The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-04
HONESTY At A PREMIUM
Obstacles TO Establishing a Philip
pine Civil Service.
The Taft Commission Reports That
FilipinOs Are Corrupt and Ameri-
cans Liable TO Become So-A Ten
dency Toward PecuIation-LeGacy
From the Old Spanish Regime.

the Philippines has included very inter-
esting statement upon the subject of civil
service in the islands
1T was the purpose of the Commits
sion" says the report. lin passing the
Civil Service bill to provide a system
which, after it should begin to work
would secure the selection and promotion
of civil servants solely on the ground Of
merit, and would permit anyone by
! successful competitive examination to
enter the service at the lowest rank and
by the efficient discharge of his duties
and further examinations for promotion to
reach the head of any important depart
ment of the Government The difficulties
| in securing a good civil service in the
| islands are formidable. There are two
classes of applicants, one the Americans
| and the other the Filipinos
| The Ftlipinos have had no training eX-
cept from being in the Spanish service or
observing its workings. That service was
notoriously corrupt. The salaries paid
were Palpably inadequate for the support
/ of life and were a plain intimation to the
civil servant, in their inadequacy, that, if
i he could. he was expected to add to his
official income in Illegal ways and by pecu-
| lation. This is not only characteristic of
| the Spanish civil service, but also of that
| of all Oriental Governments, and in the
| outset it is not too severe TO say that the
percentage Of Filipinos who can be trust
| ed to handle money in public Office or to
exercise any direct official control over
their fellow residents without peculation
| or the imposition of illegal charges is
comparatively small They must be taught
by better salaries and by the example of
| the Americans different standard of in-
| tegrity.
ION the other hand, the Americans who
| come to these islands, come eight or ten
thousand miles, come with a venture
some spirit, come with the idea of amass-
ing a competence by their stay in the
islands They are exposed in any impor-
tant official position where there is op-
portunity for defeating the rights of the
Government to constant temptations Of
fered them by interested persons seek
ing to escape lawful burdens or to obtain
fraudulent advantage and who have no
other conception of a public officer than
of one who is to be reached by bribery il
the sum offered be large enough. Men
may leave the United States honest. but
with the weakening of moral restraints of
home associations and with the anxious
desire TO make so long a trip result sue
cessfully in pecuniary way, demoralika-
tion and dishonesty are much more likely
to follow than at home.
ITO avoid the dangers presented by
these conditions. 1t is necessary first TO
Danish all favoritism and political con-
siderations from the selection of civil
servants and rigidly to enforce the re-
quirements of a competitive examination
and a satisfactory showing by the appli-
cant OF his good moral character; second,
to pay adequate salaries and to allow
liberal leaves of absence, adapted to pre-
servation of health in the tropics, thus
securing that contentment with the SER
vice without which good work is not pos
sible; and third. to awaken an enthusiasm
in the service by offering as a reward for
faithful and highly efficient work rea-
sonable prospect of promotion 10 the
highest positions in the government.
''It is essential that the system be ad-
ministered with the utmost rigidity and
impartiality, because in no part of the
world does rumor of injustice, of fraud.
and of underhand methods in the adminis
tration of public office receive so much |
credit as in the Orient, and If dissatis-
faction. produced by a sense of injustice, |
finds place in the civil service OF the ISL |
ands. it will greatly diminish its eff |
cheney The commission has passed law |
which it believes goes further than any |
civil service law of any State or of the |
United States in carrying out the theory |
of the merit system. and IL takes this |
opportunity to testify to the earnest as |
sistance and cooperation in maintaining |
pure the civil service of these islands re
cefved from the President and the Secre-
tarv of War.
I'VE are directed in our instructions to
prefer the Filipino for office when other
the act imposed this a mandate upon
the appointing power. We have also pre-
ferred in the same manner discharged SOL
diers and sailors cf the United States
We could not for obvious reasons intro |
duce provisions discriminating against the
FHipinos because of the tendency of their |
previous training. already referred to. To
secure appointments from the two races.
according 10 their capacity and qualifi-
we must rely. not only upon the
examinations. but also upon the discretion
Of the appointing power in its selection
from the list OF eligibles presented by
the civil service beard. and upon the
power of removal which remains fully
vested in the appointing power. unham-
pered by any provisions of the statute.
The difficulties in selection presented by
he education and tendency of ihe Fill
Dino will gradually gro' less and less as
The service grows Older and as the Fill
1ino learns a different official standard of
integrity and sees upon what promotion
n the civil service depends.
"A present question in the civil service
IS the high cost of living in Manila There | ;
are not enough houses in Manila to make :
places OF residence for the
civil servants who come here from the |
United States. IL has been proposed and
il seems a practical suggestion. that the
American civil servants perfect an or
sanizatiOn and work out. with the assist
ance OF the governmental authorities a |
plan for a cooperative civil service hotel
1r boarding house. and possibly coop
erative store. If one is we'll housed in
Manila. il is a very pleasant city to live
n. II he is not thus fortunately placed {
ie can but have an unpleasant Impression
# life here and impart it TO others.
THE question of what kind of examna- /
Ion or what kind of a system of seIec- l
ion shall be used for school teachers has Il
lot yet been decided and the Commission Il
waits the recommendation in this regard Il
# Mr. Atkinson. the general superintend-
mt OF public instruction. f
THE Commission has appointed as p
members of the Civil Service Beard Frank a
4. Higgins, for years a skilled examiner T.
# the United States Civil Service Com f
nission; w. l.. Pepperman. also for a +
ong time an efficient member of the cX- Y
mining staff of the United States civil O
ervice Commission. and Chief Justice
rellano who has considerable knowledge
I the workings of the Spanish Civil Ser
ice" n
TWO SKATERS FACED DEATH.