Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-15
TRUE MERIT SYSTEM
Philippine Civil Service on
Proper Basis.
BETTER THAN OURS
INTERESTING POSITION TAKEN
BY CORNERSTONE R FoULKE.
Laws Much More Comprehensive
Practical Valuesof Examina-
tons for Promotion.
BETTER THAN OURS

Mr.. William Dudley Foulke Of the civil
service commission has prepared for THE
Annals of the American Academy of Polit-
ical and Social Science review and ex-
position Of the civil service system applied
to the Philippine archipelago, which will
no doubt prove Of great interest to many
citizens OF the country through which the
civil government Of those islands is thus
being completely changed 1t contains many
items of history in connection with the es-
Establishment Of the American government
there and a comparison Of Philippine civil
service conditions with those now prevail
ing in the United States, which are sure to
excite discussion when the entire article
appears. The following excerpts will indi-
cate the general character Of the article.
when it was determined that We were
to keep Porto Rico and the Philippines and
exercise dominion over certain hetrogene-
Gus races and peoples, quite unlike our
selves, stood, in respect to the kind of
government we would establish at the part
Ing Of the ways. On the one side was the
spoils systematic system Of exploitation
which had led to the wreck of Spanish CO.
lonial government, a system whose roots we
have not yet completely torn from our own
soil; and on the other side the merit sys-
tem-a system Of government for the benefit
of the governed, not wholly unlike that
which England had evolved for the admin
tstration of India out of sickening expert
ences in corruption, mfsmanaga and
disaster. 1t was of the utmost Importance
that should start right.
Began With President Mckinley.
Fortunately, we had In the executive
chair President who possessed breadth
of craftsmanship adequate to the situation
Mr.. Mckinley determined that the spoils
ho1l11
sessions. AS commander in-chief of the
army and navy he had practically auto
cratic power over our newly-acquired terri
tory; and. fortunately, when Congress came
to pass Its first law in respect to the Phil
ippines, /, left this power where 1t had al
ways been wisely exercised. Indeed, the
excellence of the administration of Mr.. Nc
kinley was shown more clearly in his APP
pointments to high offices in our Dependent
cles than in any other way.
The writer, upon one occasion, was
asked by the late President, DO you know
a good man for attorney general for Porto
Rico? 1 have been looking for one for
long time, and have not yet been able to
find him. If it were for a similar position
here at home, would have no trouble:
could find many persons who would be
good enough. But for these new possess
ions-we must take better care of them
siderations, the appointments made both in
Porto Rico and the Philippines were Of the
very highest class.
THE Philippine civil service act is much
more comprehensive than our civil law 1t
is now nearly twenty years since our fed
eral law was enacted, and although very
few statutes have so well met the constant
ly changing conditions of the times there
We're necessarily some shortcomings. The
Philippine civil service act has filled I'D the
gaps and provided for as complete a sys-
tenn as is possible at the present time. A
discussion of the differences between the
two acts will be profitable.
Philippine Law Superior in Many Re
spects.
I'm the first place the scope Of the Phil
ippine civil service act Ia far broader than
that of our own law, which does not apply
to laborers nor to persons who are APP
pointed by the President with the advice
and consent of the Senate. With us the
highest and lowest places both remain out
side of the purview Of the law. There are,
fortunately, other provisions in our federal
statutes which may enable us hereafter to
estabIish proper registration system for
laborers, and rules may be adopted for t1ll
ing some presidential Offices by competitive
found in the civil service act itself.
Ihe Phi1ppne law, however, express
siVeiy provides for the selection of labor
ers, skilled and unskilled, according to the
competitive examinations as may be prac-
ticable and which need not relate to more
than the capacity of the applicants to la
Dor. their habits of industry and sobriety
and their honesty Thus the entire labor
force Of the islands is brought within the
classified service.
THE higher offices. with very few excep-
tons, are also included, and vacancies are
to be filled In the Philippine civil service
for the efficient and faithful performance
of their duties
In America competitive examinations are
not generally required for promotion. and
1t is serious defect of our present system
that promotions are often made for reasons
OF personal favor or political infiuence-a
defect, however, for which it is hoped that
at no distant day a remedy will be found.
In this respect the Philippine act is more
stringent than the Pendleton bill. In the
Philippine service promotions must be
made by competitive examina lions, though
the board may provide for an allowance OF
credit for previous experience and efficiency
to be estimated by the officer under whose
direction the service had been rendered.
No Hold-over spoilsmen.
''The Philippine law has another decided
advantage over the American. When diff
ferent. positions in this country become
classified the men who are in those posi-
lions usually remain there, without any ex-
animation to test their qualifications to
neeP ~ PAYS euey noiu lnese persons
have been originally appointed under the
spoils system. But In the Philippine service
the men who were originally appointed to
office were appointed with little regard to
politics, and in addition to this the Philip
pine act provides that the civil service
board may examine the employees in the
service to determine their fitness to retain
their places. These examinations have
been held; number Of inefficient employees
have been discharged, while others have
vacated their positions rather than undergo
the examination. The Philippine service,
therefore, stands In better condition in re-
spect to the personnel Of those who now
compose 1t than the classified service in
this country"
Mr.. Foulke continues by pointing out
other differences which are in his estima-
ton to the credit of the Philippine system.
plicants for positions In the Philippines;
the right Of the Philippine commission to
summon and interrneafe Witnesses: a nrn-