The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-02-20
THE CIVIL SERVICE
THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF
THE COMMISSION.
The Growth of the Government Civil
Service Rey1ewed-CharEes of Poo
litical Assessment, PoliticaI or
Religious Discriminate lions lnves-
tiEated-ReEula Concerning
Promotions and. Removals. -

Washington. Feb. 10.-The thirteenth
annual report of the civil service conf
mission, covering, the past fiscal year,
has been submitted to the president.
1T reviews. the: growth OF the govern
inent rcivil,. service. the efforts Of the
commission. to eradicate partisanship
in federal Offices and important civil
service reforms and extensions con-
templated. During the year the COM
mission conducted investigat iQns into
charges of political assessments, po-
litical or religious determinations, IL
legal appointments and removals ana
alleged frauds and unfairness in con-
nection with examinations and ap-
pointments. In a number of cases OF
charges of political assessments it was
found that there had been no technical
violations of the law; The promulga-
ton Of the law on this subject and the
commissions warning to employees dur
ing the campaign that they could not
be forced to contribute to political
funds, the report says, had a most sal
utary effect.
The new civil service rules. the re-
port says, gave the commission suf-
ficicnt authority to regulate promo
motions as well as to investigate cases
where discrimination is charged, III
making removals or reductions. With
in a short time satisfactory regulations
are expected to be in operation in ill
the departments so that promotions
may be made wholly on merit and re-
movals and reductions be made only
for satisfactory causes without regard
to personal, political or religious con-
sideration.
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 GUS
toms and internal revenue, postmas-
tiers and chiefs of bureaus, in which
the largest capacity and longest ex-
perience are required, and thus fire.
quently subjecting subordinates to to
inexperienced and incompetent superb
Ors. to the Generalization of the pub
lie service.
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
Guided among the mechanical trades.
new elements IN examination have
been introduced, such as experience.
character as a workman, age and phys
ical conditions. 1t is proposed to have
no educational test. or one with very
light weight where educa tiOnal quail
ficattons are not required.
In reviewing the growth Of the civil
service, the report says that under
President Arthur there was a growth
of 1,649 classified places. making a
total of 1900 at the close of his ad-
ministration; 1000 added by President
Cleveland during his first administra-
ton. and contemporaneous increase of
about $500 places by natural growth;
5000 additions by President Harrison
by executive order and a natural
growth of nearly 1000 places at the
same time, and at the present time
there are over $1,000.