Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-24

summoned people to testify here at the
suggestion of various members of the COM
mfttee or upon the request of different
senators or representatives. Nine-tenths
of the people who have come before the
committee have been unknown to me be-
fore coming before 1t. l knew nothing of
the nature of their testimony.
Il have had some Eere who are known as
civil service reformers and some known as
spoilsHen, and In TO instance have i de-
sired to secure majority of those with
any particular views. I do not propose
that witnesses are to be in the least in
Inundated either by Mr.. Proctor. the COM
mission or any one else. l want a full and
Inundated either by Mr.. Proctor, the COM
propose We shall have it,
Mr.. Prftchard said he proposed summon
ihg other witnesses from the commission.
He expected to have Commissioners Proc
ter and Harlow and a number of clerks
testify. not with a view of breaking down
the CIVIL service law establishing the
spoiis system. but simply with view of
getting at the facts bearing on the mat
ter.
Mr.. Proctor then asked Mr. Bailey II ne
had not correspondent with United States
sion last March. Mr. Bailey said he did
lot remember having done so. and after
considerable questioning said he had writ
ten to Mr.. Roosevelt, while a police COM
confused state Of the work Of the commits
son.
Commissioner Procter's Explanation.
AS Mr.. Bailey" said Mr.. Proctor, lone
of the clerks of the commission, in his tes-
timony, has made some suggestions which
he thinks Will Lad to improved methods
at the commission, and has criticised some
OF the present methods of transacting bus
mess at the office. desire to make an ex-
PLANTATION which may assist your honorable
committee III jogging as to the value of
your statements.
Nest of the suggestions which he has
made to your committee are simply repeti-
items of those which have at various times
been considered by the commission. Some
or them have been rejected some have
been adopted, with notifications, while
others are under consideration. They are
matters entirely within the province of the
commission, and yet they are now pre-
scented to your committee by one Of the
clerks of the commission after they have
been considered by the commission itself
l venture to say that If disappointed clerks
throughout the departments were all priv
ileged to come before congressional COM
mittees and air their grievances because
Of their disappointments, or because some
of their pet plans OR jmpracticable sugges-
items had not bean adopted by their supe-
rior officers, there would have to be a
large increase in the number of senators
and representatives to provide committees
tC grant hearings to such employees.
while the commission has learned from
experience to attach but little value to MIR.
Bailey's views. yet, as your committee has
no knowledge of the commissions expe
rience in this respect, I wish to make a
statement bearing upon the matters dis
cussed by him.
Mr.. Bailcy's Suggestions Impractic-
able.
"Mr. Bailey suggests different grade ex-
aminations. His work at the commission
is and has been purely clerical, and does
not in any way relate to the preparation
or rating of examination papers. The COM
mission is fully satisfied with the manner
in which the examining work is done. and
there appears to be no need to enter into
discussion of Mr.. Baileys suggestion.
which has at various times been before the
commission
Mr.. Proctor then took up the various sug
gestions made by Mr.. Bailey before the
committee last Friday and criticised them
Concluding his statement regarding Mr.
Bailey, Mr.. Proctor said:
II desire to say that the clerk who has
made these suggestions and criticisms has
done SO with but little knowledge ex-
perience as to the requirements of the serv
ice. He has discussed matters relating to
applications examinations and certifications,
Notwithstanding the fact that those classes
of work are in charge of others at the COM
mission He has criticised the methods of
conducting the correspondence of the office
after the commission found II advisable to
relieve him of nearly all of this kind of
work and assign it to others by whom it is
handled to the entire satisfaction of the
commission In other words. he has under
taken to survey the work of the commits
sion as a whole although his own work at
the commission has necessarily been con-
fined to very narrow limits. on account of
the superficial view that he takes of i'm
portant questions and because his Sugges-
lions are seldom the result of thorough
knowledge and careful consideration OF the
matters discussed.
Mr.. Proctor then read statements written
by Messrs. Doyle, Bum and Bushby of
the commission regarding the condition of
work there, which they declared to be in
satisfactory condition. and not in the
condition represented by Mr.. Bailey.
Don't Know His Politics.
Mr. Pritchard-What is the politics OF
Mr.. Bailey?
Mr.. Procter-I do not know. / will state
l do not know the politics OF fourth of
the people in the commission.
Mr.. Pritchard-You say Mr.. Bailey is in
efficient?
Mr. Procter-I think l did not say that
In certain lines he is very efficient, but
do not think he can handle correspond
enee efficiently. Most of the complaint he
made about the files of his division was
when he had charge of that work"
The committee then adjourned. Mr..
Proctor will testify at the next meeting of
the committee, tomorrow morning.