Evening star., 1901-03-01
HOUSE EMPLOYEES ROLLS
REPORT OF COMMITTEE AFTER IN
yESTIGATING SUBJECT.
Abuses That Have Been Permitted
Under Both Parties for
Many Years.

The special committee to investigate the
employees rolls of the House made a re-
port yesterday afternoon. 1t found that
no fault was to be found with the admins
tration of the office of sergeant-at-arms and
postmaster of the House.
AS to the office of the clerk and office Of
the doorkeeper the committee reported that
abuses existed. No reflection, however, was
made upon those officers. but the blame laid
upon the system which has prevailed for
years under both parties and which the
officers merely carry out in obedience to.
the demands of members of the House.
The report says. in part:
I'VE have found in both departments GER
tain abuses, which may be grouped under
three heads, namely: Transfers, of en-
ployes from the duties Of the positions to
which they were appointed to other duties,
unjustif1able payments of compensation to
employees while absent from their posts of
duty and divisions of salaries. - =
I'VE believe that candor compels US to
state at the outset that some of the faults
in administration which we have observed
are attributable to the system and to the
persistence of members of the House in
urging upon the officers the appointment
of their constituents and friends to sub
ordinate places, and that such faults are
deeply rooted, of long standing and likely
to continue under the administration of
any political party as long as such sys-
TEN is maintained.
eff member upon whose recommended
ton an appointment is made desires the
removal of his appointee and the substitu-
ton of another person the removal and
substitution are made without regard to
the capacity of either person. In case a
member upon whose recommendation an
appointment has been made ceases to be a
member of the House an employe recon-
mended by him ordinarily loses his place.
q of he nyh
sponsible for the character of the service
rendered by the employees, have in reality
little no voice in their selection, and,
might reasonably be expected the re-
suits obtained from the system which we
have described are in some cases extremely
unsatisfactory. This method of appoint
ing House employees has existed for many
years, during which the House has been
under the control Of each party alter
nately."
Dividing Salaries.
Numerous instances of transfer, substi-
tuition and absenteeism under the prevail
ing practice were cited and the report then
said:
The custom of dividing salaries is an old
one and has existed for at least twenty |
Years. We are satisfied that we are unable |
to report all the instances of divisions Of |
salaries which have occurred; but we SUBJ |
init the following facts, which were clearly |
proved before us:
Fifty-fourth Congress it appears that more |
places, or places with higher salaries, were |
promised than the officers of the House |
were able to discover under the law. 1t |
does not appear by whom these promises |
were made. There began at once system |
whereby the employees agreed to contribute
greater or less portions of the salaries they
received for the purpose either of paying |
persons not on the roll or of increasing the
compensation of persons who were on the
roll.
not proportioned 10 the character of the |
services rendered the merit Of the en-
ployes, but to the supposed rights of the |
states or congressional districts from which
the recipients came. Some of these contr.-
buttons We're made voluntarily and cheer
fully; others We believe to have been made
under a species of moral duress. 1t must
be said, however, that no instance of threat
of dismissal appeared before us, and hat in
the single case of refusal to contribute
which appeared before Us the person refus-
ing held his position without molestation
Bill to Be Drawn ep.
We have not had the opportunity to con-
s.der the subject matter of our investigation
with sufficient care and deliberdtIon to war
rant us in submitting specific Recommended
tons for the correction of the abuses which
we have reported to the House. Upon
the instance, of the committee q concurrent
resolution has been passed by both houses
OF Congress comforting upon the confereeS |
upon the legislative, executive and judicial
bill jurisdiction which Will en-
able them to deal with some of the uues-
tons raised by our investigation. 1t would
not be pretended that the inquiry is at such
a stage that the coming action upon the
appropriation bill-if there is any such-wiIl
dispose finally of the subject, although we
hope that there will be some reorganization
OF the House force upon that bill and some
salutory provisions of permanent law re-
9Crted.
While the committee is by the resolution
directed only to report the facts to the
House. we believe that the abuses and evil
practices which have by long continuance
grown up under the present system of ap-
pointment of House employees cannot be
fully and completely prevented except by a
permanent statute which shall properly and
adjust compensation and employ
ment. and specifically prevent the abuses
which have been herein reported"
The direct outcome of the report was the
adoption by the House of a resolution pro-
posed by Mr.. Bailey, as follows:
That the Speaker of the House appoint |
a committee consisting of five members |
rot more than three Of whom shall belong |
TO the same political party and all of whom
snail be members-elect of the Fifty-seventh
Congress, whose duty is shall be to frame
and report to the next House bill to regu-
late the appointment of and payments to