Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-20

oillCeS were ciaSSihed "a.
In discussing the Philippine civil
service act the report says:
The two features Of the Philippine
civil service act which distinguish it
nest conspicuously from the Federal
law are ID its broad scope, embracing
not only the offices of the general or
central government but also those In
| the executive branch of the provincial
and municipal governments and ulti-
mately including every officer and en-
p.Cye from the heads OF the depart
ments down to the unskilled laborers:
and 90 its provisions requiring pro-
motions 10 be made upon competitive
examination from the lower to the
| higher ranks. including ali positions
| except the heads of departments and
/ private secretaries of members of the
| Philippine commission. and in the case
of the heads of departments providing
| that they shall be selected by promo
ton from class to be composed of
/ the first. second and third assistants
to the heads Of departments.
Although several months have inter-
vened since the passage of the Philip
! pine civil service law. little or no crit
| iCism has been made by the opponents
| of the merit system Of the United
| States of the policy Of enacting such a
law for the Philippines. This fact is ev-
| idence of popular belief that Il system
of appointments based upon merit was
| necessary to insure the establishment
| by the United States of a stable and
| honest civil government for the Philip
| pine Islands. 1t is gratifying to note
| that the law contemplates not only
/ system of appointments as result of
| competitive examination bat also a
| complete merit service, and for this
| its trainers are 10 be especially COM
| mt nded. Bright, capable men are given
an incentive to enter the lower grades
| by the assurance that promotion will
| depend wholly upon demonstrated ca
| racity, and that even the highest Of
! fees may be attained in this way with
out the necessity of personal or polit-
zeal favor.
Recommendation is again made that
the provisions of the civil service law
be- extended to include the library Of
Congress and the force in the govern
tention being called to the recommen-
GatiOn Of the District commissioners to
this effect. Some systematic plan for
the employment of unskilled laborers
is advised whereby these positions may
be filled by persons who are competent
and willing to perform labOrer's duties
and whereby the practice would be dis
ccuraged of appointing persons to such
positions and assigning them to cler-
ical and other classified duty. 1t is
pointed out that existing laws should
be so amended as TO provide for corps
the place of the present local boards.
such surgeons to be appointed under
the provisions of the civil service law.
| Recommendations to this effect are
| cited from the report of three members
of the Senate committee on civil ser
vice and retrenchment and by several
pension commissioners. An argument
| is presented to show that the interests
Of the service require that Indian
agents should be appointed upon some
system of ascertained merit and quail
| ificaton.
The report goes on to state:
The experience of the commission
! during the year under consideration in
| this report has served to incite, if pos
| sible. a more urgent and emphatic APP
peal for a larger force of employees
and a more liberal appropriation for
expenses connected with its examina
| tions and other work outside of Wash
ton. Not a single additional employe
has been appropriated for by Congress
since its session of 1S93-94. at which
time Sc additional clerks We're provid
ed for. The following session increased
| the amount available for travelling and
other expenses outside of Washington
| from $4,000 to $4,000. which has not
since been added to in any way. There
are now fully three times as many po-
sitions subject to the civil service law
and rules as when the last increase in
appropriation for employees was made
and the reasona BILE demands upon the
commission for expenditure in its ex-
Washington have increased in like ra
ito, while the compleXity and detail of
the general work of the commission
are several times greater than in 1894.
1t is pointed out that the work of
commission will be necessarily very
| materially increased on account of the
extension of the civil service law and
rules to federal positions in the islands
of Hawaii and Porto Rico, and also
by the order of the President directing
the commission to assist the Philip
pine civil service board, upon its re-
quest. in the matter of holding exam
nations in this country and in other
ways.
! The whitening effects of the mid