent superiors.

| hbunE ConoitiohS ohhou hhPfoyes Aro
Frequently Placed Under Inexperienced
and Incompetent superIors.
7 Washington, Feb. 9.-The 18th an
hual report of the civil service commits
'tuion. covering the past, fiscal year, has
tbeen Submitted to the president. II
Rhows the growth of the governments 8
civil service, the efforts of the COM
mission to eradicate partisanship In
federal offices. and important civil SER
vice reforms and extensions contem-
plated. During the year the commits
sion conducted Investigations into
charges of political assessments, po-
1itical or religious determinations, IL
legal appointments and removals, and
alleged fraud or unfairness in connec-
'tion with examinations and appoint
ments. In a number of cases of the
Hharges of political assessments 1t was
found that there had been no tech
pical violations Of the law. The pro-
Imulgation Of the law on this subject
and the commissions warning to en-
ployes during the campaign, that they
Eould not be forced to contribute to
political funds, the report says, had a
most salutary effect.
One Investigation, whose report is
still under investigation. was made. at
the Columbus, o.. postofTlce over a
Vear ago. 1t developed the fact that
for years .ttswas the practice of many
employees, without regard to their party
lnffiliations, to contribute to the cam
lpaign fund Of whatever party was in
power.
In all cases where there was the
slightest evidence of fraud or unfair
mess the commission required the re-
examination of the competitors. The
most serious case of violation of the
civil service law, the report says, was
ut Erie, Pa, where the secretary Of the
postal board was found TO have OPEN
ed a package containing the exami-
nation papers and furnished the ques-
tions to a competitor, an employe of
fhe office, In advance of examination.
Both were removed from the service
and are now held for trial. At Toledo,
TO-, postoffice an employe was shown
10 have made representations to injure
fhe prospects Of appointment of cer-
rain other eligibes Action in this
Ease is still pending.
During the last four years the re-
movals from competitive positions in
the classified departmental service at
Washington have been less than 2 per
cent. a year for all causes, not in
cluding such removals as resulted from
necessary reductions In the force. In
the unclassified and excepted service
Mt Washington the removals are be-
ueved to have aggregated in the four
years at least 50 per cent.
The conclusion drawn Is that either
The persons brought in through ex-
hminations are far more efficient than
the others, or the removals from the
Mnclassified positions have been made
for other causes than the good of the
Bervice.
The total approximate number Of
positions in the civil branch of the
kovernment is 17S,717. OF these S7,107
are In the classified service and 81 $40
Mnclassitied. OF those not yet CLASH
Ned 66,725 are postmasters of the
Epurth class. OF those remaining in
fhe classif1able but unclassified group
tpany will be transferred to the clas-
Hfed service by the action of the
Sples.
The aggregate compensation paid In
the executive civil service of the I'm
lted States during the last fiscal year
was, approximately, 100000, 600.
The new civil service rules. the re-
port says, give the commission suf-
ticient authority to regulate promo
lions, as well as to investigate cases
where discrimination is charged in
making removals OF reductions. With
in short time satisfactory regula-
Hons are expected to be in operation
in all the departments, 50 that pro-
motions may be made wholly on merit
Ind removals and reductions be made
pnly for satisfactory causes, without
regard to personal, political or re-
ligious considerations.
The temptation to increase the num-
Der Of employees ar to retain employees
when there is no work for them to 10,
which was such a characteristic fea-
ture of the "spoils" system. has en-
tirely disappeared under the new
pivil service system. The pressure for
bfflce having been removed decreases
pf force have been made from time to
time In the classified service of the
departments during the last IA years,
there was no object in keeping un-
Employed persons on the payrols.
As to tenure of office, the report
Bays, our administrative system now
presents the anomaly Of filing certain
inferior positions by the test of merit
and changing every four years the
higher positions, like collectors of GUS
toms and internal revenue, postmas-
ters and chiefs of bureaus, in which
The largest capacity and longest ex-
perience are required, and thus fire.
huently subjecting subordinates to in
Experienced and incompetent su-
periors, to the decentralization OF the
public service.
The whole number of persons eX,
hmined for the five branches Of the
elassified service during the year end
ed June 30. 1896. was 3l,270 Of whom
RO.493 passed and 1886 failed to pass
This Is a material decrease in failures
The whole number of appointments
WAS 5,084 an increase of 292 over the
previous year
Special efforts have been made to
keep the examinations as practical as
possible, and radical innovations have
been made. For some of the newly
classified positions, especially those in
pluded among the mechanical trades,
new elements in examination have
been introduced, such as experience,
character as a workman, age and
physical conditions. 1t is proposed to
have no eduction test or one with
very light weight where educational
qualifications are not required.
Roasted in q Dugout
Pittsburg, Feb. 9.-By the caving in
pf q dugout at Culmerville Charles
willis, colored, Ss years old, was
knocked into a blazing fire and burned
10 death. Three companions were in