Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-02
Looking Forward to a Resumption of
the Investigation.
REORGANIZATION OF The COMMISSION
What is Said Regarding Probability
Of Changes.
ATTITUDE OF THE PRESIDENT

with interest to a resumption of the in
vestiga tions carried on by the Senate com
mittee en- civil service last spring during
the coming session of. Congress.
Civil service reformers are confident that
these investigations will continue AMI will
include a hearing CT all evidence bearing
on the subject that may be available up
to the time of thu meetings. The commit
tee did not conclude it's work last spring.
its time being taken up almost exclusively
with evidence of People opposed to civil
service reform and whose testimony tend
ed to show that the law had not been
properly enforced. The statements made
at these hearings were in manv cases call
ed in question by civil service refor.nars,
but no opportunity was given any ore TO
reply to them, for the reason that such
PERSONS were to have the stand la.er. when
they could make suoh replies as they pleas
cd. - That opportunity, however, had Let
cClne, except IN a few cases, whcn Congress
adjourned. 1t is from these sources that
much of the testimony TO Je given before
the committee at the approaching session
will come.
REORGANIZATION of the Commission.
In connection with a continuation of the
investigation into civil service methods
there is much talk regarding the personnel
rnors that have been current regarding the
reorganization CT the board in order to give
it majority OF republican members The
impression Is constantly gaining ground
that the President may not reorganiZe the
commission because of reasons that it is
Del1eNed VIII prove very weighty with him.
In the hrst place ii is SAID the present
commissioners were thoroughly familiar
with the congressional investigation which
Was carried the of Fop-
srcss, mat they are thoroughly versed In
the civil service law, and that they have
pending many cases in the executive de-
partments which they have long followed,
and which will require some time to COM
piete, in order to make the execution of
the law more consistent with its spirit
Inc retention of such officials, they say,
would also be directly in the line of civil
service reform as applied to the commits
sion.
There is another argument that civil ser
vice reformers use in favor of a continua-
ton OF the board as at present constituted.
They say that so long as the board has a
majority of members of party opposite to
that of the President the people through
out the country will feel confident that the
law is being executed impartially and with
out injury to democratic officeholders so
far as the law protects them. They say
there would be much more probability for
scandal in connection with the civil ser
vice commission We're it dominated by men
1t is said that except for the resignation
of Commissioner Roosevelt the commission
would not have been reorganzed by Mr.
Cleveland, but the commissions of its men,
DerS would have been allowed to run on
Indefinitely, the office having no fixed term.
Office of Chief Examiner.
The same reasons are used to argue that
there will also be no change in the office
of Chief Examiner Serven. The late Major
Webster was appointed chief examiner of
the commission during Mr.. Clevelands first
term and was never disturbed in his Of
flee, Mr.. Serven being transferred to that
place from the Treasury Department upon
the death of Major Webster. Besides having
a reputation of being one of the highest il
not the highest authority banking law
in this country, Mr.. Serven was thoroughly
acquainted with civil service methods, ana
his administration is commented upon as
having been particularly successful
Civil service reformerS say that in
operation with the commission Mr.. Serven
has done much to relieve the commission
from the charge made in the past of giving
bear sufficiently upon the ability of the
applicant to do the work he might be called
upon to perform in the cffice.
good many persons who a few months
ago thought the President would not prove
a sturdy friend of civil service reform have
become convinced that he is thoroughly in
accord with the spirit of the civil service
law, and that he will continue to execute
it as well as to advance its application
whenever, in his opinion, it can be done
with benefit to the service.