The times., 1897-03-23
'FAVORs THE MERIT SYSTEM
Secretary Long Takes a Firm
Stand for Present Regulations.
HIS LETTER ON THE SUBJECT
Says the Rules Governing the Em-
pIoyment of Mechanics and Labor
ers Upon Merit Must Be Strictly
Enforced and That Favoritis IN
VIII Not Be Allowed.

4
Secretary Long, of the Navy Depart.
| ment, has taken firm stand against the
abolition, or even the modification, of
existing regulations for the employment
the country, and this in the face of a
strong pressure, for a change There is
considerable Importance attaching TO the
attitude OF the Secretary in this matter,
since, while the policy has been in the
main foreshadowed,i ,it may be said to be
the first official utterauce since the ad-
vent Of the present Administration TO indi-
cate its postionupon the civil service sys-
tenn and it's collateral regulations where
civil service law does not apply.
The declaration made by TIE Secretary
was in the form OF letter, sent to the
commandant OF every navy yard in the
| United States, the full text of which is
as follows:
Complaint has been made that ia
voritisn has been practiced by the board
Of labor employment at the various ards, in
taking on Iaborers and mechani les; also
that fayoritism is practiced when dis
charges are necessary for lack OF wCrk,
etc, and that the letter and spirit Of he
labor regulations are not carried out
When the system OF employing me-
chanics and laborers uEon merit fist went
into effect it was reasonable to SUPPOSE
that those who were to administer the
regulations would make some mistakes.
and that occasionally the Department
would be called upon to make rulings and
amendments to the rules, but they have
been in force now for such period of time
as to prevent the recurrence of such mis-
takes. BY careful and conscientious
study of Navy Yard Order No % revised
any official charged with administering
the rules should be familiar enough with
their spirit and letter to guard against
errors of misconstruction. Favoritism viii
not be allowed.
1T is the intention of the department to
enforce fairly and justly the regulations
as promulgated, and to disarm unjust
criticism IL is necessary that the atten-
ton OF each official at the yard under your
command be called, To what is expected
Of him, as To the certainty of punishment
if any person entrusted with the enforce
ment OF the labor regulations violates
them or fails, through carelessness or
negligence, to perform the duties ex-
pected and required Of him
The depa rtmept desires you to per-
sonally communicate to officials at the
yard under your command its views as
expressed above"
The regulations referred to are as to
the employment OF laber, prescribes how
they shall be graded. under what condi-
tons they shall be retained, what rules
shallapDlyas To re- employment, and makes
which, in effect, establishes an eligible |
list from which vacancies are to be filled. |
The charges are That under the last AG- |
niDistration the records OF alen discharged |
are rnisstated. and that in order to create |
vacancies men were dismissed without |
cause, and when dismissed they were un- |
justly denied re-registTation. This it is |
said, was made easy by the system i'll |
vogue. t
II mans discharge cHrd should state |
that his general workmanship while en-
ployed in the yard was excellent" and his
conduct 'eXcellem'' or good" " the dis
charged cmploye would bc entitled TO
register as a '-preferrcd applicant in the
order OF registration next after veterans
in dull seasons were numerous.
but the preferred applicant" was gen
orally sure Of accomplishment upon the re-
OF more active operations.
Another grade, the next lowest, was
that if card should state tlrat the general
workmanship of the man was good" and
conduct excellent he would be entitled
to register, but would not be entitled TO
preference in certification over applicants
who had no navy yard experience, and
those rated poor" in either workmanship |
Or conduct were excluded from registra-
ton for year from the date of discharge. |
There was still another provision for
those dismissed for carelessness. intem-
Derance, or INSTRUMENTATION, all such being
excluded from registration for six months,
and then only, if, with other points to be
the labor board should re-
gard the applicant as meriting favorable
Here is where it is charged that injustice
was done. 1t was represented TO the
that the labor board manipu-
ated the records so that Republican work
men were discharged with bad record,
Ind Democratic workmen substituted, not
,nly in actual employment, but in the
eligible lists, and that they are now at
work, while the others, equally meritori
,us, are excluded.
1t was brought to Mr. Longs attention
~ congressman and other prominentrepre-
entatives of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Cali
ornia, and New York, aud the suggestion
vas made that if the mel whose character
vas falsified could not be otherwise righted |
he merit system ought to be abolished
ltogether. Congressman Hilborn, of Cali
ornia, and ex-Congressman Bowden, of
Tirginia, among numerous Others are
nderstoodte have held this view. and Vice
President Hobart is said To have been or
he number TO speak to the Secretary of
he injustice alleged, several employees hay-
ng appealed to him
Secretary Long stated, accOrdn & TO trust
worthy accounts, that if he can be assured
hat injustice has been done, the wrong
hall be rigflted, but he declined to abolish
he merit system, and the letter above
uoted is the result. An Investigation of
lleged abuses is likely to. be made by
pecial inquiry.
The Alaska Seal Herd.
% the Editor OF The Times: