The record-union., 1898-01-06
Cabinet Officers Reply to the Reso-
luton of the Senate.
Places Which They Deem Should be Taken
Out of the Classified List.
Sweeping Changes Made in the
the Reform Of the Civil Service
Law Drawn Up by Special
Committee of Republican Mem
bers of the House.

1
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-Secretary
Gage and other Cabinet officers to-day
| replied to the Senate resolution of De-
| cember 18TH calling upon the heads of
/ the several executive departments for
| information as to what positions in
their respective departments should be
] excepted from the civil service laws
and rules.
Secretary Cages reply in part says:
/ 81 believe that experience has taught
that the order of May &, 1896, was too
| sweeping, and that there should be
| taken out of the classified service a
considerable number Of PLACES that Were
at that time classified. The most i'm
portant of these places are in the in
| ternal revenue service.
The difficulties which the department
has experienced in the administration
| of the rules as they now exist as ap-
! piled to the internal revenue service
| have become intolerable. 1 believe
| that all positions of deputy collectors
of internal revenue should be made in
dependently except in places, and sub
/ ject, however, to non competitive ex-
amilations.
/ The Collectors who appoint the dep
uties are personally responsible for the
conduct of their subordinates. This
responsibility covers not only the fidel-
| ity and integrity of those subordinates
/ in their relation to the Government
| but extends to a personal liability to
! those who may be injured in person or
in property by inconsderate Or malic-
| ious trespass committed by such sub
| ordinateS in the course of their duties.
1t is obviously wrong that a Collector,
after assuming the heavy responsible
| ity that he does, should be tied down
| to an eligible list. I believe it is de-
| sirable that the Collectors be free to
select their subordinates from among
men concerning whose personal char
acteristics and integrity they have
| knowledge
Another branch Of the service where
experience has demonstrated that clas-
Sification was ill-adyised is the custo-
/ dian service in the public build
| ingS throughout the country. There
are in this service a large
number of low salared positions
| where no academic test is required or
| desirable. / believe that it would be
| of distinct advantage to take all posi-
| tions in the custodian force, including
| elevator conductors firemen, dynamo
tenders and employees of similar char
acter out Of the classified service.
''The employees of the lighthouse es-
| tablisnment have been under civil SER
vice rules since May 9th. No improve
ment has resulted, but on the other
hand vexatious delays have occurred in
filing vacancies, which, fortunately, so
far have not resulted in serious disas-
| ter. For all employees in this service,
! save the clerical force, the best inter
| ests will be conserved by removing
| them from the classified service
Il would also exempt the positions of
Shipping Commissioner at the various
ports.
Il would rather suggest such a mod
ificati0n of the rules as would permit.
when no eligible register exists. a per-
ma1ent appointment to be made in
the discretion of the head of the de-
partment, subject to a non-competitive
examination by the Civil Service Com
mission, and also that the rules be so
modified as to permit the head of a
department to transfer any person in
the classified service of one branch of
his department to the classified service
Of another branch without regard to
apportionment"
Secretary Wilson of the Department
of Agriculture sent the following let
ter: THE chief trouble I find in the
Department of Agriculture exists in the
Bureau of Animal Industry, between
inspectors, assistant inspectors. stock
examiners and taggers, covered into
the service without examination. and
the only marked inefficiency I find in
the work of any class of employees in
the department is among the above
mentioned employees of the Bureau of
Animal Industry and in certain of the
statistical agents who were also COW
cred into the service without examina-
tion. These matters can be remedied
| by the President by exempting GER
tain positions from the classified SER
vice, or by the head of department
through departmental examinations"
Secretary Sherman to-day sent to the |
Sena-e his response to the resolution
asking the heads of departments for
suggestions as to changes in their re-
spective departments.
Mr.. Sherman recommends the exemp-
ton of the heads of bureaus and the
chief clerks of the State Department
from the operation of the law. The
Secretary concludes with the statement
that he makes no complaint against the |
pres ant occupants Of these offices but
he thinks that, upon general principles. |
the Secretary's hands should not be |
tied.
BILL FOR REFORM OF SERVICE. |
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-The bill for
the reform of the civil service law.
which has been drawn by a special |
committee of Republican members of |
the House of Representatives makes |
sweeping changes in the present svs-
tenn, the most important of which is
the establishment of five-year ten
ure Of cffice for those Government en-
ployes who are brought within the
terms of the bill
The measure limits the application Of |
the civil service system to the depart
ments IN Washington and to such other |
localities where the total number of |
employees exceeds twenty-five. All APP |
pointeeS are commissioned for five