The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-10

been no technical violations OF the law.
The PRONUNCIATION of the law on this
subject and the commissions warning
to employees during the campaign that
they could not be forced to contribute
to political funds, the report says, had
a most salutary effect.
Removals During Four Years.
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. for all causes not including such
removals as resulted from necessary re-
ductions in the force. In the unclassi-
fed and excepted service at Washing
ton the removals are believed to have
aggregated i'm the last four years at
least so per cent. The conclusion drawn
is that either the persons brought In
through examination are far more eff
cient than the others. or the removals
from the unclassified positions have
been made for other causes than the
good of the service. The total approx
innate number of positions in the civil
branch of the government is 17S,717. OF
these S7107 are in the classified service
and 81 ,6l0 unclassified OF those not yet
classified 66,725 are postmasters Of the
fourth class. OF those remaining In the
classiiable but unclassifed. group
many will be transferred to the classi-
fled service by the action of the rules.
The aggregate compensation paid in
the executive civil service of the Uni
ted States during the last fiscal year
was, approximately, 500, 100000.
Feature Which Has Disappeared.
The report says that the temptation
to increase the number of employees or
to retain employees when there is no
work for them to do, which was such
characteristic feature of the "spoils"
system, has entirely disappeared under
the new civil service system. The pres
sure for office having been removed, de-
creases of force have been made from
time to time in the classified service Of
the departments during the last four
years, as the work was completed be-
cause there was no object In keeping
unemployed persons on the payrolls
AS to tenure of office the report says:
"Our administrative system now pre-
sents the anomaly of filling certain in
ferior positions by the test of merit and
changing every four years the higher
positions, like collectors Of customs and
Internal revenue, postmasters and chiefs
of bureaus, in which the largest capac-
ity and longest experience are required,
and thus frequently subjecting the sub
ordinates to inexperienced and incom-
petent superiors-to the decentralization
of the public service"
The gradual increase in the number
of presidential offices, 1t is asserted, Is
bound to force a change in the method
of filling them. There are now nearly
10. 900 persons in the public service com
missioned by the president, and this
number is growing every year.
Physical Impossibility.
AT this rate of increase, says the re-
mort in a few years 1t will be physi-
( cal impossibility for the president and
| cabinet officers to examine the papers
and hear arguments and complaints re-
| lating to the large number OF persons
TO be commissioned, and the repeal OF
the four years tenure laws will be alb
solutely necessary. The commission Is
| of the opinion that the fourth-class
postoffices may be included In the class
| iAcation by executive order. When these
| extensions of the classification have
been made and the four years tenure
of office acts are repealed and regula'
tions are in successful operation In al
the departments requiring promotions
70 be based on the efficiency of EN-
ployes. the reforms in executive civi
service, 1t is said. will be practicallycom
plete.
In reviewing the growth of the civi
service the report says that under Pres
ident Arthur there was growth o
/. .64o classified places, making tota
of $4,000 at the close of his adminlstra
tion 1000 added by President Cleve
land during his first administration
and contemporaneous increase of abou
$500 places by natural growth; 500
additions by President Harrison by ex
ecutive order, and natural growth o
nearly 1000 places at the same time
and at present there are over $1,000.