The record-union., 1898-01-27

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-Rev. +. ID.
Bailey, chief of the examiners Office,
Civil Service Commission, submitted
some sensational testimony at to-day's
session of the Senate Civil Service IN
vestisatlng Committee. 1t was a Sc
ouel TO the charges made Monday of III
1imidation and interference by tie
Commission with his testimony. lie
called attention to the bitter attack
made upon him by President Proctor
of the Commission. lie read a letter
he had addressed to Theodore Roose-
welt, the New York Police Commission
er severely criticising the commission
This letter said in part:
The business of the commission IS
in the greatest confusion. and is be-
coming more and more demoralized for
want of intelligent management. Fec
uisitions remain unacted upon ior
months, and many complaints are made
by the departments of delays and an
noyances detrimental to the service. In
such cases temporary appointments
We're authorized, and after ninety days
made permanent, although no rule ex-
lists permitting such actions. These
acquisitions probably cover several hum
dred places"
The letter gave number of instances
in suostantiation of the general state
ment. Continuing, the letter says:
Questionable appointments have
been so numerous that the rules have
almost lost their force, and the alleged
law of necessity is regnant and want
of uniformity exists in all the business
of the commission. and the greatest
cannot do their work with confidence,
because all precedence, practices and
principles are abandoned and new ones
substituted No reliable policy or line
of action exists which can be relied
upon, and contradictory action is fire.
quent The force of the commission
has lost confidence in the ability of the
management, and can do no more than
to maintain existing conditions and
await inevitable changes.
The action taken by the commission
lacks continuity. and the minutes r
one day contradict those of another
day Action is taken, then amended,
then revoked. Under the recent Ad-
ministration four OF the five officers
of the commission We're changed, bring
ing in new men who lacked even the
uN&IldSH OF experience IN the Depart
mental service, some whose views were
unfavorable To the civil service laws
and rules. with theories little less than
hostile. and their inexperience and un-
familiarity proved disastrous. They
adopted rules to classify in one lump
10000 new offices, and utterly failed
to provide to meet these needs
The present condition is thoroughly
alarming. Disaster can be averted
only by remedial action. and at least
three changes in the office should 1e
made at once, not for political reasons,
but IN the interests Of the service"
Mr.. Proctor asked if AIr. Bailey had
not sent copies of this communication
TO certain Senator'S
The witness replied that his wife was.
so far as he knew, the only other per-
son who knew of its existence
About that time did your friends
not ask the President to appoint you
Civil Service Commissioner?
"All l know IS that papers said Rep-
resentative Walker of Worcester, Mass.
where came from, had presented my
name to the President"
Mr.. Proctor then took the stand and
at the outset sought to show that the
sweeping extension OF the classification
of May 6. 1896, was not, as had been
alleged. "a leap in the dark" so far
as being equipped for the changed con-
ditio1s was concerned