The times., 1897-05-16
CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY
The Senate Committee Resumes
Its Investigation.
SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS
Public Printer Palmer Gives Testi.
mony and Expresses His Opinion.
Has Greater Power Than He
Thought-Mr. Proctor Explains
Methods of the Commission.

The Investigation into the working and
administration OF the civil service reform
law was resumed yesterday by the Senate
committee
The first witness was George a. Howard,
sixth auditor Of the Treasury, who had
been criticised al the last session by Mr.
William w. Hill, who attacked the So
called spy system Mr. Hill stated
to the committee that Auditor Howard
refused to allow the accounts ofthese spies
until after he had been permitted to name
several OF these special agents.
In replying to this statement, Mr.. How
ard said that he did, at the solicita ton of
the department, suggest the names OF
three men who were employed, at first, in
Tennessee. 1t was, however, after their
selection, and after the number or these
secret agents had so largely increased that
Mr Howard, according to his testimony
yesterday, held up their accounts and called
upon the solicitor OF the Treasury for an
opinion.
Later on the expense accounts Of these
agents assumed unusual proportions, and
Auditor Howard refusedto allow more than
81 day. The First Assistant Postmaster
General then appealed To the Comptroller
ofthe Treasury, VINO oyerruled the Auditor,
stating that it was entirely within the prov
ince OF the Postmaster General to employ
these men and fix their compensation.
In reply TO question by President Proc
ter, OF the commission, Auditor Howard said
he had been in the Government service six
teen years. He had had some experience
with the civil service and esteemed very
highly the character of persons certified
for places by the Civil Service Commission
They were an improvement over the old
class of clerks. At the conclusion of his
testimony Auditor Howard submitted the
following statement:
The present Auditor for the Postoffice
Department assumed the duties of the
office April 16, 1894 This office was at
that time greatly In arrears in the busi-
Ness OF it's money order branch, and, a is
well known, had ocoasioned much CORE
spondenee and alsoe discontent with the
many thousands of late postmasters
throughout the country, who desired a
final settlement offIheir accounts The
present a'lIninistratidn oEthe Treasury has
given this office fairsand just recognition,
but it is matter Of history that it had
borne for years che @sehriquet OF the
Botany Bay OF the Treasury Depart
ment, and was the dumping ground for the
dissipated and Objectionable material in
that great department.
''lt was, therefore, necessary to Weed
out and discipline this material The
present condition Of the office evidences
that much has been accomplished in this
direction for the betterment of the ser
vice The office is in good condition.
with the work current The successor OF
the present Auditor will find "a well-dis-
ciplined force, with the work up to date.
six of its seven divisions viii compare
favorably, and are up to the standard of
the best divisions of any of the great de
partments OF the Government. There are,
however a number OF employees in this
office who are incapacitated from age,
and a smaller number who, from want of
ability or from lack OF interest in their
duties, should be dropped from its roll.
A majority OF the employees are Republi-
cans, and the larger amount of pay is
received 10y Republicans, Notwithstanding
that this statement includes the auditor,
deputy auditor, and others who are within
the excepted class of the civil service
rules
There are 3s officials and employees
in this office, including the auditor and
deputy, no are not subject To civil ger
vice examination of whom % are Demo
Gratis and 13 Republicans; "a are white
and 4 cOlored; 25 are males and 3 fe-
males There are 449 clerks and nae essen
gers subject to civil service examination
This includes the chief clerk, the tlisburs-
ing clerk and seven chiefs Of division
OF these, 191 are Democrats, and 25S
Republicans; 424 are white and 25 are
colored; 314 are males and 135 are fe-
males
Reduced, the percentages of office
holders are as follows: Democrats, Al per
cent: Republicans, SO; white, 90; colored,
g.: males, 70; females, 80
THE total amount of salary paid Demo
Gratis is $257 4s0, and Republicans, S3OS,-
56O.''
The total number of employees, divided
according to positions occupied and the
politics of the occupants, is shown to be
as follows: