Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-21
1T HAS WORKED WELL
The Merit System in the Engineer
Service.
SELECTION OF ,5ifHE CLERICAL FORCE
Warm Endorsement by Major Ray
emond.
III
E. D. BA1LEY,s SUGGESTIONS

| Several witnesses were examined today
| by the Senate committee on civil service
| and retrenchment in connection with its
I investigation into the operation Of the civil
service law. Senator Pritchard, chairman,
ard Senator Chiffon of Texas were pres
ent. By request of the commission, Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt of the Navy De-
partment. Col. Mckenzie and Maj. Charles
w. Raymond Of the United States corps Of
engineers, Samuel M. Cart, superintendent
of the public schools Of Sheridan, Iowa,
and E. D. Bailey, assistant examiner of
| the civil service commission, were present
to testify before the committee. There
| were also present Commissioner Proctor
and Law Clerk Geo. r. Wales Of the civil
service commission and ex-Representative
HelIry M. Baker president Of the National
Republican Anti-Civil Service League.
Mr.. Cort was the first to testify. He had
come here from Sheridan, Iowa, to appear
before the committee. He said he had been
superintendent of Indian schools at Santa
re. N. NJ, and in June. 1893, his resigna-
ton was requested by Special Indian Agent
J. A. Cooper for political reasons, hs said,
though the request was made on the
ground that the school was to be made a
normal instead of a training school. Mr..
Cort said this change had never been made
Inc SSstem 1nuOrBe0.
MAJ. Raymond was then placed on the
STAND. Maj Raymond is stationed at Phil
adelphia, Pa, where he is in charge of the
river and harbor work being conducted by
the engineer corps Of the army. Mai. Ray
mond had been requested TO attend the
meeting upon the suggestion of Commits
s.ener Proctor. and Senator Pritchard ask
cd Mr. Proctor to put such questions to the
witness as he desired.
When asked ylrl,o no.
ence with the civil service law, Mai. Raw
mond said he had bad over 100 employees IN
MS once under the civil service rules, and
lhey nao done a very great variety of
work. Ihey lad done almost every kind of
work to be done in an engineer district
When the civil service law was passed he
had great doubts whether it could be made
10 work In his service. They had never had
trouble from political pressure. 1t didn't
seem possible to select employees for the
engineer service by any system Of exam
ination. But be had found no difficulty in
the operation of the law, and SO far as his
convenience was concerned he would rather
have the civil service law than to have the
system that existed formerly. They had
not found 1t necessary to call for many
employees through the civil service COM
mission, but SO far as 1t had been tried
they all felt In Philadelphia that they
tenn ~ ct
Maj. Raymond said he had never had any
trouble from political pressure, but he had
seen much social pressure exerted for Sc
curing places. When members of Congress
or others in political life recommended
man for a place he had seen no special
trouble in explaining why he was not suit
able, II that was the case. Now, when
social pressure is exerted to get places, 1t
vas only necessary to explain that all such
employees must come through the civil sery-
ice commission. and that would end all dis
cusslon. Maj. Raymond said the rule which
makes II necessary to furnish charges
against any man discharged would not
work we'll In his service because 1t is some
times necessary to, discharge "a man when
the reason could not be put in words. He
thought the one in charge of work should
be the sole Judge of who should be en-
ployed to carry out his directions He was
very glad to get rid Of the responsibility of
selecting men for the service with which
he was connected. ="a ..
Mr.. Bailey Resumes.
E. D. Bailey, assistant examiner of the
civil service commission, produced a rec
ord in the case Of Albert Baker, whose al
legged partisan memoranda Of government
printing employees while he was Public
printing Office employees while he was Public
Congress. 1t showed his original appoint
that he was detailed to the civil service
commission last August from the treasury,
at whose request the witness did not know.
Mr.. Bailey's suggestions.
Mr.. Bailey then made further sugges-
t;ons for improvements in the civil service
examination system.
II have already stated that the present
classification of the service is by salaries,
and that there should now be made a clas-
sification according to the duties and char
acter Of the work Of the various positions
in the public SERVICE" Mr. Bailey said. IT
have suggested that the service should
probably be divided into six grades or
groups. the grouping being based on SIM
ilarity of requirements. The first, or low
est grade, would be mechanical trades and
occupations. for which little or no educa-
tinnal test would be required, but in which
skill and experience would be chief ele-
ments. The secord, or next higher grade
would include subordinate positions. such
as watchman. messenger, elevator con-
requiring little education. The third
grade would include copyists, railway mail
clerks, post Office clerks and other posi-
lions requiring fair grade of education.
The fourth grade would include all clerical
positions in the departments at Washing
ton and in custom houses, post offices and
in other branches of the, service in which
f1rst-class clerical ability Is required This
class would probably include from so to 60
per cent of the present classified service
The fifth grade would include all executive
positions, such rs chiefs and assistant
chiefs of divisions and other positions In
which executive ability is required. The
sixth grade need not be regarded as higher
than tie other, but it should embrace all
positions in which special. scientific. pro-
fessional or technical knowledge and abil-
ity are required
"A grouping Of this kind would form the
basis Of an examination system, and would
also be the groundwork of any promotion
scheme which might be adopted
Mr.. Bailey also advocated the establish
ment of six registers Of eligibles CORE
spending to the grades respectively. He
also suggested that eligibles be allowed
to renew their eligibility for period of
three years at least by filing an applica-
ton without re-exa mination. He would
also favor printing all lists of eligibles
twice year. He favored the establish
N emit Of q correspondence and a question
division of the commission.
Mr.. Bailey submitted a paper regarding
the character OF practical examinations
He said 1t was not enough to examine a
clerk on the duties Of the particular desk
to which he would be assigned, as that
would be too narrowsn scope.
Are the Examinations PractfcalF
''At least Is per cent Of the positions in
the classified service can be filed by per-
sons OF average, Intelligence and educa-
ton who are not specialists In any line"