The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-26
ADEQUATE TINE NEEDED
Judge Taft Writes Letter on
Service Law.
SUCCESS IS ASSURED
But Philippines are in Unstable
Condition.

Richmond, Ind, June 25.-In a letter
written by Judge Taft Of the Philippine
commission to william Dudley Foulke,
the situation in the Philippines in regard
to the civil service law is thus described:
u believe that the service law, which
was the fifth law we passed. is as strin-
gent as any law which has been passed
in the United States Il has never been
suspended 1or d nom 1T IL was OF course
impossible TO make a civil service law ap-
pllcable the next morning after its pass
age. for the reason that It takes con-
siderable time TO adopt the necessary
rules and prepare for the necessary ex-
aminations. We provided that. with the
exception of soldiers, every person VINO
might be temporarily appointed 70 civil
service position i nthe islands between
the time Of the passage OF the law and
the certificate by the civil service board
that it had eligible lists for the needs Of
all Offices, should be considered a tenn
porary appointee and should be required
to pass a competitive examination sue
cessfully before being appointed. The es-
presented another question of the civil
service and we met 1t by providing that
after March, 1902, all provincial officers
except the governor should be selected
under the civil service law, by promotion
and by competitive examination. The
commission is a unit in thinking that the
civil service Ia wis all-important here.
Without IL we should be overwhelmed
with nondescript persons seeking employ
ment. and political pressure would be
brought to bear to have appointed in these
Islands all the persons who had made fall
ures in the United States. We did not
extend the act to school teachers for the
reason that school teaching is a profes-
sion, and as the selection Of them
through the superintendent is made by
consulting the heads OF colleges and uni
versities, it was impossible for him to
secure good evidence Of the fitness Of
the person applying, but as soon as our
first batch Of teachers have been secured,
under the great pressure for teachers in
these islands, we shall extend the civil
service law to teachers as well. I de-
sire TO add that in our civil service law
and carryin git out TO the letter, we have
the assistance, sincere and active, Of both
the president and the secretary Of war.
We have not been obliged TO make a
single appointment at the request Of the
secretary or the president They have as
sisted US when VIC have called on them
for advice, but that IS all. And they have
had US understand that they were in
sympathy with our purpose in making the
law effective. As it is. we have not
heard Of any complaint Of it frtom any
source. As an earnest of the sincerity
with which the law was put in force.
I should like to call your attention to
the fact that every man who was ap-
pointed between the first week in Septem-
Der, when the law was passed. and the
first Of March, when the machinery was
all ready for operation, was required to
pass a competitive examination, unless
he had been a volunteer soldier, and that
700 applicants took the first examination,
a very large proportion Of whom were
temporary appointees. It was suggested
and urged that we ought not require
such appointees to pass a competitive eS-
animation, but we were firm and as a re-
suit a great many worthless appointees
abandoned the idea of taking the exam
nation and went home.
You ask me what the friends Of civil
service reform in the United States can
do and all I can say IS that you viii
strengthen US. think, by having the
fact generally understood that the law has
never been suspended since it was passed.
and that no attempt has been made TO
evade its provisions"