Evening star., 1900-09-20
Want to Examine Civil Service Com
mission Records.
THEY DEMAND MORE PUBLICITY
It is Claimed That Files Were
Inaccessible.
DENIAL OF THE CHARGES


League. through a special committee, con-
sisting of Charles ]. Bonaparte, Edward
Cary and Frederick L. Siddons. has sent to
the civil service commission and has given
out for publication q letter protesting
against what it claims is a restriction on
their rights to examine the records Of the
commission
When the commissions attention was
called to this letter by Star reporter to-
day it was stated that the letter must have
been written under a miSapprehenson or
the facts as for all essential purposes more
publicity has been given the affairs Of the
commission during the last few years than
ever before such restriction as had been
placed upon the examination of the records
having been for the purpose of securing
accuracy and to prevent any interference
with the official work Of the commission.
What Was Desired.
The letter of the special committee of the
league recites that on July % last the secre-
tary of the league, Mr.. George McAneny,
requested permission for a representative
of the league to examine such records OF
the commission as would show:
% The number of persons appointed from
eligible lists to competitive positions IN the
several executive departments and oihceS
during the period from May -, 1888, TO De-
cember 81, 1899
'',2) The number of persons appointed un-
der temporary certificates to competitive
positions during the same period.
"(3) The number of persons appointed to
excepted positions not subject to non-com-
petitiye examination during the same period.
30 The names of persons holding posi-
tions In the internal revenue and customs
services (excepting storekeepers and gaug-
erS) who have been appointed since May
that date and examined after 1t, showing
In each case (a) the date of appointment or
nomination, (b) the date-where entered-Of
the request Of the department for examina-
ton, (c) the date of examination, and (d)
the rating received in percentage.
AT the same time the letter continues,
Mr. McAneny further requested on behalf
Of the league that it's representative might
be permitted to ascertain whether six speci-
fed persons were still in the customs SER
vice; if not at what dates they were sep
arated therefrom.
"On November 2, preceding this request,
you had Informed the league that it's agents
would be allowed limited access to your rec
ords including such as would show, inter
ALA:
".1) Figures and statistics relative to the
operation of the civil service act and rules
as derived from the periodical reports Of APP
pointing officers.
''I2) The names of persons appointed,
promoted or transferred to- reinstated in,
or removed or resigned from positions in
the classified service
The letter quotes Civil Service Commits
sioners Lyman. Roosevelt and Thompson
in their eighth annual report, in which they
speak of the necessity for publicity in mat
ters concerning the government, and con-
tinues:
investigations made by the league into
the immediate effects of the Presidents or
der of May 20, 1899, which the first act
of any President since the enactment Of the
civil service law whereby the application OF
the merit system to the federal service was
sensibly curtailed. led on June II, 1899, to
the discovery that majority of the present
commission appeared to dissent from the
views thus expressed by Messrs. Lyman
Roosevelt and Thompson. and that the COM
mission, as we'll as the President, had
seemingly adopted new policy.
Alleged Change of Policy.
''Whatever may have been the leagues
regret at this change in the commissions S
course, 1t adapted its action to the views
expressed In the commissions letter Of No
vember 2. above quoted. The information
for which it subsequently asked, from time
to time, was precisely such as the commits
sion had then announced itself ready to
anord, moreover, In obtaining this infor-
nation, 1t was careful to guard against
imposing any expense on the government
or interfering in any wise with the current
work Of the office On July % it request
ed leave to ascertain. at its own cost, from
tHe very RECORDS mentioned IN the COM
missions letter of November 2, certain facts
which were evidently calculated to shed
light upon the operation of the civil service
act and rules since the Presidents order
of May 30 1899. But this request: after
long delay, has been finally refused and
consequently, at a joint meeting of the
general and executive committees of the
league. we were directed to lay before YOU
and the public appropriate representations
respecting this refusal
Files Were Not Accessible.
At the office Of the civil service commits
sion 1t was stated to representative of
The Star that the letter signed by Messrs.
Bonaparte. Cary and Siddons was undoubt-
edly based upon the following communica-
iton from the commission to the secretary
of the Civil Service League:
''Str:-In reply to your letter of July 2,,
requesting that a representative Of the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League be per-
mltted to consult certain records Of the
commission, you are informed that at the
time OF the receipt of your request the
commissions files were not accessible, ow-
ing to the removal of the office from one
building to another. Action upon your
communication was therefore postponed
until the hles could be properly arranged in
the new building.
Upon perusal of your letter and COM
parison with former requests made 1t was
found that early in the year representa-
tive of the league was granted permission
to compile certain statistics from the COM
missions records and that later another
representative Of the league supplemented
and completed the statistics complied by
your former representative.
The information furnished these repre-
sentatives includes all that is requested in
your letter Of July %. and as the commits
sion experienced considerable Inconvenience
In order that the league might be furnished
with the data requested, 1T Is not believed
that 1t will be advisable to permit your
representative to again consult the records
which are In daily use. when nothing new
Is to be obtained Most of the information
requested appears in the sixteenth report,
and such statistics as are not found in that
report will probably appear In the seven
teenth report. which is now under prepara-
ton.
THE commission must therefore, at pres
ent decline to permit your representative
to consult the records requested In your
letter of July 23
CommissiOn's Reply Not Ready.
The commission has not yet completed It's
reply to the letter of Messrs. Bonaparte,
Cary and Sddons. but expects to have 1t
ready in a day or two. Inasmuch as the
letter of the leagues committee has been
given to the press. 1t was stated that the
reply will also be made public. and that 1t
will show that the leagues complaint is