The times., 1897-07-04
Hearings Renewed Before Civil
Service Reform Committee.
EVIDENCE OF EX-EMPLOYEs
Mr.. Wines. Formerly of the Geo.
logical Survey, Testifies That He
Was Removed in Violation of Law.
Experience of Mr.. Donovan in the
Government Printing Office.


Committee on Civil Service in its nvesti-
cation of the working of the merit system
yesterday, was useful, in showing that
committee how the taking Of an exanina-
tion and the receiving OF very Aigh
grade does not always bring TO the sue
ccssful candidate an appointment. 1t
also showed that the public printer under
the last adminstra ton did not care very
nuch for the civil service refortn rules
and that the present one is travelling III
pretty much the same road. Taken alto
gether, the evidence of the day was worthy
OF consideration by the committee ana
may open up line OF thought that has not
yet been dwelt upon.
The hearing OF testimony was resumed
| with Peter G. Balm on the stand, III con-
| clusion OF the evidence begun last Satur-
| day. When the examin alton closed at
| that time Mr.. Bain had reached the story
| OF his own grievances. Yesterday he re-
cited his war record, and showed from
| documentary proof that he had served
| with distinction. He olaimed that, Being
| an old soldier, he was entitled under the
| law to reinstatement.
| His record in the Bureau of Engraving
| and Printing was good. When ne was dis
| charged as superintendent of one of the
| divisions he suggested to Chief Johnson that
| inasinuch as there Were no charges against
| him he should be allowed to fall back into
| theplace from which he had been promoted
| Chief johnson, witness said, replied that
this would be equivalentto the appointment
| Of n R.Nt,uflican ami he rOull not do Z.
Mr.. Rain put in evidence a letter cr1m
| Johnson testifying to his satisfactory
| service az a workmanin the Bureau. Wit
| ness said the number of eX-Unon soldiers
amounted 10 about twenty all Republicans.
whose places were filled with Democrats.
Men had been appointed On the iaborers'
roll and then advanced as machinists with
| increased pay without exarnina ton.
Mr.. Bain held that the claim made by
the Civil Service Commission that the work
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printin g
was increased by civil service reform
methods was false. The commission :;
| appointees were not doing more work than
tie others. The Increase in the output
of the bureau was due entirely to improved
machinery, and not TO the superior quality
or civil service employees.
Mr.. w. Wines, aged eighty-three, who
was dismissed from the Geological Sur
yey two years ago, claimed that the action
was taken in violation OF law. No re-
gard, he said, was paid to the law or the
civil service regulations. He bad been
u copyist, and had heen discharged with
out cause, but had made no effort To get
back. Mr.. Wines exhibited a number OF
letters from his former chiefs to show thai
| he had done his work well.
S. T Donovan, a compositor, told tht
| committee how nc had taken a civil service
examination and passed at the unusually
high grace of "a. He received Temporary
appointment in the Government Printing
Office December Z, and was assigned tC
work In the specifications division, under
| Foreman Oyster. He had been out oi
practice several months and was, OF course
a stranger to the technical work in tht
specification division. II e said he inquire,
If he was expected to do as much work "a
the old men from the start and was told
that the new men were given sufficient
time, from three to six months in which
to acquaint themselves WITH the characte
OF the work, before being put on the sam;
plane as the old men. He was discharged
ia nine days. although he worked fo
twenty days, owing to t:e temporar.
absence from the city of Mr. Benedict
Mr.. Donovan stated that he asked Fore
man Oyster if he thought witness had haC
fair trial Foreman Oyster, witnes!
said admitted tina. the trial was an Un
Just one, but that he had had nothing Il
do with it. The discharge was due t
orders from Public Printer Benedict, an,
Mr. Oyster SAID he was only carrying OF
The orders of the head Of the office
Among other Things Foreman Oyster toll
witness that III the last ten days his worl
had greatly improved.
When witness asked if tire sole reasol
for his discharge was his ina bility in tha
short time to do as much Work as III
; others, MI. Oyster said that was the onl
{ reason, but the foreman refused either I
send 4 statement of the last ten days
work to Mr.. Benedict or let witness see il
Witness said he then saw Private Seer,
tary Baker, and he expressed surprises say
ing that Mr.. Oyster was the man who recon
mepded the dismissal.
Witness thensaw tie Public Printer. Tn
, Public Printer stopped Mr. Donovan in tn
middle of his first sentence and said h
did not care to listen TO tale of woe 0
. destitution, the concern over which h
; presided was rot a charitable institution
but printing office.
Witness told Afr. Benedict he was ther
, not to plead for charity, but to talk bus
ness, and was permitted briefly to expIai
, the case.
Il don't know how much or how lit
, work You did, replied Mr.. Benedict. a
l know is that my foreman recoumende
You for dismissal, and i dismissed you
Mr.. Donovan said he tried to induce IL
| Public Printer to give him two week
). more trial. To this MI Benedict r.
piled that he did not know how to vent h
!. Indignation at the effrontery of the Wi
= ness in asking for another trial. TIL
Public Printer declared to the witne
/, that he must not presume that because
had passed the Civil Service Commission
examination the office would be compel.
to keep him.
You must understand" witness sa
!. Mr.. renedict warmly retorted, ''that II
civil service examination, SO far as a.
- concerned, does not amount to anythin
You must pass mine or getout. You ha'
made a mistake In coming here to see nj
= There are printers who have been here f
y years and l have never seen them. Y,
, have come TO see me and now / kno
he ynu.''
II Mr. Donovan said he construed this as
al threat that he could never get back in Il
II office Witness investigated his case ar