The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-02
TEMPERATURES.
DAILY MEANS.


Barometer, go. sc; mean temperature. 4; rela-
tive humidity, so; wind at p. M, southwest;
weather, cloudy; maximum temperature, IL;
minimum temperature, 2; daily range, ID;
amount Of precipitation rain and melted
snow) in last twenty-four hours, trace.
Below zero
Note-Barometer corrected for temperature
and elevation. p. L. Lyons, Observer.
THE COST OF THE SPoILS SYSTEM.
The actual money cost Of the spoils
system as compared with that Of civil
service reform acquires new import
ance at time when all parties are
agreed that the strictest economy Is
the proper and necessary policy for this
country. 1t is the habit Of most peo-
pie to assume that considerations Of
abstract justice, Of eXpediency and Of
decent conduct of politics are the
main arguments that sustain the re-
formers position. The truth is that
perhaps the most telling reason why
civil service reform should continue to
be the rule in our public service, and
should be extended and maintained in
possible in public expenditures.
An interesting and absolutely con-
vincing illustration is given in a letter
whNh Mr.. Carroll D. Wright, the head
of the federal department of labor,
has sent to Senator Lodge, in response
to ar inquiry made by him. Mr..
Wright compares the cost of doing
wo,l in the department Of labor with
that shown by the reports of the CEN
sds bureau. The former is conducted
Under the civil service rues; the latter
has been under the sway Of the spoils
system. Here is a fair basis Of COM
parison. The work OF the two Offices
is of the same general character.
Both require the service of specialists
to gather statistics and general in
formation. Both employ a consider
able clerical force. Both are engaged
in the same line of investigation. For
four years Mr.. Wright was himself in
charge of the federal census office.
We may assume, therefore, that with
In narrow limits the cost of the same
amount of work in the two departments
should be the same
Mr.. Wright furnishes a tabulated
comparison which shows that the cost
Of LOCO nonpareil ems of matter, ex-
elusive Of printing, engraving and bind
Ing, was for the department Of labor
$l7.22, and for the work Of the eleventh
may be argued that the census re-
quired much larger field force and
higher salaries for those who super
vised the office work, these items are
excluded in another portion of the
statement. Bringing the cost Of pre-
pairing matter on an absolute equality.
1t is found that LOCO nonpareil ems for
the labor department costs actually
$11.01, and for the census, S27.16.
Everything else excluded, we find, then.
that the cost of work in the census Of
flee is 1868 per cent greater than in
the department OF labor. Had
the work been done with equal
economy in the former, saving
Of $S,972,OO0 would have been made in
the cost of the last Census, excluding
the cost of the field force and Of print
ing, engraving and binding. This diff
ference is due to the absence of civil
service rules
Mr.. Wright says that in his personal
experience 'one-third Of the amount ex-
pended under his own administration
was absolutely wasted, and wasted
principally on account of the fact that
the office was not under civil service
rules" At one time there were over
5000 employees carried on the census
pay roll At a time when the work
was decreasing and clerks were being
discharged regularly, 3S9 new appoint
ments We're forced upon the Office with
out any possible necessity, solely
through answer to a political demand
and to comply with the wishes of SEN
ators and congressman. Most people
imagine that the practice of making
appointments through personal and po
litical favor, rather than on business
grounds while it may be radically
wrong and wastefuI in some particu-
lars, does not involve the country in
large additional expenditures. No
greater mistake could be made
Not only millions, but tens of millions
of dollars annually are required for
the support Of the spoils system.
Abrogate business rules and discard
the pointing Of business experience. and
the clerical rolls are crowded with men
who do not expect and who are not ex-
pected to do anything; and the peoples
money is squandered by millions to paw
political debts and help private cIti-
zens to be reelected to office. If a man
were not convinced Of the necessity of
maintaining the reform system on its
moral side, it is not easy to see how
he can escape the unanswerable proof
that an honest administration of the
public funds is impossible without it.
The spoils system not only debauches
politics, but it means the theft of a
vast amount Of money annually from
the public treasury. How, under such
circumstances, it can find q single