The times., 1897-05-23
German Filled Two Hundred, and
Richardson Seyenty-fye.
MONOPOLY OF APPOINTMENTS
Proof Reader Benedict Gives Some
Interesting Testimony Before the
Senate Civil Service COMMITTEES.
Commissioners Butterworth ar.
CUES in Favor OF the Law.

being present for the first time.
In response to a request from Chairman
Pritchard Deputy and Acting Commissioner
of Internal Revenue Wilson laid before the
committee in the form OF communication
some very interesting facts.
There are, he says, 3, ,5O2 Officers and en-
pioyes in the internal revenue service out
side OF the bgreau, 3,1SS OF whom have
been classified under recent revisions of the
civil service rules. OF this 200 officers and
employees OF the bureau 1919 are now clas-
sified, making total classified force con-
nected with the collection onofinternal o Ieyenue
OF 1887 out OF total force of $500.
The unclassified force, amounting TO
115 persons, consists OF tie commission II,
tie 63 collectors ofinternal revenue, and 81
deputy collectors receiving $500 or less
per annum.
With respect to the working OF the rules,
Mr.. Wilson says, it is believed that some
amendments might be made with adj
vantage to the service. Rule should be
modified so as to increase the number
OF excepted places in the internal revenue
service. The position OF chief deputy
and cashier should be excepted in every
district and in thelarger rcvenne-procucing
districts where the collections reach twelve
or fifteen millions annually, the collector
should have the unrestricted choice OF
q larger number of his borii1ates. This
recommendation is based upon the rec
ognition of responsibility as a valuable
principle in the transaction OF Govern
ment affairs, one which too wide an ex-
tension OF the competitive system will
tend TO eliminate. In all branches Of the
service any position the duties of which are
necessarily confidential should be filled
by personal selection on the part OF the
officer between whom and the appointee
such confidential relations exist.
Commissioner Wilson also recon nends
the addition to the list OF excepted places
Of all deputies employed exclusively in the
sale of stamps, and that the number OF
excepted places in each district be deter
mined by the Commissioner OF internal
Revenue, who is in a position to estimate
the imperative needs of the several districts
In this regard lie also recommends tLat
Rule q be modified, SO thatvacancies caused
by death oryolmtary resignation, and places
established by the allowance of additional
force, may be also filled in the discretion
of the nominating officer by the reinstate-
ncnt of former employees separated from
the service through no fault of their own,
without regard 10 the length of time the
person recomm en- ded for reinstate nent
has been separated from the service. Train
ing counts for much In the internal revenue
service, and IA many cases better results
would he secured by the restoration Of eX-
perts formerly in the service than by Sc
leCtions from the eligible lists There does
not appear TO be any good business reason
why the term OF eligibility OF persons s;e-
cially fitted by experience and training
for the work in hand should be arbitrarily
limited to one year. An official record CT
faithful and valuable service covering a
number of years, as a ba sis of eligibility for
reappointment, would be in accord with
the principle of the probationary term,
and no officer with practical experience
in administrative work can doubt The value
to the service of a rule making such reap
pointnents permissive.
Acting Commissioner Wilson does not
recommend that the civil service law be
repealed or amended. The merit system,
he says, is a valuable one. With suitable
notifications of existing rules the law can
be brought into harmony with good sense
and good administration. Mr.. Wilson sug-
gests a provision of law, either as an
amendment or an independent measure,
fixing term of office for all classified
employees of the Government. so that each
sppointee, after successfully passing his
probationary term, shall be appointed for
a term of years not less than four, or more
than eight, and shall not be removable.
except for delinquency or misconduct,
during such term; persons thus appointed
e.. NO isrsh in 40 ieOrp Of ha
appointing officer, for reappointment, ON
the expiration OF the term of office thus
fixed, their eligibility for reappointment
to he determined by their official records
Under such a law it would be practicable
to weed out incapables from the service at
the end OF a fixed time, while the hope of
reappointment would be a greater stimulus
than is now afforded TO jealous perform
ance of duty and progressive efficiency on
the part of the competent. Such amend
ment would also relieve the civil service |
law Of the criticism attaching to it in the |
min dis of many, that it creates a life tenure |
in the classified service, contrary to the |
will OF the people and the genius of our |
institutions.
Some Of the fronclad rules of the com |
mission are said to have been more hurt |
been in the interest ef good service. A lit |
eralization of the rules, combined with a |
non-partisan application of |
them, would commend the law to the people. /
Commissioner OF Patents Butterworth, |
In a letter to the chairman, said that in
his Judgment the law should not be re- |
pealed. 1t was a salutary law, and its !
influence was to raise political contest |
above the plane OF a mere struggle for
spoils. Under its operation clerkships in
the public service, and a vast number
OF other position have ceased to be |
mere political junk, to be used by poll
tlcians to pay for partisan service, often
rendered. 1t would be disas-
trous to good government to return to
the old sp0ils system, which had become |
q stencil in the nostrils of every lover of
honest and capable administration
Still, MIR. ButterwoTth says, he is con-
vinced that the rules should be restricted |
and modified, SO as to operate as orig
nally intended by the friends and adj
vocates Of reform in the civil service,
who sought practical results in aGminis-
tration, rather than to adopt or expert
nent with theories, which, under our
'orm of government, will prove Utopian,
because life tenure in office is offensive
10 our people.
Mr.. Butterworth says that the idea that
5hree gentlemen outside of and in no wise !
charged with the responsibility of the |
OF a department of the
Government, no matter how earnest and |
can by any examination |
lettcr select a private secretary, a chief /,
aerk, or chief OF division or other executive