Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-12
Commissioner Wares System
of Promotions.
BASED UPON MERIT
HOW THE PLAN WAS TRIED WITH
SUCCESS.
The Same Method Will Probably Be
Employed While he is at the
Head of the Office.

newspaper inquiries on the subject for the
past month, the new commissioner Of pen
sions Eugene F. Ware. has evolved sys-
tenn Of promotions for the bureau Of pen
sions which is designed to rest entirely on
merit. The new plan has been tried In several
instances, and the promotions along the line
made without friction MIR. Ware now pur-
poses to make it permanent feature Of his
service at the head Of the pension bureau
a letter of instructions sent recently by
the commissioner to a special committee on
promotions explains the system admirably
4 want you to pick out the best men you
can find In the bureau for each place." he
wrote, three from which 1 can select. 1
want to promote for merit. I want to estab-
lish an incentive. Therefore you will not
overlook the quiet man who attends to his
duty. Do not forget the man who has no
statesman interceding for him Remember
the old soldier and prefer him when his
merits and capability equal. Give no
precedence to political pull and do not let
religion or nativity cut any figure When
merits are equal, and only when equal take
a republican instead of a democrat" The
word only in the last sentence was un-
derscored
His First Lesson.
My first lesson on assuming this office"
said the commissioner to Star reporter
1900 any, i'iiSr was tHdl most remark
able pressure was brought to bear on the
commissioner of pensions to appoint men
to positions in the bureau who had had no
experience in the office I had two 81 500
positions to fill and hoped to postpone the
selection of men for those places until
had fully familiarized myself with the Of
flce conditions. But l found had to make
those appointments and make them soon.
| think there were over 400 men presented
to me with the strongest Endorsements for
those two jobs
We'll. nearly all of the applicants were
Wen-fltted for the work, but as I looked
about the office I good many other
men who had worked here for years, who
had developed the most valuable knowledge
and experience here-many of them old SOL
oiefs-and l made up my mind that If any
one was made an 81 800 clerk 1t should lie
the man who had proven his ability and his
steadiness right here under fire. so to
speak. I'll appoint outsiders places for
them may be created, but they will have to
go in at the bottom of the ladder.
His Second Principle.
THAT was my first principle-that no out
slider should be jumped over the heads Of
efficient clerks already in the office. My
second principle vas this-that men in the
Office should be promoted, not jumped half
a dozen grades at once, and should be pro-
NOTED entirely merit. Those two die
tums.' so to speak, are the basis of this new
system Of promotions.
You know, 1 meet my chiefs of division,
assistant chiefs, chief clerk and deputy
commissioners every week We have lit
tie congress here with about forty men,
bers. This system was evolved little by lit
tie by that congress. l explained my pur-
pose as to promotions. / told them all
that merit. tried and proved, was to be the
only consideration. Then when the first
vacancy arose l appointed special COM
mittee of three chiefs Of division to serve
as select committee on promotions IN that
one instance
The Committees Report.
"rhose gentlemen acted exactly accord
ing to my instructions. They sent me a
list of men from whom l could choose. Ev-
cry man on that list was Of the highest
possible grade. A good many were demo-
Gratis You see the democrat feels that
when head-lopping is to be done his head
will be the first to go. So he has two incen-
tives to become one Of the best clerks in
the Office. Well. about half the number
returned this list were democrats One
Of them was an ex-confederate soldier. 1
called the committee together and asked
them what they meant by recommending
an ex-confederate for promotion here in the
office. told them l might have to explain
that to the country If the promotion should
be made. And those men replied to me
Ihat II was SIMPLY because any list OF the
most efficient clerks in this office must in
clude that ex-confederate's name.
Il made the promotions with this HELM
from the select committee Of division chiefs
Then when l gave each man his commission
gave him a letter along this line" The
commissioner then handed the reporter
blank letter announcing that the addressee
had been promoted from grade to -
grade. After that announcement came the
following:
The Commissioners Letter.
'"This is to say to you that you do not
owe your promotion to political influence
or to the commissioner to your friends.
You were promoted solely on account of
merit. and I hope that while you remain
in the bureau you will continue the course
which gave you this promotion"
The commissioner then went on to explain
the various markings given his clerks They
are divided, he said into classes of poor,
fair, good. very good and excellent" ac-
cording to their industry, accuracy and
general efficiency. BY directing the di-
vision chief to make the promotion he made
the division chief responsible, and. he did
not fear the result.
"Of course. I can't tell whether I shall
be permitted to go on with my plan.
nave superior officers. you know, and the
pressure for appointments on another basis
may be too great to be resisted But IL
can go on / shall base my promotions in
the bureau of pensions entirely on merit