The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05

buruement Of fund.- cannot BE- assured.
The Government ought 10 be at liberty to
ego Into the market like any other en-
| ployer that desires labor, and hire II
undcr tho prevalent conditions, not with
unusual restrictions and conditions OF
its " prescribing" Again, not only
does the civil service prescribe xamina
lions " entirely unnecessary or inapplicable
In many cases to the class Of labor and
service required" but It Is deceptive in
speaking Of a per annum pay, thus holding
out the idea that the employment Is per-
manent. 1t also says that salaries will DO
paid which should attract the most compe-
| tent workmen, whereas the wages are
really only those current In the locality,
and are beyond the control Of the Civil
Service Commission Then Major HAND
BURY turns to the long and cumbersome
process required for securing employees
even for temporary employment:
.of all the questions therein prescribed which the
applicant is to furnish apsw srs to. there is not a sim
gle one. except perhaps tho fourteenth and fifteenth.
that will give any definite idea as to his capabilities
for rendering efficient service to the Government in
the position in which he seeks employment. Any de-
aired Information under these heads could be OBJ
thlneu ny tne engineer OWOer IN CnhtRe, MS nehlhtant,
or an Intelligent foreman by two minutes obssrva-
ton and conversation with tho man. The applicant
must make afndavit TO his answers to these questions.
Following this comes the two vouchers certifying
90 70 the capabilities Of the applicant to I'LL the position
desired. Tho most of these eleven questions are prao-
teal and to the point, but how much dependence can
be placed upon the accuracy Of the answers that will
be made to themp Every one knows who has had
any experience in hiring and handling men that GER
uncates Of character are often given to tho most
worthless men by acquaintance and employers mere
~ to got nd OF them or of their importunities.'
As to the medical certificate, with It's
more than thirty requirements, Major
HANDBuRY says it possesses no advantages
over the old system, In which a man found
physically unable to do his work is dis
charged. Now there Is a physicians fee to
pay. and the applicant must also pay for
his affidavit.
In this whole Transaction. Il will be observed. no
one connected with the Government or in any way
responsible for the work he Is TO perform has seen
this man. Judgment has been passed upon him.
either favorable or otherwise, solely upon his own
representations and that OF two friends whom nobody
knows anything about. II successful. his name IL
placed upon the lit Of ~eligibles. and in due time he
may make hts appearance Of some engineer once
with an appointment"
Major HANDBURY says that this way of
getting employees, as distinguished from
the one in vogue for nearly a century,
where honesty, integrity, and faithful ser
vice could have their due weight, is "too
much like buying a pig in a poke" to suit
btm. 1t Is too cumbersome, too uncertain
In results, and involves too many delays and
too much division Of responsibility. There
was a chance that the provision for a "local
board of examiners" might mend matters,
but on inquiring Of the Civil Service Com.
mission what this board would do, Major
HANDBURY learned that very little time
will be required from the members OF the
board in the discharge Of the duties and
hat the work of preparing questions and
marking examination papers will be lone
by the commissions examiners In his
city In short, since this System applied
to oil the employees whose services cost
as much as $45 per month, and Ma.
jor HANDBUEY alone employed hundreds
of persons whose wages exec ,ded that
amount, he entered bis solemn protest
against the new methods. He set forth
the careful education, high character and
prolonged practical experience Of engineer
officers as showing their ability to hire
men, and contrasted 1t with the "outside,
irresponsible body, unfamiliar with the
character Of the work, and to whom the
men appointed are entirely unknown"
The matter is made worse. in his opinion,
by requiring the officer who may discharge
a classified employee to account for his act
to the Civil Service Commission, which is
a process, In his opinion, tending to subvert
discipline and to weaken proper control.
Such are the views set forth by an engi-
neer officer Of large experience. We find
no indication OF any purpose on his part
other than that Of serving the Government
well. But we do not suppose that his sug-
g~estions will meet with the slightest favor
from the Chinese civil service cranks.