The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-27
IN SENATE COMMITTEE
CHARGES GREATEST CONFUSION
IN BUSINESS OF COMMISSION.
PRESENT CONDITION is ALARMING
President Proctor Denies the Charge of In
timidatiOn and Makes Statement, But
Criticizes Baey's Action as
Quite Too Fresh.


Washington, Jan. 2G.-Rev. f. ID.
Bailey, chief clerk of the Examiners
Office, Civil Service Commission, and for
many years connected with that body,
frequently acting Chief Executive, sub
mitt6d some sensational testimony at
to-day's session of the Senate Civil Ser
vice investigation committee. 1t was n
sequel to the charges he made Monday
of intimidation and interference by the
Commission with his testimony. He call
ed attention to the bitter attack made
on him by President Procter,of the Com
mission. In letter which he made
public at the instance of the committee,
addressed to TheO Roosevelt. then New
York Police Commissioner, now assist
ant Secretary of the Navy, the Commits
sion was severely criticised.
In an accompanying personal letter he
expressed the hope that IN any re-organ-
ization the President might deem desira-
BILE to make. Mr.. Proctor might he re-
tained in his position. This c0mnunica-
tion, making startling charges. and which
created sensation, follows, in brief:
The business of the Commission is in
the greatest confusion and is becoming
more and more demoraizing for want Of
intelligent mana cement. ReduisitiOns
remain unacted ON for months and many
complaints are made by the department.
Of delays and annoyancas detrimental Ia
the service. In such cases temporary
appointments were authorized and after
sd days made permanent, although ITO
rule exists permitting such action. These
acquisitions probably cover several hun
dred places. In one batch thirty two ap-
pointments in the Marine Hospital Ser
vice were reported. for which no author
ity existed and the only excuse was the
failure of the Commission to provide
registers. The Navy Department recent
ly appointed fifteen steel inspectors with
out examination or certiicatiOn by the
Commission and the department has re-
quested the Commission to make the ap-
pOintments regular by iSsuing certihcn-
tionS. No action on these has vet been
taken. The Engineer service at large
had made acquisitions to fill hundreds
of places and no provision has yet been
made to meet the demands A number
of appointments in the Sub-Treasury
mt New York have been made since the
CidSSlltdNiOl N1iIlbut tAUAlAlAIkAtfiis NO
attempt has been made to meet the needs
Of the Ordinance Department and irrcg-
ularities and questionable appointments
have been so numerous that the rules
have almost lost their force and the al-
legged law of necessity is regnant and a
want of uniformity exists i'm all the hHsi-
ness of the Commission and the greatest
uncertainty prevails. The Subordmatps
cannot do their work with confidence lR-
cause all precedents, practices and pri
cipleS are abandoned and new ones sub
stituted. No reliable policy Or line Of
action exists which can he relied on and
contradictory action is frequent Tie
force of the Commission has lost conf
dence in the ability of the management
and can do no more than to maintain ex-
listing conditions and await inevitable
changes. The action taken by the Com
mission lacks continuity and the minutes
of one day contradict those of another
day. Action is taken. then amended
then revoked. Under the recent admin
iStraton four of the five officers of the
Commission We're changed bringing in
new men, who lacked even the advantage
of experience in the department service,
some whose views were unfavOrabie to
the civil service law and rules, with
I
neXperience and unfamilarity proved
disastrous.
THE present condition is thoroughly
alarming Disaster can he averted only
by immediate remedial action and at
least three changes in the office should
be made at once, not for political rea-
sons, hut in the interests of the service"
President Proctor. of the Commission.
made Il statement to the committee re-.
garding the charges that he and the Com.
mission had sought to intimilate witness
Bailey. He said that when he had spok,
en- to Mr.. Bailey and told him that hith-
erto no one had been suhpoen0ed hy the
Chairman of the Committee except thOSc
who were antagOnistic to the Commission,
he had then i'm his possession - duplicate
copy Of the communication TO Mr., Ra0Sr.
welt submitted to-day IL was furnished
him by United States Senator and he
did not know its author until the first
testimony of Mr.. Bailey when hC suS.
pected him. He had known for Samc
time that the paper had hcen naeSSxNa 4.
mong Senators and made the basis Of nm
attack on the civil service. lie. told Mr.
Bailey that ha supposed the latter had
hcen SuhpOenaed vt the instance 0f eonae
Senator who had seen the paner and
that after the complaints were an In he
would ask the Committee 80 summon
people who he'd had long experience in iN,-
portant positions IN relation 10 The opeN
alton or me civil service.