Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-16


filled with simon pure democrats.
The Governments Printing ONCE.
He continued =" st
THE classifeaticds of the government
printing office is. within my judgment.
without warrant Of law. In the first place.
to adopt the language of the public printer.
the government printing Office is simply a
great manufacturing, plant, involving var
led branches Of skilled labor Of high grade,
and the civil service rules are, in my judg-
ment. an obstruction rather than an aid
ion, the civil service rules, as promulgated
Tor enforcement here. should be modified
radically. suspended, or repealed
so far as have assumed for argument s
sake. the civil service law authorized the
classification of the government printing
office, but as a matter of fact, l think
am prepared to show that Mr.. Cleveland
action In promulgating rules for the gov
Ell nment printing office was unauthorized
by law"
Mr.. Pritchard quoted sections of revised
statutes to uphold his position and con-
tinued to say that this law expressly con-
fers upon the public printer the authority
to prescribe such rules as he may deem
necessary for the proper selection OF the
employees Of the government printing office.
He said this law was enacted subsequent
to the enactment of the civil service law
and that we are governed by 1t.
Il am prepared to show, he continued,
by the express wording of the civil service
law that the classification OF laborers and
workmen is not only unwerranted, but is
in violation of the act ITSELF.
He continued to maintain this position,
and said:
"In order to extend the civil service law
to limits beyond its legitimate scope the
civil service commission has undertaken
to draw a distinc ton between laborers.
classifying one grade as skilled laborers
and the other as mere laborers, and In the
init voC nfin
device has been adopted by which those
who in other departments are dominated
as mere laborers are divided into two
classes, and one class is designated as
helpers. when in truth and in fact they
are performing similar duties to those who
are designated as mere laborers'
He continued to criticise the way in which
employees in the government printing Of
flee are designated, and said:
1T is the duty of the republican party to
correct this abuse at orce. because if we
do not there can be no such thing as an
honest enforcement Of the law. The uglieSt
feature connected with the classification Of
the government printing Office is the fact
that numbers of unskled laborers working
irside the government printing office are
del. ominated as helpers in order to eVade
the plain letter of the law
He quoted a letter from Mr.. Palmer re-
garding this matter. and then said:
Before l conclude there is another view
of this question that | desire to call to
the attention of the Senate. The civil ser
vice law within certain prescribed limits
vests the chief executive with discretion
airy power as to its application. 1t is then
purely question to what extent we
should go in applying the civil service rules
as respects the executive departments in
order to secure the best result in the way
of efficient service.
l have given this subject much thought
and am convinced that az positions in the
service requiring executive ability should
be excluded from the classified service. 1t
To o.it
system should agree that you can test the
clerical ability of an individual in a meas
are by a written examination. but that
you cannot test the executive ability Of an
Individual by such. examination.
Mr.. Pritchard then quoted letters from
Secretary Wilson OF the Department of
Agriculture Secretary Bliss of the Depart
| ment of the Interior, Commissioner Her
| missioner Evans of the pension office, show
ing the positiphs these officials though
should not be included in the classified
service. Concluding his remarks, Mr..
Prtchard said: o.
I'VE may have ever so many theories in
regard to this matter, but after all it is our
duty as representa- tiyeS of the people to be
guided by those who have had practical ex-
pcrience in such matters While l am OPP
poseG to this law as now administered, at
the same time,I propose to confine my OPP
position to 1t inside, of republican lines,
feeling, as / do. that the republican party
has settled them, for the benefit of the
service. and at the SAINT time not infringe
upon the rights of the American people,
At O'clock the bill went over to a fu-
ture day. and, on motion of Mr.. Quay,
the Senate went into executive session.
Mexican Treaty Ratified.
The Senate in executive session today
ratified the treaty for the extension Of the
time of the Mexican boundary line treaty.
There was no debate.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
In the House today Mr.. Cannon Qll) ask
ed unanimous consent for the consideration
of the bill approprating s175.0OO for the
purchase of subsistence stores for the re-
| lief Of miners in the Yukon river district
and for their transportation and distribu-
ton. Mr.. Cannon said the bill had not
been technically considered by the appro-
priations committee, but the members of
the committee had consulted about the
matter.
Mr.. Sayers Tex). the leading minority
member of the committee, testified to the
| urgent necessity for the passage of the bill
owing to the absolute impossibility of pr-
vate parties getting food supplies into the
district.
Mr.. Bailey (Tex.) said he did not be-
lieve in the government going into the stor-
age business, but he would not object to
the consideration of the bill.
Mr.. Simpson (Kan) reserved the right to
object, and the propriety of the bill was
discussed with this reservation.
Mr.. Cannon submitted to the House a
statement prepared by DR.. Sheldon Jack
son, one of the agents of the commissioner
Of education, who was in the klondike re-
gion late September TO- as to the
conditions there. DIR. aJckson expressed
the opinion that there would be no suffer-
ing far up the river as Fort Yukon.
The food supply on the upper Yukon,
however, in his opinion, would not last be-
yond March, and he Endorsed the recon-
nendation of the Secretary of War that
food be sent in by reindeer via Dyea.
MIR. Cannon said whether these miners
were in America or British territory wheth-
er they were American or British subjects
if they were starving it did not become the
American Congress to hesitate about voting
them relief. (Applause)
After this statement unanimous consent
was given for the consideration of the
bill.
Mr.. Bailey said he had never been able
to be charitable out of the public funds.
He believed charity ought to be voluntary,