Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-09

| that T. would be well to have competitive
| examinations by board of naval officers
| Ior the appointment of certain employees at
| navy YARDS other than clerks. messengers
| ana watchmen, whom the civil service COM
mission does not have on its eligible list or
Wnom the commission Is unable to supply
| without unreasonable delay.
The Government Printing once.
The report continues:
In the opinion of the committee the
classification of the government printing
office was not authorized by law. The civil
| service law was enacted January 16 1883,
! and on January Il, 1895. sections A., 45, IS
and 40 of chapter % of the Supplement of
the Revised Statutes of the United States
volume z. were enacted to provide for the
appointment by the public printer of a
chiet clerk. a foreman of printing and a
foreman of binding. IT was also made the
duty of the public printer to employ work.
men thoroughly skilled in their respective
branches OF industry, shown by a trial
| OF their skill under his direction; also five
clerks, whose salaries were fixed in the
| law. Further. the public printer was au-
thoriZed to employ at rate of wages to
be fixed by himself in the interest of the
government, proof readers, laborers and
sCch other hands might be necessary
FOR the execution of the orders for public
printing and binding authorized by law
He was limited to the employment of the
hards absolutely necessary for the public
these provisions in the civil service law
which would authorize the President to
classify the government printing office.
The fact remains however that the
government printing Office has been classi-
fled, and If it shall be held that the classi-
hcation as already made was justified by
the terms of the civil service law. the fact
still remains that certain persons are now
in the classified service whose positions
should not have been classified. This class
is made up of persons in what is known as
the first group-the skilled laborers-and
includes assistant doorkeepers, boxers, cap
tains of watch, charge of charwomen,
charge Of counting room, charge of deliv-
cry room, charge of glue room, charge of
gold sweepings, charge Of helpers, charge
OF numbering, charge of piece sewers,
charge of sewing machines, charge of
stitching machines, charge of warehouse,
counters, directresses, doorkeepers, eXami-
ners. feeders. firemen, floor hands mot me-
chanics) folders, gold workers, helpers,
holsters, hydraulic pressmen, knife grind
ers, leather cutters, leather parers, mes
Sengers, numberers. operators, paper cut
tiers, perforators, sawyers, sewers, stable
men, telephone operator, wagonmaster,
wagon messengers, watchmen, yardmaster.
Exempting UnskiIled Labor.
1T may be that in this group there are
certain persons who are, a matter of
fact, skilled laborers, but the great ma
jority of the places call fer unsRilcd labor,
group should be rearranged and all places
now included in it that do not require Il
distinct degree of skill on the part CT the
person employed should be excluded. 1t
al pears from the testimony that where
places have been improperly classified il is
clearly within the power of the Presiden
to order such Redistribution as will con-
form to the law.
In beth the government printing Office
and the bureau of engraving and printing
the rule aDDOrfiOnmpntS
states does not prevail. If the government
printing office shall remain in the classified
service, then every m cans possible should
be taken to apportion the appointments
among the various states and to reduce as
much as possible the temporary appoint
ments now made from the District of Co.
lumbia.
These exceptions do not in any way in
terfere with the principle of regulating the
appointments to the classified service, but
merely take from the classified lists those
persons whose relations to their chiefs are
either of a fiduciary or of an executive ma
Il re, the principle being that where an Off
cial has to impose peculiar confidence either
in the honesty or the executive ability of
an officer. the selection of that officer
should be with the person who is directly
responsible for his acts.
The Power to Remove.
1.-THE recent order of the President in
regard to removals seems to have been
opinion Of the committee the order iusti-
fies. While the power of appointment TO
the civil service may well be regulated SO
as to open the service impartially to all
the people of the United States under
suitable restrictions, the power of removal
should be very broad. Where a clerk is
deemed by his immediate superior to be
inefficient, it is clearly in the line of public
policy that that clerk should be discharg-
ed, and there should be no imoediments
placed in the way of such discharge ex-
cept such as may be necessary to secure
justice to the person removed. That is to
say, the person removed for inefficiency
should have right to appeal TO the head
of the department, but when that appeal
has been decided all recourse on the part
of the person discharged should end In
no other WY can the efficiency of a bureau
or a department be maintained. So long
as a person is not discharged for political
or religious reasons the action of head of
a department should not be questioned
The committee believes that this position
should be taken firmly by all heads of de-
partments, for it is clearly in line with both
the civil service law and the recent order
of the President covering such cases.
THE committee further recommends that
the President be requested to change exist
Ing regulations, SO that when vacancy
occurs, and under the rule three names are
certified as eligible for such vacancy, the
three names shall be forwarded to the local
officer in charge of the office where such
vacancy exists, and such local officer shall
designate the person to be selected for
such vacancy, subject to approval by the
head of the department having jurisdiction
of such Office.
Mr.. Lodge for Fewer Exemptions.
Mr.. Lodge also submitted a minority re-
port. i'll which he says, in part:
"As result of their investigations, it
seems to the committee that it would be
well that deputy collectors of internal rev.
enue should not be included within the
CLASSIFIED service. Undsr the laws govern
ing the internal revenue service deputy COL
lectors occupy confidential position with
reference to the collector, vino is a bond ed
officer and pecuniarily responsible for the
acts OF Els deputies. To compel collector
to take deputies in whose selection he has
no voice, and then make him responsible
for their act and pecuniarily liable for any
defalcation or loss of money by them.
seems obviously unjust Until the posi-
tlon and official duties of deputy collectors
OF internal revenue are altered by law it
does EOt seem pracficabla m mt tba,,, q,