Evening star., 1897-05-08
Principal Topic Before the Civil Serv-
Ice Investigating Committee.
REPORTS ON THE LAWS WORKING
Exemption of Chief Clerks and
Chiefs Favored.
SOME STARTLING CHARGES

| inquiry into the operations of the civil
| service law this morning.
Letters from several government officials
and heads of bureaus and departments were
laid before the committee and read.
Acting Indian Commissioner Smith rec
| commended the continuance of the present
| laws, with the repeal of the limit of ninety
| days for temporary appointment. because
the civil service commission is not always
able to supply men in that time.
Director Wolcott of the geological survey
| reported that the civil service classilcatio
| covered all offices in the bureau, had oper-
| changed.
The commissioner of railroads. Gen. Wade
Hampton recommended the continuance of
the law.
Secretary Bliss FavOrs Certain En-
emptiOns.
A letter from Secretary Bliss of the In
terror Department said: In my opinion
the commissioners of this department
| should each have the right to appoint a
private secretary confidential clerk The
chief clerk of this department and the
chiefs Of division should. in my opinion, be
exempt from the classified service. These
officers occupy confidential relations to the
Secretary. and on their briefs or recon-
mendations he is dependent to a large ex-
tent for the proper conduct of his office 1
am OF opinion also that the special agents
such as land and timber inspectors, mineral
iahd commissioners, and particularly the
special Indian agents, and the appointment
| Of such, should be more directly under the
| control OF the Secretary. who is responsible
Ior their actions. and who must depend
upon them very largely for his knowledge
of affairs in distant regions.
The grave responsibility resting upon
Ihe secretary OF the Interior for action
no .l1&:
omcers makes it necessary in nv opinion
| that he should have a controlling voice la
their appointment. It might be practica bic
TO form an examining board within the de-
partment say, Of the Secretary or acting
secretary ard the four commissioners. who
should make such special examination of
dicious.' "e '1
Secretary Bliss states that civil sarv,ca
| rules have been promulgated in the De
Served. VI"
"A letter from the commissioner of nen
SONS was received and read Colonel Evans
iecommended that the following positions
ne exempted from the classified service
me chlet clerk. appointment clerk, private
secretary chiefs of divisions, special ex-
aminers and physicians composing the med
icai examining boards. He asserts that
tncse positions should be under the control
OF the commissioner in order to insure ba =
monious and effective organizat ton
The commissioner of the general land of
nee, In letter to the committee. made tho
following statement:
Civil service rules have heen n-or,,,
gated in this bureau to the fullest eytent
leaving only the commissioner and assis.
ant commissioner, with the laborers. ex
empt from it's operations
The existing rules of the civil serv;ce
should be modified far as the bureaus of
all the departments are concerned in re-
spect to their application to chief clerks
onnas onreis oi DIVISIONS, receiving clerks and
ha incn
10 all special agents of the departments
including mineral land commissioners in
Montana and Idaho. mine inspectors and
principal examiners of land claims and
contests" ~
Continuing. the letter of Commissioner
Hermann said:
Ihese officers sustain close confidential
relations to the heads of the departmen.s
and the bureaus, the special agents being
required to have the qualifications of de.
tectives, which qualifications can ONLY he
tested oy experience and observation and
by reputation. and not by any civil service
examination.
Commissioners Hermann Argues MT
Length.
1.-THE chiefs of divisions should be espe-
cially exempt from the classified service
because their relations are not only con-
fidential to the bureau head, but they con-
stitute the last line Of demarkation be-
tween the political relations of the admin
tstration and the justly clerical or civil
service divisions of the departments The
chief of division is it's presiding officer
and should possess the qualities essential
to q presiding officer, and his general de-
pertinent should be such as to command
the respect and add to the discipline of the
corps. He should be selected especially as
to his general fitness as such chief
IF 1t Is assumed that the dominant party
should shape the legislation of the coun-
try in consonance with the policies which
1t sustains, 1t has a right to know that the
chiefs of divisions who first shaped recon-
mendations as they are called for through
the various divisions are in perfect SYM
pathy with the party policies. The most
important legislation in Congress emanates
from the division in the form of reports on
are usually first submitted to the heads of
the departments, and by them to the heads
OF bureaus, who. in turn, submit to the
chiefs of divisions.
of the heads of bureaus and departments
ard are the custodians of important secrets
which involve the public interest, while at
the same time they should be in the high
est sense acceptable and personally agree
able to the one who must repose confidence
in them.
"The heads of departments and bureaus
can all be trusted to select only such per
sons for the particular places named as
shall have all the necessary qualifications
and fitness therefor.
The headS or departments are allowed
by the civil service rules personal confiden-
tial clerks and secretaries, whereas the
heads Of bureaus do not possess this
privilege. The commissioners personal
correspondence Is opened by his clerk. and
money contained in said letters to him is
first received and valuable secrets affecting
the interests OF the service are thus reveal
ed to him by such correspondence
I'm my opinion the civil service law
should be amended, but not repealed as a
whole; amendments would bring the sys-
tenn more within the true intent of civil
service reform and would strengthen and
not impair it,
COmmixsiOner Harris Jndorses the
Law.
The commissioner Of education, Dr. Har
ris, wrote to the committee, in part, as fol-
lows:
1T think the civil service law should he
continued as it is and not repealed IT
seems to me that the existing law of Con-
gress In regard to civil service does not
heed any amendment, because it already
gives to the President, and through him to
the civil service commission, sufficient now
er to develop q perfect system. The proper
Continued on Tenth Page1