The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-12
CIVIL SERVICE CONTROVERSY
IN ANSWER no CAGES DEFENSE OF
M'KINLEY.
Staten ent Issued by the Secretary of the
National Civil Service Reform As
sociation-War and Treasury Depart-
ments Charged With FlaSrnntIy Vio-
1attnE the Law.

New York. July 1.-THE National
civil Service Reform league on June 5th
issued acriticism of President McKinley's S
civil service order, declaring that "a
backward step of the most pronounced
character had been taken land later Ly-
man Gage, secretary of the treasury
gave an authorized interview in which
he declared that some of the statements
of the league Were malicious represen-
tations," absolute falsehoods," or
false interpretations having basis only
in the wish to find something in the
action of the president to condemn"
George McAneny, secretary of the
league, has sent long open letter to
Secretary Gage, in which the following
appears: Since the opening of the
war with Spain the number of appoint
ments in the Washington offices of the
treasury department, through compete
ton, under the civil service rules, has
been insignificant. The number of APP
pointments through other means-chiefly
under the war acts-has been very large.
When the urgency deficiency bill was
clause was inserted permitting the en-
ployment of certain clerks in the war
and treasury departments for a period
not to exceed one year without compli-
ance with the conditions of the civil SER
vice act
In response to questions from various
members, the chairman of the appropri-
ations committee, Mr.. Cannon stated
that "a few only of such clerks would
be needed, and that he had been assured
by officers of the treasury department
that in the emergency existing it would
not be practicable to get them under the
civil service rules" This was the begin
ming. When the number of emergency
employees grew, and the same argument
was used to secure further exemptions,
/ addressed a letter of inquiry on the
subject to the civil service commission.
The commission in its reply dated Oc-
tober 22 last declared that the represen-
tations Of the treasury officials, as re-
peated by Mr.. Cannon, were utterly
without foundation; that when the de
ficiency bill was passed the registers of
eligibles contained the names of 6,S34
persons, whose fitness had been tested
by examination and from among whom
the clerical employees required might
have been secured at the shortest notice,
and that the facts were so reported to
congress at the time. 1t was pointed out
that in 1890 three hundred clerks had |
been appointed in one day for the in |
creased work of the pension Office, and |
that on many other occasions in the |
past emergency forces had been organ
ized with the same expedition, These |
statements were widely published. |
Nevertheless in every subsequent act |
passed by congress authorizing increase
of force the same eXempting clause was
inserted, and both the war department |
and the treasury department failing to
correct the erroneous statements of the
treasury officials, continued to make |
their appointments without resort to
the civil service commission. find that
'few" clerks mentioned by Mr.. Cannon
have become many hundreds and that
the appropriations made within the
year for additional temporary" SER
vice In the civil branch amount, ap-
to s2,200,000.