The evening times., 1899-07-12
MR.. CAGES STATEMENT
He Has Not Yet Received the Nc
Aneny Letter.
III the EpistIe Is as Misleading ms the
Published Extracts, the Secretary
of The Treasury Says He Does Not
Deem a Reply Necessary-Regards
His Recent Interview as Sufficient.

he naQ not as yet Tecelftu any
George McAneny, Secretary of the National
Civil Service Reform League, replying TO
Mr.. Cages interview Of some weeks since.
The Secretary stated, however, that he had
read fragmentary reports in the morning
papers of the letter said TO have been sent
him by Mr. McAneny. the Secretary said
that he preferred TO wait until he had read
the letter in full before making any state
ment should he deem one necessary.
II the letter is as misleading the
published extracts, the Secretary said, then
he viii not make any response, for the
reason that he can add really nothing TO
the Interview. in which he replied to the
criticisms made by the League, when the
Presidents civil service order was issued.
The letter of Mr. McAneny, the Secretary
OF the National Civil Service Reform
League which has been sent 10 Secretary
Gage is in part as follows:
1T is OF considerable Importance that
the public should understand what has
been your own attitude toward the civil
service law and rules since you took
Office. You then announced that the law
would be upheld by every means within
your power, but / shall point out what
has been, under the present Administra-
tion. the attitude of the Treasury De-
L.
service wholly subject TO the civil service
rules Following the incoming of the new
Administration, however, there were sweep
ing changes in the force of agents and
clerks, known commonly as deputy col
lectors," in many districts. The new ap-
pointments were made generally In open
disregard of the civil service law, and in
most cases for political reason. One col
lector in the Nashville district admitted
under oath that he had been governed by
political considerations, and the same frank
admission was publicly made by otners.
After a number of these violations were
brought to the attention Of the Treasury
Department, special instructions were sent
to collectors bidding them comply with
the law, but without apparent effect
In July 1897, the President altered the l
situation somewhat by excepting 800 OF |
these employees through an order when was !
enormously believed at the time to have
extended the area of the classified service
On the same date the rule forbidding aroi-
trary removals was promulgated and a
second circular was issued by the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, pointing
out the application of this to all persons
remaining classified; this, too, had no
effect At various times ii was suggested
TO YOU and TO the President that the offend
ing collectors be removed, but in no case
was such action taken. Finally, in Sep
tember 1897, when the practice OF VIOLA
tion had become almost general ali eHoTt
TO enforce the law within the department
was abandoned. Although this was twenty
months before the signing of the recent
order excepting all deputies, the force
was thereafter treated as though actually
outside the classified service
You have said that this revival of the
spoils systems in the internal revenue
service and the rejection of the merit
plan have been eXcusable for the reason
L..
ion the Treasury Department could get
the Civil Service Commission produced
the opinions of a number of leading law
yers including former President OF the
American Bar Association, and former
Solicitor General, all TO the effect that the
application OF the law was unquestlonaoie.
Since the opening OF the war with
spain the number of appointments in the
Washington offices of the Treasury De-
partment through competition under the
civil service rules has been insignificant.
The number Of appointments through other
means-chiefly under the war acts-nas
been very large. When the Urgent De-
hciency bill was passed 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 il would not be
practicable to get them under the civil
service rules The Civil Service Commis-
representations of the Treasury ofnclals,
as repeated by Mf. Cannon, were utterly
without foundation; that when the de-
fciency bill was passed the registers of
eligibles contained the names OF 6,S34 per-
sons. whose fitness had been tested by ex-
animation. ! find further that the few
clerks mentioned by Mr.. Cannon have be-
come many hundreds.
THE act of February "a, 1899, extend
the period of all appointments made un-
der the previous act for a second year.
Finally. in the urgent deficiency bill of
March g. 1899 it was provided that here
after'-without limit of time-all addi-
tional employees rendered necessary be-
cause of the increased work of the war
with Spain may be appointed without
compliance with the conditions of the Civil
Service act
From March 4, 1897, to September 80,
1898 there were but fourteen appointments
from competitive lists in the Treasury De-
partment, not including the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing. ! believe there
have since been eight or ten. During the
same period ninety-fcur appointments of
clerks were made in the same Offices under
the war acts-eXclusive of promotions and
transfers-some after pass examinations.
There have since been many more. The
six hundred appointed in the Washington
offices of the War Department whose unfit
ness as a class has been proved by the best
of testimony need not mention here.
One of the temporary clerks whose salary
has been increased since his original en-
ployment is, / am told, the son of the Sec
ond Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
You displaced MIR. WorIhington c..
Ford from the Office of Chief OF the Bureau
of Statistics making no charges and Civ
ing no reason except that you wished the
position for another man. You appointed
temporarily TO the vacancy you had created
not a known commercial expert or student
of political economy, but former employe
of a political press bureau.
Mr.. McAneny then cites other instances
in which he claims Secretary Gage has de-
fed the law.
But the action perhaps the most dam
aging TO the merit system TO be charged
TO the Treasury Department under your
administration" continues Mr.. McAneny.
sis the decision that persons placed IN po-
sitions in any branch in disregard of the
civil service rules shall not be deemed TO
have been appointed in violation of the
law and shall be paid their salaries as
though introduced to the service In q
wholly regular manner" The letter de-
clares that this was done.
In the face of an unbroken line OF Su-
preme Court decisions of directly oppo-
site effect, it means that, according TO the
theory OF the writer, any appointing officer
may disregard the law as freely as he may
wish, without interference by the Treasury
Department and so long as he is not him
self removed by the President While ii
stands il will tend inevitably TO encourage