Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-26

men steuographers and typewriters who
took the Civil Service examination in this
city on Monday last should become ac-
quinted with the conditions existing in the
Philippines, where they are destined for in
the event that they successfully passed the
examination, and with that end in view the
GLOBE rises in its place as the organ of the
unemployed and the applicant for Govern
ment (or other) employment to enlighten
the said aspirants for clerical positions in
our distant possessions, what they may ex-
pect six, eight or ten thousand miles away
from home.
Our very able contemporary, the Manila
AmeyicaH furnishes the following, which
the GLOBE commends to the careful perusal
of the male and female applicants, aspir-
ants or appointees to the Civil Service(7)
positions in the Philippines. Here is what
the AR1eYican says:
The Custom House clerks, like other
Government employees in the Philippines,
are asking themselves what use II is to go
up against the sO.called Civil Service ex-
amiuations, when the Civil Service law
does not guarantee them continuity in their
positions. Several men are seriously con-
sidering whether they will take the exam
nations or resign from the service, because,
they argue, they are compelled to take ex-
aminations for advancement, while in order
to discharge them it is not even necessary
to ile charges. This does not Indicate any
lack of confidence III Collector Shuster, but
some of these men have seen the working
of the Philippine Civil Service law in other
departments, and realize how frail a hold
the law gives them on their positions
In the United States the Civil Service law
gives every possible protection to the em-
ploye, so long as he is efficient and faithful
The Philippine law gives him none. With
two thousand applicants in the United
States for positions in the Civil Service in
the Philippines it cannot be wondered at
that many of the men who are veterans of
the service feel discouraged.
The question Of examinations and the
right to discharge has been a vexed one
since before the days of civil government
The original clerks and other employees in
what are now the civil departments were
military appointees. When the plan was
advanced Of requiring all of them to take
examinations about one hundred aud ffty
of them, including clerks of the military sec,
retary's office, the custom house and other
departments, agreed to walk out together.
This would have tied things up woefuly,
but as General Macarthur diplomatcaly
forebore to make any decision, it never
came to the question of walking out Since
the civil commission took over the govern
ment it has done nothing aggressive in the
matter. It has removed men here and there,
sometimes for cause and sometimes with
out There has been a scarcity of men and
consequently few removals With a small
army of carpet baggers with pulls" seeking
employment, however the conditions ia
vorable to the employed are liable to dis
appear.
Collector W. Morgan Shuster was inter
viewed yesterday by the Manila AMeyicaH
in regard to the expediency of putting the
Philippine Civil Service on the same basis as
the Civil Service of the United States Mr.
Shuster who has had much experience in
the United States and Cuba, believes that
some power of removal should be vested in
the chiefs Of departments, but he also be-
ieves that these chiefs should be men who
can be trusted to use this vast power for
the good of the service, and not to further
their own ends. These questions were asked
him by the Manila A01ettcaR representa-
tive and answered as follows:
''Why cannot the United States Civil Ser
vice law apply to the Philippine islands,
Why should the exception be made of
giving chiefs of departments the power OF
removal over their subordnates"
IT am not familiar enough with all the
details of the Civil Service law Of the
United States and of the Civil Service law
here to be able to answer that question in
an intelligent way. l understand that the
general purport Of these two laws is the
same, though there may be variations in
4
what the power Of executive heads Of de-
partments of the United States is in regard
to removing their subordinates, for or with
out cause"
GAS the head of a department in the
Philippine Civil Service, do you think the
efficiency of a department would be de-
creased if the head Of it did not have the
summary power OF remoyal2"
'Yes, I am very sure that the general ef-
fciency and discipline Of the department
would be decreased. In my opinion, no adj
ministrative or executive Office could be
properly conducted If there was not some
power of removal of subordinate employees
vested in its chief This power it is as
sumed. should not be exercised in an arbi-
trary and brutal way except where the
GOOD of the service absolutely demanded
such action. and the means Of preventing
the exercise Of the power Of removal on
the part of the chief in such arbitrary and
brutal way would be by appealing from his
decision to superior authority, and thus re-
curing him to explain and justify his
action in case such evidence was presented
to superior authority as would warrant
them in their opinion, in taking any no
tice of the appeal. If the head Of depart
ment could not be trusted with the power
TO remove and otherwise maintain dsci-
pliue among his subordinates, he should
not be trusted with the administration Of
his department"
"Is It true that eighteen men were dis
charged by you recently, and IL so, for
what cause3"
Yes, II became necessary some time ago,
for the good conduct and name Of the Gus
toms Service, t0 summarily discharge a
considerable number Of employees who, il
was conclusively proved, had been guilty
Of an attempt to defraud the commerce OF