Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-12
FULL OF caI1lcism.
Civil Service Reform League Has Found
New and Sweet Morsei.

New York, June 1.-THE National
| Civil Service Reform League. June o.
| issued criticisms Of President Mckin-
| ley's civil service order declaring that
| "A backward step OF the most pro-
nounced character" had been taken,
: and, later, Lyman J. Gage, secretary
Of the treasury. gave an authorized in
| terview in which he declared that some
of the statements Of the league were
malicious representations" absolute
falsehoOds,'' or False interpretations
having basis only in the wish to find
something in the action Of the Presi-
dent to condemn" Geo. McAneny.
secretary of the league. has sent a
long open letter to Sec. Gage in which
the following appears:
Since the opening of the war with
Spain the number Of appointments in
the Washington offices of the treasury
department. through competition, un-
der the civil service rules, has been in
significant The number of appoint
ments through other means-chiehy
under the war acts-has been very
large. When the urgency deficiency
bill was passed by Congress, in June.
1898, a clause was inserted permitting
the employment Of certain clerks in
the war and treasury departments for
a period not to exceed one year win
out compliance with the conditions of
the civil service act.
I'm response to questions from vari
Gus members the chairman of the APP
propriations committee, Mr.. CCannon.
stated that few only of such clerks
would be needed and that he had been
assured by officers Of the treasury e.
partment that in the emergency exist
ing it would not be practicable to get
them under the civil service rules
This was the beginning. When the
number Of emergency employees grew,
and the same argument was used to Sc
cure further exemptions. ] addressed
letter of inquiry on the subject TO the
civil service commission. The com
mission. in its reply. dated Oct. - last,
declared that the representations Of the
treasury officials, as repeated by Mr..
Cannon, were utterly without fOunda
ton: that when the deficiency bill was
passed the registers of eligibles con-
tanned the names of 6s34 persons. whose
fitness had been tested by examination
and from among whom the clerical en-
ployes required might have been Sc
cured at the shortest notice. and that
the facts were SO reported to Congress
at the time.
1T was pointed out that in 1890. 200
clerks had been appoined in one day
for the increased work of the pension
office and that on mary other occa-
siors in the past emergency forces had
been organized with the same expedi-
ton. These statements were widely
published. Nevertheless. in every sub
segment act passed by Congress au
thoi izing increases Of force the same
exemption clause was inserted. and
both the war department and treasury
department. failing to correct the err
ronCous statements Of the treasury Of
ticials. continued to make their APP
pontments without resort to the civil
service commission. | find on examin-
ing these acts, that the few clerks
mentioned by Mr.. Cannon have become
hundreds and that the appropriations
within the year for the additional
temporary service in the civil branch
amount, approximately TO 200. 600