The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-27
STARTLING CHARGES MADE
CHIEF CLERK ARRAIGNS U. S. CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION.
Says it is in Greatest Confusion and is Be-
coming More and More Demoralized for
Want of Intelligent Management--Pres-
ent Condition is Alarming-How Dis
aster May be Averted.


aster May be Averted.
Washington, Jan. 26.-E. D. Bailey.
the civil service commission and for
many years connected with that body,
frequently acting as chief examiner, sub
mitted some sensational testimony at
to-day's session of the senate civil SER
vice investigating committee. 1t was
sequel to the charges he made Monday
of intimidation and interference by the
committee with his testimony. He call
ed attention to the bitter attack made
on him by President Proctor of the
committee. In letter which he made
public at the instance of the committee
addressed to Theodore Roosevelt, then
New York, police commissioner, now as
sistant secretary of the navy, the COM
mission was severely criticised.
In an accompanying personal letter
he expressed the hope that in any re-
organization the president might deem
desirable to make Mr.. Proctor might be
retained in his position. This commu-
nication making startling charges, and
which created sensation follows: "The
commission is in the greatest confusion
and is becoming more and more de-
noralized for want of intelligent man
agement. Requisitions remain unacted
on for months and many complaints are
made by the departments of delays and
annoyances detrimental to the service
In such cases temporary appointments
were authorized and after ninety days
made permanent although no rule exists
permitting such actions.
"These acquisitions probably cover
several hundred places. In one batch
thirty-two appointments In the marine
hospital service were reported for which
no authority existed and the only ex-
cuse was the failure of the commission
to provide registers. The navy depart
ment recently appointed steel inspectors
without examination or certifcation by
the commission and the department has
requested the commission to make the
appointments regular by issuing certi-
fications. No action on these has yet
been taken. The engineer service is in
the same condition.
''No reliable policy or line Of action
exists which can be relied on. and con-
Trajectory 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
charges. The action taken by the COM
mission lack continuity and the minutes
of one day contradict those of another
day Action Is taken, then amended,
then revoked Under the recent admin
istration four of the five officers
of the commission were changed bring
ing in new men who lacked the advan-
tage of experience in the departmental
service some OF whose views were un-
favorable to the civil service law and
rules, with theories little less than hos
tile and their inexperience and unfamil
iarity proved disastrous They adopted
rules to classify, in one lump, 10000 new
offices and utterly failed to provide to
meet these needs. The present condi-
ton is thoroughly alarming. Disaster
can be averted only by immediate rem
edial action and at least three changes
in the office should be made at once, not
for political reasons, but in the interests
of the service"
MA. IICClOI dShGu IL Ihl. IodllCy lldO
not sent copies Of this communication
to certain senator. The witness re-
piled that his wife, was. SO far as he
knew, the only person who knew of its
existence. About that time your
friends asked to have the president ap-
point you civil service commissioner?
"All 1 know is that the papers said
that Representative Walker Of Worces-
ter, Mass, where came from had pre-
sented my name to the president"
President Proctor Of the commission
then took the stand and at the outset
sought to show that the sweeping ex-
tention Of the classification Of May G.,
1896, was not as had been alleged, leap
in the dark so far as being equipped
for the changed conditions was charged.