The times., 1899-07-31

not more than twenty-nine deputies sp-
pointed from competitive lists Up to Oc-
| tober. 1898, there were three more ap-
pointed and, so far as appears. there have
been none since. From March. 1897, to
February, 1899, on the other hand s232 ap-
! pointments of deputies were reported as
having been appointed under the conten-
| tion that these offices were not subject to
| classification. How many others were so
appointed. in districts from which reports
were lacking, cannot be stated. 1t may be
added that during the same period. or at
least up to October II last, 303 other
deputies We're appointed. without exami-
| nation, under the war emergency acts.
From this brief review the manner of
the observance of the civil service law in
| the Internal Revenue Service will be
| shown, think, with sufficient clearness.
War Emergency Appointments.
/ referred, in my letter, to the appoint
nent of many hundreds of clerks and 9TH
ers. under partial suspension of the civil
service rules, during the progress of the
war with Spain. The great Increase in the
I business of the Government, and the e@-
! pansion of administrative functions, result
| ing from the war, had required, naturally,
| large additions 10 the subordinate force.
| For how long d time the services OF the
| new employees would be necessary could
not be definitely told. Nothing, however,
could have been more clear than the need
for as strict an adherence as might prove
! practicable TO those methods of selection
lhat the civil service law prescribes.
/ showed that, Notwithstanding the fact
that the Civil Service Commission was pre-
pared to furnish practically all OF the ell
gIbles needed, and TO conduct spscial exam
nations to tll many new demands as
might arise, its machinery had been delib-
do hNr 1pf .aff
and the whole of this great class OF ap-
pointments placed on a patronage basis
showed, also, that while the appointments
/ that have followed have been IN both the
war and Treasury Departments, the first
exempting act was passed as the result OF
representations made by the Treasury Of
iicsals, to the effect that the Civil Service
Commission was not prepared to meet the
emergency. OF this you say:
tl.) 1T appears to me his citation that
a member CT Congress said that such ap-
polntments would be few and that he had
been assured by officers of the Treasury
Department that in the emergency exist
ing it would not be practicable to get them
under the civil service rules is too vague
and uncertain specification to merit any
notice. How many officers SO assured him?
Who were they, and, If he can name them,
what has IL TO do with the case?"
The member re ferred to was the
Chairman OF the House Appropriations
Committee. Mr.. Cannon, who mad reported
the bill under debate, and whose official
duty it had been to make full enquiries
concerning these matters it was designed
10 cover. The following passage, which
may be found in the Congressional
Record for June 81. 1898 (page 6lS0). con-
tains the further information for which
you ask:
Mr. Underwccd-I would like to ask the
, Z
MIR. Cannon-Certainly.
, Mr.. Underwocd-Did the department re-
| commend to the Committee on Appropria-
: lions that these clerks should be selected
/ at large as temporary clerks or under the
! civil service rules?
, ''Mr. Cannon-The Commissioner OF In
ternal Revenue was very clear in his re-
sponse; and in addition to what he said,
! the Deputy Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue was equally clear-a man who has
long held place under all adrlinistra tions
since he was first appointed. He was per
fectly clear that it was not practicable
with the law going into effect at once, TO
get the force under the civil service rules. -
have already stated that the Commits
sion had at this time 5000 names upon its
; clerical registers, and was prepared to fur
nish as many eligibles might be neede ],
at the shortest notice. That this was the
natural means of securing such employees
you show by your own statement that up to
the date in question you had appo MED
emergency employees under the law, and in
no other way-in itself q ereditable record.
In showing the number of persons ap-
pointed under this and subsequent ex-
, empting acts-persons whose employment
: has already been continued for a second
year and now seems apt to continue in
definitely referred for purposes of com
a parison to the number appointed in the
, Treasury Department after competitive ex-
: animation under the civil service law.
You ask:
(S.) What is his purpose in making this
| statement. even il it be true? Is it to IN
. sinuate that vacancies have been filled o,
new clerks appointed contrary to law:
" Suppose that only fourteen clerks have been
: drawn from the Commission's eligible lists.
n as the Secretary of the Civil Service Reform
= League he must know that there ell
: gibles under the civil service law other
n that those whose names stand on the ell
q gible lists of the Civil Service Commits
= sion.''
y hardly need repeat that these figures
confined, as they were, TO original COM
= petitive appointments-were persented tC
give a comparative idea of the number OF
= original appointments under the war acts
= In mentioning these, Immediately following
: | give the total as a. adding exclusive Of
promotions and transfers" Such places a:
may have been filed in either class by
transfer or reinstatement. the methods you
:. mention. were not in question.
The places in the Treasury Department
really filled under the war acts, by promo
ton or transfer-forty in all-were
: mainly in the offices of the auditors. In
clud!ng these, the full list of such appoint
Il ments in the Treasury Department proper
o up to September 80. 1898, was 142; in the
; Internal Revenue Service, SI5 az clerks
u and 303 deputies), and in the War Depart
e Inent 525-a total of 1,042. OF the appoint
u ments in the War Department. a numbe,
: we're also made through changes within the
I, service; but by far the greater number
u were made from the outside | said to you
that, while / offered speculation II
the character of individual appointees II
i. the Treasury Department or to the infiu-
ences that had led to their selection. 1t waS
= clear that. SO far as the operation of tht
civil service law is concerned, the old sys-
II TEN had to a very appreciable degree beer
m re-established. To this l will add the as
a, sertion that a consequence of this pol
icy, the efficiency of entire bureaus in tht
War Department was seriously impaired
;, at a time when efficiency had perhaps nevel
AZ been SO urgently important When / re-
"a | affirm that the exemption from examina
! tion, granted as the result of the repre-
!. sentations of Treasury officials, was re
=, peated in each following act, without thu
=, correction of the erroneous statements
IA made. until finally, under the act of Marcel
ID 3. 1899. all additional employees ''rendere,
10 necessary because of the increased work o
10 the war with Spain,'' may be appointed
for indefinite terms, without compliance
., with the conditions of the civil service
r. act" the pertinence Of this illustration vii
be plainly aDDarent