The times., 1898-02-04
REPLIES TO THE OPPOSITION.
Mr.. Proctor ON the Objections to- the
Civil Service system.

The Senate Committee on Civil Ser
/ vice and Retrenchment is nearing the
end of it's present investigation into
the methods Of the Civil Service Com
mission The testimony thus far
/ brought out has been to establish the
faet that a civil service system is an
absolute necessity if good work and
clean methods are to prevail in tran
SactihS the business of the govern
/ ment
AT the hearing yesterday a, further
/ examination of President Proctor nf
I the Civil Service Commission. was hsd
( MT Proctor devoted his attention to
+ clearing up some Of the objections thar
nad been urged against the system BY
feW witnesses whose knowledge was
derived mainly from observation. and
not from practical experience. The
principal one Of these objections seems
| To be the impression tnat the present
method creates life tenure Of
office. There is bill now
before the House Committee to
do away with this so-calIed HE ten
ure, he said. and if this bill should be-
come law il would operate to retain
the poorest clerks in office. as il has
always been held that the poorest
clerks have the most and best political
influence.
Mr.. Proctor said that when clerks
had been put on a limited tenure of Of
flee and were to receive TeappOintment
as has been done in some Of the de-
partmentS, it was found that under
Democratic Administration no Republi-
can clerks were left in office and vice
versa, showing that the heads of de
partments could not be depended upon
to act without partiality. He thought
that-a better way 70 get around the
question of life tenure would be to
adopt the system now in practice in the
Postoffice, Agricultural and Navy De-
partmentS, which requires a record 90
be kept of all employees, and a semi-an-
nual report made as to their standing.
All employees who fail to maintain an
average of 10 per cent out of a possible
1o0 are either reduced or dismissed
This system ne said would rid the Ser
vice of any superannuated employees.
and also tend 10 Keep the work up 20
a high standard.
Mr.. Proctor explained that when a
demand was made on the Commission
for a clerk. the examination papers Of
the three applicants who had attained
the highest percentage in the exami-
nations were sent 10 the appointing
officer, who could use his discretion in
making the appointment. The apph-
cant chosen is then appointed '-On pro-
baton for six months. According to
Mr.. Proctor, less than per cent of
those appointed on probation are dis
missed
As an illustration he referred to the
case of Albert Baker Mr. Proctor said
that this case had been misrepresent-
ed: that Mr.. Bakers transfer from
the printing office to the Civil Service
Commission was entirely legitimate.
and that Mr. Baker was a most eff
cient clerk.
Another point brought out by Mr..
Proctor was that under the Old sys-
TEN. employees guilty of gross offenses
were. permitted to resign. and could b.
reinstated afterward. but under the
civil service rules the guilty person
is tried, and if found guilty is dimiss-.
ed. When so dismissed. an emplOye
never can be Teinstated.
The hearing viii be continued this
morning at 10 o'clock.