The times., 1899-01-05
THE CIVIL SERVICE ORDER.
Government Printing Office
Not to Be Disturbed.
AN EXPERTS OPINION
Persistent Efforts to Remove the
Public Printcry From the Ciassi-
fled Service - Present Conditions
Are to he observation-disclosures of
Typcsetting Machines Inevitable.

1.-The Government Printing Office will no.
be taken out of the classified service"
This is the prophecy of man thorough
ly acquainted with the workings of that
big shop. and man whose political affilia-
tions fit him to speak pretty closely to
the card.
| He says: There has been a persistent
and well organized effort on the part of
certain political manipuiators ever since
Mr.. Mckinley entered the White House
to consummate to them, this much de-
sired result. but at no time. If am rightly
, informed and l believe l am. has the
| President been able to see his way clear
| to consummate this, to them, much de-
mand, and the recent talk that an order
| exempting the office-that would throw
1t wide open before the new year come in
sort of Christmas gift to hungry heneh-
men, it is now quite apparent, was without
| foundation in fact
l.. 1t Would Bring ChaErin.
"If the President at any time in the
! future should see the situation in diff
ferent light from that in which he now
seems to view it. and exempt the ONCE,
the act would prove a world of soreness
and remorse to the very men who are now
advocating such a step.
THE real object of nearly every man
employed in the establishment who has
been giving points TO the coterie of emf
nent anti-civil service gentlemen who
have assumed the ponderous task OF
breaking down the law, and aiding them
I in every way possible, would fall far shot
! of realization, even IL the movement to
exempt the office should prove successful.
These informers, and at times ardent
party men, are interested in having re
stored the old method of parceling wages.
Before the office was covered by the civil
service law it took something of a political
pull to get at any wages. but it took a
I lusty pull to get fat take" Then the
employees worked on two scales. as 1t were
/ one per diem. the other piece work.
! Preferred employees. or rather, appointees,
: got piece work jobs. Now 1t is all, or
nearly all. day work, and wages are more
/ equally divided. The employees CT the Of
4 flee who are bending their efforts toward
/ the removal of the civil service rules be-
/ lieve that If they are successful the days
/ of easy sits and bigger pay will speedily
return. In my judgment that day will
never come back. 1t has gone to stay.
Civil Service Preferable
while have not the faith in the virtue
| of the civil service idea that its profound
supporters claim for it, I can certainly see
nothing for the printers and other en-
| ployes of the Government Printing Office
| in having the establishment thrown wide
| open-made a place of refuge for the
/ henchmen and strikers of political cormo-
rants whose real interests lie entirely
within themselves. If the civil service law is
| honestly administered 1t will serve good
purpose. But l have seen it thwarted in a
I disgraceful way in more cases than one
.t,.n half faf l.,
! 1t has been seriously shaken. l must ad-
/ nit, however. that after thirty years OF
! observation of the ways and means resort
I ed TO by party workers to manipulate
Government jobs, as between the old spoils
/ system and the civil service notion. the
! latter, loosely as | believe il to be han
! died, is hundred times preferable for
I the men and women who work under il
/ than the old method, and no thoughtful
man who knows anything about the public
/ service, be he Republican, Democrat or
| Populist can honestly maintain that it is
| not better thing for the Government.
! Prediction Made.
| while on the subject of the printing
! Office" continued the interesting gentle
| man. ''let me make a prediction. | have
watched labor affairs for thirty years.
! am a union man all over. l am for the
/
through. | have had more or less to dc
with nearly every movement looking to
the betterment of the working mans con-
| dition that has been inaugurated in that
| time. There is nothing in the atmosphere
| or on the horizon that at this moment
points to a radical change in methods al
| the Government printing shop-that is
| there is nothing visible to the average
naked eye that indicates that there is liza
bic 10 be any such change soon or in the
| remote future. Yet | honestly believe that
before another decade has gone the type
setting machine will have made its advent
into the great concern, IT, indeed, it does
not do so before half that time has passed
over our heads. That the typesetting ma
! chine is a success; that it is here to stay
| the most vicious enemy of the invention
has long since ceased to dispute. That il
is wonderful labor saver is beyond ques-
tion. That it has reduced the cost OF
composition much more than one-hah, as
against case work, is another indisputable
fact.
Resistance Is Futile.
However distasteful. however gloomy
these suggestions are to the printer. they
must, in truth. be acknowledged Every
one has been proven beyond doubt. If the
machine is a good thing for the privat;
concern, it can hardly prove a bad thing
for the Government. The talk, the hep:
of keeping it out of the Government Print
ing Office because 1t is a Government of
fee. Is fast losing its strength. and sooner
or later it will force its way into that in
stitution just as surely it has forced
its way into the private establishments oi
nearly every country on the globe where
book or newspaper is published
The printers have champions in poll