The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-06
STATE SUPERINTENDENT FIND
Ut DIFFICULT TO SECURE
DESIRABLE EMPLOYEES
PROMOTION BY MERIT
VS.. THE SPOILS SYSTEM
Supt. Tate, of Faribaut, Reads an
Instructive Paper in Which He Ar
CUES That Abolition of Spells sys-
tenn Would Benefit the State in
Every Way.

Prominent among the interesting
developments of the quarterly confer
ence of superintendent of state insti-
tutions, held yesterday at the office of
the board of control, and perhaps most
striking of all the items of informa-
ton adduced in the course of the pro-
ceedings was the fact that great diff
t1cultY has been found in securing a
desirable class of employees for the in
situations, and in some cases it has
been found impossible to secure a suf-
f1clent number of employees of any sort.
ms 1t was found, applied particu-
larly to the institutions for the care
of the insane, and most conspicuousIy
at present to the ST. Peter hospital,
but almost all the institutions have
experienced trouble in the same way.
First Anniversary of Board.
The state board of control had, on
Aug. l, been in authority just a year,
and in calling this quarterly meeting
to order Secretary Leavitt remarked
that the occasion practically marked
the boards first anniversary. The
members of the board, he said, had
found that they knew a great deal
more than they did year ago, and he
hoped the superintendent did not
know any less.
in general way, Mr.. Leavitt said
that he and the other members of
the board recognized the fact that at
times unexpected needs would arise,
and 1t would perhaps be detrimental
or highly inconvenient to wait for re-
QUESTIONS for supplies to go through
the regular course, but he thought the
superintendent could exercise even
more conservatism in their imperative
demands no
past.
AT the morning session J. w. Brown,
superintendent of the Red Wing train
ing school, presented a paper on the
subject of How to Reduce to a Mini
mum Tendencies Toward Institutional
Life"
Taking broad view of the subject
assigned him, Mr.. Brown contemplate
ed in general way the social condi-
lions which, in his belief, initiate to
produce criminals and dependents.
Among the more important and
more direct causes of criminality and
dependence he mentioned ignorance,
1dleness, disease and poverty; and he
argued that it would be possible that
these influences could be reduced to a,
minimum. And in direct ratio as they
became reduced the drift toward in
stltutional life would be reduced.
INC ramp nuisance
One phase of the question to which
Mr.. Brown devoted considerable at
tention was the tramp nuisance, and
as remedy Of that he advocated the
purchase by the state of a large tract
of land on which cheap buildings
might be erected, and to which the
judges of the municipal courts could
send all persons convicted of Vagrancy.
BY the plan of compelling the tramps
to work hard on this farm for ten
hours day the Migrants, he thought,
would be rapidly reduced in number
until they ceased altogether to give
trouble.
Compulsory education was another
measure favored by Mr.. Brown, espe-
c1ally education along Industrial lines
The time was coming, Mr.. Brown
declared, when stringent law and ap-
plication of surgery would be resorted
to for the prevention of degeneracy
resulting from heredity through the
union of detectives.
Promotion by Merit.
The early portion of the afternoon
was devoted to a paper by Supt. Tate,
of the school for the deaf at Fari-
bault,' on the topic: "To What Ex-
tent Should the Merit System Be Car
ried in Case of Employees of State In
stitutions?''
Beginning with the proposition that
the merit system has it's foundation, in
fact, in the constitution of things, DR..
Tate said in part:
Man is not likely to improve materially
upon the methods of the Creator; we are
told that we are to be judged for the
deeds done in the body
In life 1t is system that holds out to
and to the operative the possibility of
reward for continuous meritorious labor
This reward may consist in increase of
compensation or advancement of position
or permanency of tenure, and usually in
all. 1t is custom which all commercial
institutions practice. We find it to ex-
iSt to a marked degree in the army and
navy, as we'll as in all government serv-
ice.
sit would seem that an attempt to de-
fine the merit system is not necessary.
Perhaps the best definition is given when
we say it is not the SpoilS system The
one is the exact antithesis of. the other.
By the merit, system we, place men in
charge of work because they either pos
SeSS fitness, or capacity to acquire fitness.
By the spoils system men are appointed
to positions in order to offset political,
social, or other debts-ftness is a second
airy consideration. 1t must be admitted
that many worthy men have held position
under this system; but they are good in
spite Of it. There is no permanency in
such positions and hence, usually, but
limited time for. acquiring proficiency.
The incumbent is tempted to make
temptation If his populations are large,
his immortality is gross, but the offense
is usually hushed up; if they are small,
an example is made of the sinner.
Merits of the System.
eff the conditions briefly intimated pre-
vail, we can readily see how the merit
system as compared with the spoils sys-
| tenn, and there seems to be only the two,
could secure a number of desirable ends
Among these we may enumerate the fol-
| lowing:
81. 1t secures competency instead Of
| incompetency
20. It adds permanency to position,
which is in part a compensation.
%. 1t results in a saving of money to
the state; for who would not prefer
permanent position at a less salary than
| an uncertain one at a greater salary.
"a. 1t encourages honesty and discour-
| ages dishonesty.
80. 1t enables heads Of institutions to
devote their best energy to developing
I their work, for they would have neither
their political fences or incompetent en-
ployes to look after.
"6. 1t is the only method by which
every citizen has an equal chance to get
employment of the state.
~. There seems to be no argument
against the merit or civil service reform
| system, except that of the professional
politician. To the victor belong the
spois.' %