The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-10
SENATOR PRITCHARD'S REPORT
The President Has Power to Modify
Civil Service Rules

/ mere are TWO minority reports. Among
other things Mr.. Pritchard says:
After a careful examination of the
present conditions relative to appoint
ments to the civil service, the committee
is of the opinion
First. that the Executive has the DOW
er TO make such notifications as may be
found advisable, and therefore no legisla-
ton is needed.
Secondly, the committee is agreed that
the classification has been too extensive
ana that certain places that have been
classified should be excluded from classifi-
cation, so that appointments may be
made to them. not through examination,
but at the pleasure of the head of the
department or bureau.
THE committee. therefore, is of the
opinion that the President should make
certain notifications in the existing civil
service rules and should restore to the
heads of departments and the heads OF
bureaus the appointment of certain class
as OF officials. The committee, however
recognizes that its province in the mat
ter is purely advisory. since ii has no
legislation to propose.
In making these recommendations the
committee is acting upon the opinions of
the heads of departments and bureaus,
based on their experience, and also upon
the testimony of those who have been and
who are in position to make their opin-
IONS and their advice valuable
Continuing, the report says:
1.-THE committee are agreed that depu-
ty collectors in the internal revenue ser
vice should be excluded from the classi-
fled service. These officials occupy to-
ward the collectors under whom they
serve places of peculiar responsibility;
usually separated from their chiefs in
such way that they cannot come under
their immediate supervision
The committee would advise also that
the position of deputy commissioner of in
ternal revenue be excluded from the class
ified service. 1t often happens that the
deputy commissioner is called upon to act
as commissioner, and even when he is not
so acting his duties are more largely eX-
ecutiVe than clerical, and therefore he
should be outside the classified service
THE committee adopts the recommen-
dations of Secretary Gage contained in
a communication to the Senate dated
January 4. 1898, in which he suggests that
certain employees in the lighthouse SER
vice be excluded from the classified ser
| vice; also that the position of paymaster
in the New York custom house and the
position of shipping commissioners at the
! various ports be excluded
| Under the Secretary of the Interior the
| committee recommends the following ex-
ceptions:
/
/ the department; the special Inspector
Office of the First Assistant Secretary
! clerk to act as private secretary or confidential
! clerk.
Office OF the Assistant Secretary-One clerk to
act private secretary confidential clerk; the
members OF the Board Of Pension Appeals, at
torneys.
Office of the Assistant Attorney General for
the Interior Department-0ne clerk 10 act as
/ private secretary or confidential clerk; the as
/ sIstant attorneys OF the Office.
/ The General Land Dttice-One chief clerk OF
/ the bureau; one clerk to act private secretary
or confidential clerk; one depositary to the
commissioner, acting receiver OF public moneys
bonded officer inspectors OF surveyors general
and district land offices; special agents for eXam
service, but assigned TO depTedati0ns on public
timber. protecting public lands and swamp
lands, etc, varying in number according to
/ the requirements OF the service; law examiners
and law clerks 1.-TWO OF each grade); inspectors
! of coal mines in the Territories Presidential
appointments not confirmed by the Senate, but
/ included in the classified service; clerks
ployed temporarily in, and contest clerks in
! local land offices, paid from special deposits
not Government funds; clerks employed temper
/ arily in and per diem clerks in the offices OF
the surveyors general, paid from special deposits
! not Government funds.
Office OF Indian Afairs-One clerk to act as
private secretary confidential clerk special
Indian agents. special agents for the allotment of
lands in seyeralty; all special commissioners TO
negotiate with the Indians for any purpose what
! sOeyeT; supervisors of Indian schools; eXami
ners of Indian timber lands engineers to make
surveys OF reservation boundary lines and
yeyors at indian agencies; superintendent OF ware
/ houses irrigation and logging; head clerk at
each Indian agency to act agent during the
absence or disability OF the agent proper; all
I agency employees OF a subordinate character
/ such farmer, assistant farmer, blackSmiths
Shoemakers, talors, butchers, herders, harness
makers, storekeepers, millers, wheelwrights,
nurserymen, painters, carpenters, teamsters, and
I similar positions. requiring knowledge OF trades
| and manual skill, but not much education. In
| dian school employees, such cooks, laundresses,
watchmen, bakers, nurses iauitors timers, dairy
men, fremen, shoe and harness makers and other
| occupations similar in character, requiring no
! great educational qualifications
| Pension Offce-One chief clerk Of the bureau;
| one clerk TO act private secretary or confden-
| tial clerk; the medical referee OF the bureau
/ special examiners TO investigate fraudulent and
other pension claims.
Pension agency servicc-One chief clerk at each
! agency; one clerk at each agency designed TO
| sign checks for the agent and act As confden-
Education Oaice-Thc Alaska school service
/ Employment therein Is temporary IN character
( and difficulty has been experienced in filling
! positions, owing TO great distance to the schools
! and their comparative isolation etc.
The Patent 0fiicc-One chief clerk of the bureau,
a bonded officer; clerk to act as private sec
| Rotary of confidential clerk; the financial clerk,
| a bonded officer; one skilled laborcr. mechanic
! OF sufficient skill TO enable him to assist in
! taking care OF and repairing models, etc; one
| messenger and property clerk, in charge oi the
laboring force and of such property il Is neceS
( slry to store, clean or renew from time To time.
The Geological Suryey-Printers' assistants,
boys employed at a nominal compensation.
Miscellaneous The superintendent OF the Hot
! Springs reservation.
On the subject Of chief clerks and spe-
/ ciai employees the report says:
1.-The chief clerks and chiefs of divisions
! of the various departments. who must of
! necessity sustain very close relations
with the head of the department in the
matter Of carrying out his policy should
! be appointed, the report says, by the head
of the department In the majority Of
| cases the person thus selected will be one
| who has had experience in executive work
in some portion of the Government serv-
ice. There is less danger from per-
| sonai appointment to office Of this
| kind than there is danger of securing
| through the civil service men who arr
more inclined to observe the minutiae OF
the office than they are to render prompt
and efficient service in carrying out the
| plans Of the Secretary.
The Government Printing Office and Blu
| reau of Engraving and Printing were put
! in the classified service. according to the
| report, without authority of law. If they
| are TO remain there the report says the
| appointments should be appOrtiOned
| among the States to reduce much as
possible the temporary appointments now
made from the District of Columbia.