The times., 1898-01-30
HE PLEADS FOR THE LAW
Proctor Wants the Civil Service
System Further Tried.
He Relieves the President Has the
Power to Make Any Exemp-
tions He Desires.


kept on the rack a long time.
He pleaded that tlze present law be
given a further trial, arguing that il
had not been in vogue long enough tC
tell whether or not it was a good thing
Mr.. Proctor began his testimony by
taking up the classification of the Inter
| nal Revenue Service. He quoted from
MIR Cox, former Secretary of the Inte-
rior, in which he stated that that serv-
| ice was in such a corrupt condition
that it actually threatened the safety
of TIE Government and that it was
used TO influence the conventions and
| campaigns of political parties more
than any other thing. 1t had been
known, he said, that as high as $4,000
| was paiG for a deputy coliectorship.
Mr. Proctor cited the system used in
| Great Britain. The internal revenue
| service there furnishes more than two
| thirds of that country's income. 1t is
| under civil service system and Is
carried on under strict business meth
DDS and with entire satisfaction. He
| thought that the system could not be
| properly tested until it had been in
| force through at least two administra-
| tions.
He said the next service classified
was the watchman and messenger ser
| vice, on November g 1894 Where clas-
| sification was effected the number was
| decreased and in those departments
| not classified there was an increase.
| This is due because many men and wo-
, men were appointed as messengers and
| watchmen who did not do that work
| but were given clerical work. On the
same date the customs ports having as
many as twenty employees We're clas-
| sified. June 25 1895, the classification
| was extended to the engineer depart
| ment. 1t was found that prior to this
| classification, persons had been ap-
| pointed who We're not engineers. This
| service was classified in response to a
| request from that department for COM
| petitive examinations.
| Last year the engineers organiZa ton
| held a meeting in this city. Mr.. Proc
| ter stated that he submitted the eX-
| animation used in this branch of the
| service TO committee of forty of these
| engineers, and they stated that the eX-
| animation was just what it ought to
be, and that an engineer who could
| not pass 1t ought not to be in the Gov
| ernment service. Very few of those
| engineers We're employees of the Gov
ernment. On May, "a, 1895. chiefs of
| divisions in the Agricultural Depart
| ment We're removed from the excepted
| class.
| In Secretary Mortons last report he
! called attention to the beneficial results
| OF this action. On the same day the
| Bureau of Animal Industry was in
! Cluded in the classified list This bu-
reau was enabled to do an additional
| amount of work with a decreased
force. On August l. 1895, the classi.
| fed service was extended to the Gov
ernment Printing Office. Prior TO this
the Typographical Union passed reso-
| lutions depIoring the spoils system of
| obtaining employment. and praying
! that that service be also included un-
| der the civil service.
Mr.. Proctor believed it was the best
| time that could have ever been found
! for including this office Two thous-
and seven hundred and ten persons
were employed there.
Mr.. Pritchard stated that out of the
| 5000 employees 900 of them were Dem
ocrats.
Mr.. Proctor said that Mr. Palmer had
evidently counted all the women in the
| department as Democrats.
He stated that from the best evil
dence the Commission could obtain 4S
per cent We're Republican and 80 per
cent Democrats.
Mr. Pritchard wanted to know if the
rule had been observed in regard to
the quota of appointments from the
different States.
MI Proctor stated that they had
tried to do this and that the residents
of the city of Washington were only al
lowed to take the examinations for
temporary appointment. This bureau
is the only one that is excepted from
the rule of the transferring to other
departments But transfers can be
made to another department where
the clerk would do like service
The rules have not been applicable
for a sufficient time To illustrate what
economy will result, but already a saw
ing has resulted" stated Mr.. Proctor.
Senator Lodge took up the question
of what ought to be included in the
term of unskilled and skilled labor.
He thought that there were number
of places included in the classified list
in the Printing Office that were purely
unskiled labor and under the rule
ought not to be classified.
Mr. Proctor stated that where a
whole class was improperly classified
the error could only be corrected by
an order from the President. On July
25 1895, the clerical force of the various
pension agents We're classified. Mr.
Proctor was of the opinion that these
should have been included in the gem
erai classification Of clerks At the
same time. employees of Indian schools.
not before classified, were included AS
the result of this there is a marked in
crease in the efficiency of the service.
In the majority of schools there has
been a great gain in results. This
takes in all the extensions prior to the
order of May 6, 1896.
Senator Lodge here wanted to ask
questions of a general character touch
ing on the authority of the President
to make the various extensions. and
asked Mr. Proctor if he had any doubt
as to the right of the President to
make the extensions. Mr.. Proctor said
that he had no doubt but that the law
gave him the authority
There was a danger" Mr. Proctor
said. that the branches of the service
not classified would become subject to
more political pressure"
Mr.. Proctor stated that the Commits
sion had no trouble in securing an am
pie eligible list after the department in
question had been in the service for
few years. 1t was brought out that
the departments were consulted in pre-
pairing the examinations.
The hardest examination to pre-
pare" said Mr. Proctor, was for the
position of examining architect in the
Treasury Department"
1T has been the universal testimony
of the heads of departments that the
efficiency of the service has been i'm
proved greatly after the certain de-
partment has been under such service
for period of two or more years." said
Mr.. Proctor
1t was also brought out that the
President can except any place from
examination, but that the place still
remains in the classified list 1t was
also stated by Mr.. Proctor that in these
excepted places removals could be
made without any reason being given.