The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-27
CIVIL SERVICE FARCE.
CHIEF CLERK BAuLEY GAVE sowr
STARTLING rEsTrMbxY
In Letter to Roosevelt-.uc So.
~ Were In Chaotic Condition
and Confidence was Lost.

washington. January 2s. - nov = :,
a,,es' cnief clerk of the examiners office
Nh service commission. submitted sam,
sensational testimony at today,s sess;on \
'he senate civil service investigating .o,,.
"'i'.ee, II was sequel to the CHARGES n,
niaae Monday OF intimidation and in,erf.r,
ehce by the commission with his tes,i.
lnony. lie called attention to the bitter a,
TACK made on him then by President Proc.
.or oi the commission, He read a letter ba
nao addressed TO Theodore Roosevelt ,ho,,
New York police commissioner. This IL,
ter said In part.
The business OF the commission !. q,
the greatest confusion and is bccon,,o-
ihoie oen'oralized for want of Intelligent
management. acquisitions remain unactea
ON Tor months and, complaints are made
py the departments OF delays and annoy.
ances detrimental to the service. In s,oh
cases temporary appointments were All.
thoiized, and after ninety DAYS made per-
manent, though no rule exists permittinp
such acuon. These acquisitions probably
cover several hundred Places
Inc letter gave a number of instances In
suostanuiation OF the general statement.
Continuing. the letter said.
Questionable appointments have been
so numerous that the rules have almost
icsI their force and the alleged law OF me-
cessi.y Is regnant and want of uniformity
eAists IN al the business of the commits
n n' anu the greatest uncertainty prevails,
me subordinates can not do their work
W!th confidence, because all presidents
Nactlces and principles are abandoned ana
new ones substituted. No reliable policv
vi ilhe OF action exists which can be relied
on, ana contradictory action is frenuent
me iorce OF the commission has lost CON
iluence In the ability of the management
anu can 90 no more than maintain its con-
dition and await inevitable changes. The
action taken by the commission lacks con-
thuity, and the minutes of the day contra
dict those of another day. Action is taken
then amended. then revoked Until the re-
cent administration, four of the five Of
Ulcers OF the commission were changed,
bringing in new men, who lacked even the
advantage of experience in the DEPART
mental service some whose views We're I'M
favorable to the civil service law and
rules, with theories little less than hostile
as their inexperence and unfamiliarity |
proved. They adopted rules to classify in |
Dne lump 10000 new offices and utterly |
failed TO provide TO meet these needs The |
present condition is thoroughly alarming. |
Disaster can be avoided only by immediate |
remedial legislation and the three changes
In the offices should be made at once not
or political reasons. but In the interest OF
he service
Mr. Proctor asked II Mr.. Bailey had not |
ent copies of this communication 10 GER
ain senators. The witness replied that his
wife was. so far as he knew, the only other
person who knew of its existence
about that time your friends asked 10
lave the president appoint you civil SER
ice commissioner"
IAN that | know IS that the papers said
representative Walker of Worcester. Mass.
where came from, had presented my
anne TO the president"
President Pr ttor of the commission then
COX the stand, and at the outset sought 70
low that the sweeping extension OF the
Justification Of Nav 6, 1896, was not. as
ad been alleged. leap in the dark. So far
: being ready for the changed conditions
ere concerned