The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-16

NEW YORK July 15--The committee
appointed by the National Civil Service
Reform League to enquire into tho abuses
in the appointment of subordinate officers
and employees of the House of KeTresen-
tatives has submitted "a report which IN
part IS aS follows
Your committee appointed 10 enquire
into the. condition of the Federal Civil
Service desires to present for considgra-
ton as a glarinE Illustration OF the evils
Of the spaiIs system. the abuses existing
in the service OF the House of Re2resea-
tativss which were disclosed by the so
called Moody Committee on The 18th OF
February last. The entire investigation
made by the committee had 10 be com
pletCd within six days hence the report
was hastily prepared. and, while its gen
eraI conclusions were admirably stated.
il omits many details which exhibit IN a
striking light the euormity and gToteS-
queuess. of the abuses revealed by the evi-
dence. Your committee believe that
mere particular account OF the corTup-
ton. extrava sdnce and inefiiciency which
resulted from the patronage system still
in force in this branch OF the service
should be given To the public
While the subordinates in these places
are uominaIy appointed by their superior
oficers-the Clerk of the House, the Door
keeper. etc--the places are really appoT-
toned as patronage among different Mem
berS of Congress. mostly those belonging
10 the party in power The system under
which this appoJtionmeut has been made,
and under which subordlaates Of virtual
y every class have been selected, Mr.
Glenn. the Doorkeeper. very frankly de
sCTibes As follows.
q. Suppose a Member Of Congress to
whom Individual appointment =
charged desires 10 change ms appolntee
What Is done in that case2-A- l inmedi
aJtlN change II
.. Irrespective OF the capacity OF the
enpl0ye or of his suCcesS0TE-A- Yes sir
/ sometimes make requests for different
positions 20 bring a certain kind of man
in Sometimes II Is done; sometimes 1t Is
a. Suppose some Member fails to be
reuomiuated aEi his successor of the
same party is chosen--A. When Congress
adlc,Irrs. his successor succeeds TO his po-
siJiou OF a smaller one 4 new member Is
not given
q. That is 10 say in order to remain
In the service Of the House. speaking gen
orally. a man has to have behind him the
endorsement of some Member2-A- Yes.
sir
q. The effect Of this is. Of course the
House officers become responsible for The
work of their subordinateS without any
IEWer Of selection "A les sir
"a. The effect often is to lose = ma 2
who has gained experience and become e
ficient and TO replace him with some 9th
Q Can there be urder such d system
as that. under anyone'S administration
any successful seTyiCe2-A- ! do not think
there can be as successful as If men were
selected for the exact duties they are 20
perform" tTestimony- Special InEeStiga-
ton Of House Employees, p So
One of the many abuses resulting in
evi1ably from this system is. that per
sons who are appointed and paid to do
certain, duties are transferred from their
positions. and set TO work at occupations
which are entirely different. There are
some amusing cases Of suAh transfers
For instance-to quote the report Of the
Moody committee:
1.-The pIlre of House teIegtapher IS held
by O. NJ EnSsrt. who il point of fact
has never served in That position. but
for a time was detailed to the stationery
room and then to the House library
where he now is J J Constantine act
uaIly performs the duty Of telegTa pteTi
and has done so during the Fifty-fOuTth
Fifiy-fifth. and Fifty-sixth Congresses
During this time he has been paid from
an appropriation carried in the leEisla-
tive act as follows Hire Of horses and
wagons and carriage for use OF the clerk s
Office, $500 " (EepoTt- o I'D
Alexander Mcdonald, the clerk Of The
House, thus explains why this is done
He says:
Mr. Berry and g number Of Demo
Gratis came TO me and told me that this
man Constantine mad a very large lam
~ Iy-1 have forgotten the exact number
but II Is way up from eight to eleven
and that he was Door and needy ans
wanted something to do. and he asked
as . personal favor that I give him sore
thing 10 90 This was the only timing
that ] could control. and so I put hin
under the $3.50 item He gets the whole
Of that $500. and then in order to do tn
work I pay 80 month 10 d teamsteT
who hauls boxes and stationery for tn
members" %. l0J
II afterward appeared that this $40
month (I.aid to one Richards in lieu Of tn,
500 appropriately was obtained by coz
trIbutions from other employees.
In the meantime what were the dutie
performed by Enyerr, the teIegrapher'
who had been receiving 1920 salary fo
Constantinc's $500 Job who had. more
over. been demanding appropriation o.
''some twenty odd hundred dollars q
80 and for whom $50 additional rnakin.
SIGf9 IN alp had actually been recon
mended by the clerk. who testified q.
follows:
20 What has he CEuyert1 done TO de
serve 500 more than the Sl-2lb h Is al
ready recciviuE2-A. ! do not know.
q Do You know about his compiling
this work. .Bi0srar hicaI Dictionary o
Congress ~ He told me ne was dOirE
it.
%. Did you know when he did that2-
u
.. Whether in working hours OF 9th
eTwise2-A- ! do not know He Nigh
have worked on II in the library wheI
there were roll calls.
% That is a pretty leisurely placeZ-A
You need not necessarily persplTe grea
deal %. H.
Your committee appreciates the goo,
fortune Of a grateful and accurate biog
rapher who finds himself thus rewarde,
by appreciative craftsmanship.
Another odd appointment is that o
John J. Conroy. who IS carried on tn
rolls as page at $500 year. and is en-
pIoyed actually as driver Of the HoUs
wagon. In regard 20 him, Nj Glenn, tn
DoOTkeeDer. testifes.
He cant read or write, and We couI,
not do anything with him and SO We as
signed him 70 the wagon The man en-
pioved as driver is scruhhirg the floor
and cleaning spittOOns-" Cp- 76J
Conroy himself was examined By III
committee and complained bitterly be
cause. although employed as a driver
and being kept out in storms. etc" b.
was not getting a drivers pay. bat mere
" a pages salary Cp- SD
Mt. Guy Underwood. who is on the roll
as laboTcr. al $40 a year but who wa.
detailed TO the House Library. and va.
paid $3.50 year by q deficiency bin. Of
fers the following Interesting stateueu
of his views regarding The proper per
Torrance Of official duty.
70 Ogy the chairman. We get all sort
cGFuruylVigaf ions and among hers