The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-20
CIVIL SERVICE DISCUSSED
University Club Has an In
teresting and Instruc-
tive Meeting.

The members of the University Club
held their meeting in the Jersey CITY
dubious last evening, instead OF Has
brouck Hall, for the reason that the lat
ter place is being used by the pupils OF
No. 70 School. About thirty members were
present when Mr.. Flavel MCGEE called
the meeting to order. He explained that
two interesting speakers had consented
to address the members, and then intro
duced the Rev. Cornelius Brett. D. D., OF
the Bergen Avenue Reformed Church
Mr. Brett took for his subject the Bigelow
Papers and entertained the members for
almost an hour.
Mr.. George McAneny. secretary OF the
National Civil Service Reform League
was the next speaker He showed quite
clearly from the very beginning of his
address that he was thoroughly famlllar
with his subject. He said that this coun-
try was far behind those of Europe IN
civil service, except Spain and Turkey.
ssGreat Britain he said, "has fair civil
service, Germany still better. whlie
France is ever still farther ahead OF the
two 1 awe mentioned, but switzerland
has the very best"
He then went on to say that men were
repeatedly being put into positions they
were wholly unqualified for, and said the
recent war depicted that very clearly.
.aThe conditions of our camps" he said,
especially at C-hickamauga. was a giar-
ing illustration of ineficiency- 1t should
not have been had thoroughly competent
men been placed in the various positions
which had charge of the camps"
He then told of the number of men who
died and said civil service examinations
were surely needed to qualify men for
such responsible positions as looking
| after the lives of thousands of soldiers.
Mr.. McAneny then spoke of the chang
ing about of government positions every
four years and added that a man hardly
became acquainted with the duties OF an
office and became of some use TO the coun-
try when his hea came off.
aMen in such positions should be per-
manent,'' he said. You could not change
thei head of the big commercial houses
of our country and have the business car
ried on successfully"
The speaker then went on to tell of the
| training men should get before they are
placed in responsible government POI
! sitions. and cited the English method OF
| training young men for consular positions
Again. he said that men in such positions
were just about possessed Of the neces-
sary knowledge of state affairs when a
| change of government turned everything
| around. He told of the training young
men get in Great Britain for those places
and how the Oriental languages Were
taught to qualify them for foreign po-
sitions. Mr.. MeAneny in answer to a
question regarding the positions Of gov
ernment agents, said that the lack OF
training was again clearly shown in the
recent Indian outbreak.
This was p~reeipitated.o he said. by
| INSCRIPTIONS agents. who were bent OF
roDbing the poor Indian of his rights anc
stealing about everything they possibly
couia.9
Chairman Flavei MCGEE then said that
men wanted for the higher positions were
The salary HI said, may be larger
but what good is that after two or three
years? Positions in some cases should
be permanent
Mr.. Horace Walt asked Mr.. Mccee II
that was his conversion speech
Mr.. McGee replied that he had simply
EXPRESSED am opinion. He then said that
the police of this city were the best paid
! laborers, ard that an attempt was made
to increase their salaries, which was NOT
righs. as il would be an awful drag on the
treasury.
Refreshments were then served. At the
! next meeting officers for the ensuing veal
will sbe elected.