Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-27
STARTLING TESTIMONY
BY Chief Clerk f. D. Bailey Of the
Civil Service Commission.
Charges Gross Mismaoagen ent and lncom.
potency on Part Of Officials.


quently acting as chief examiner. sub
today's session of the Senate civil ser
vice investigating committee. 1t was Il
sequel to the charges he made Mon
day. of intimidation and interference
by the commission With his testimony.
He called attention to the bitter at
tack made on him then by President
Proctor of the commission.
In letter which he made public at
the instance of the committee. ad-
dressed to Theodore Roosevelt. then
New York police commissioner. now as
sistant secretary of the navy the COM
mission was severely criticized.
In an accompanying personal letter
he expressed the hope that in amy re
organization the President might deem
desirable to make Mr. Proctor might
be retained in his position. This COM
munication making startling charges
and which created a sensation, follows
in brief:
The business of the commission is
in the greatest confusion and is hecom-
ing more and more demoralized for
want of intelligent management.
"Reluisitions remain Enacted on for
months and many complaints are made
by the departments of delays and an
noyances detrimental TO the service. In
such cases temporary appointments
were authorized. and. after 90 days,
made permanent. although no rule eX
lists permitting such actions These
acquisitions probably cover several
hundred places In one batch 81 APP
pointments in the marine hospital ser
vice We're reported, for which no au
thority existed and the only excuse was
the failure of the commission to pro-
vide registers. The navy department
recently appointed l. steel inspectors
without examination or certticatiOn 10y
the commission and the department
has requested the commission TO make
the appointments regular by issuing
certifications. No action on these has
yet been taken.
The engineer service at large has
made acquisitions to fill hundreds #
places and no provision has Yet been
made to meet the demands. y number
of appointments in the sub-treaSury at
New York have been made since the
classification without examination. 80
attempt has been made to meet the
needs of the ordnance department and
irregularities and questionable appoint
ments have been SO numerous that tn
rules have almost lost their force. and
the alleged law of necessity is regnaut
and a want of uniformity exists in all
the business of the commission and tn
greatest uncertainty prevails The sub
Ordinates cannot do their work With
confidence because all presidents, prac
tees and principals are abandoned and
new ones substituted.
No reliable policy or line Of action
exists which can be relied on and CON
trdictory action is frequent The force
of the commission has lost confidence
in the ability Of the management and
can do no more than to maintain exist
ing conditions and await inevitable
changes. The action taken by the COM
mission lacks continuity and tn
minutes of one day contradict those OF
another day Action is taken, then
amended, then revoked. Under the re-
cent administration four of the five Of
fcers of the commission We're changed.
bringing new men. who lacked even the
duN ditase Vl NAl'ei l'Il'H III inv "~t"'
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