Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-02
AN ADDITIONAL OFFICE
AN APPOINTMENT BY POSTMAS-
TER GENERAL PAYNE.
H. II. Rand Made His Confidential
Secretary - Gossip About Chief
Clerk Taylor's Case.


H. H. Rand of Milwaukee, Wis, was ap-
pointed confidential secretary to the Post
master General today.
1t was generally supposed that Mr.. Rand
would succeed Chief Clerk Taylor of the
Post Office Department. this supposition
being based upon the probability of the
President excepting the position from the
classified service. The proposed change
failed to materialize because of the opposi-
ton of the civil service commission. The
commission, however, consented, it is un-
derstood, to the appointment of Mr. Rand
to the position of confidential secretary,
and as the salary of the office is the same
there is no complaint. 1t is understood,
however, Mr.. Payne urged the withdrawal
of the position of chief clerk from the clas-
Sified list on the ground that the position
was one personal with the head of the
department that the position should be
hleed by one personally known to him.
Mr.. Rand has long been identified with
the politics of Wisconsin, and is well known
in Washington. He first came to the capt.
tai with Senator Cameron and remained on
the Senate force during the first term of
Senator Spooner. He has been secretary of
the republican state committee of Wiscon-
sin for a number of years. During the last
campaign ne was with the national republi-
the important position of purchasing agent
and superintendent of printing. This posi-
ton required complete knowledge of the
printing business and when the campag
closed he received a handsome compliment
from the chairman of the national COM
mittee, Mr.. Hanna, well the members
of the executive committee for the efficient
manner in which he had conducted the af-
fairs of his office. Mr.. Rand will enter
upon his new duties Immediately.
The Case of Mr. Taylor.
1t is rumored that when the new conf
Dental clerk has entered on his duties Mr..
Taylor may be given some place in the post
al service other than the chief clerkship
and that Mr.. Rand may then be assigned
to temporary" service as chief clerk of the
department.
1t is pointed out, however, that if this
course can be followed under the law as
it now stands the Postmaster General must
certify in writing the reasons for transfer
ring the present chief clerk and for pro-
noting his confidential clerk These must
be neither political nor religious reasons
1t would be sufficient, however, for the
Postmaster General to certify that the
changes were made for the betterment of
the discipline of the SERVICE" as the COM
mission has held that the heads of the sew
eral departments must each be the sole
Judge of the need for such changes within
his department.
AS a preliminary to this step, Mr.. Taylor
Is said to have already been approached
and offered three other positions in the Post
Office Department-one of higher salary
than the chief clerkshp, but not in the
classified service and the two others Of lower
salaries. Mr.. Taylor's continued presence
at the chief clerks desk prompts the con-
clusion that all three offers have been de-
clined. When asked this morning whether
such was not the case the chief clerk used
exactly the words with which he has re-
piled to all other questions about this pro-
posed removal: Il cannot either affirm or
deny the report"
to duty as temporary chief clerk Is
thought by officials of the civil service COM
mission to be contrary to law The mem
bcrs of the commission refuse fatty to
discuss this particular instance.
In answer to hypothetical questions, how
ever, officials of the commission have made
clear the following provisions of the law:
That assignments to places in the class-
fled service can be filled only by promotion
of classified clerks or by appointment from
the list of eligibles for such position certi-
fled lby the commission; that confidential
clerks are not within ther of these classes;
that the commission has In several in
stances removed from the government SER
vice confidential clerks who have been regu-
larly or temporarily assigned to positions
which, under the law should be filled by
competitive examination or by promotion
of classified clerks.
An instance of this action by the COM
mission occurred in April, 1893, when PreSi-
dent Roosevelt was president of the civil
service commission. Commissioner ROose
Welt himself investigated a report that two
confidential clerks Were serving in posi-
tonS which should have been filled by COM
petitive examination or by promotion. His
report was that both men We're illegally
employed, and both were discharged from
the service his recommendation. Mr..
Roosevelt went further in the commissions S
eleventh annual report and recommended
with characteristic vigor that half the posi-
tiOns then filled by special examinations
because of their supposedly confidential
nature should be flied by competitive ex
animation.
Since that time his recommendation has
been followed and the law has been chang
ed so that only positions in their very
nature confidential are excepted from the
full force of the civil service law
The appointment of Mr.. Rand, who will
have charge of all the confidential business
of the Postmaster General, and who will
have the same salary the chief clerk
will probably obviate the necessity of any
shifting of Mr.. Taylor and allow things to
go without change.