Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-26
AGAINST THE PETITION
employees WANTED TO BE PUT
ON CLASSIFIED LIST.
Request of Printing Division of the
Census Ofice-Reason for
Adverse Action.

In the latter part of March the employees
OF the printing division of the census Office
petitioned the President for inclusion in the
classified service. They urged that they
had proved their efficiency by their services
rendered and that it would be inequitabie
for them to be forced out of the service
prematurely on account of the abolishment
of their office by Congress sooner than was
contemplated and sooner than the same
office was abolished under the previous
census.
The President referred this petition to the
civil service commission for consideration.
During this consideration the commission
listened to committee of the employees,
who wished to present their case orally be-
fore II. 1t also received a communication
from the public printer, written at the So
licitation of the Typographical Union,
which concludes as follows:
Undoubtedly the ultimate object in view
is to secure transfer to the government
printing office regular employees. Should
the commission decide the petitioners en-
titled to classification L would be willing to
give employment, provided their services
were necessary, to such as should be found
to be qualified for the work, as shown by
such tests of fitness as the commission
might approve. The indiscriminate trans
fer however. of body of employees, with
out regard to qualifications or merit would
not be commendable."
The commission gave very careful and
thorough consideration to the matter and
concluded that the petitioners had neither
a legal nor an equitable claim to be classi-
ned These conclusions, which were re-
ported to the President, and also to the
public printer We're based upon the follow
Ing considerations:
The government printing office has now
an extra force of between 200 and 300 prin-
clpally compositors. appointed from the
registers of the commission. who will have
to be discharged when the work decreases
after the adjournment of Congress- If un-
DER these circumstances. others are trans
Ierred INTO the office an equal number of
the present employees would necessarily be
displaced. This would be manifestly in
equitable. 1t would also result in detri-
ment to the service since the testimony
OF printing office officials is that the per-
sons appointed as the result of passing the
COMMISSION examinations are as a class
disunctly superior to those appointed under
the Old system of political patronage
The employees of the printing division Of
the census office entered that service with
the understanding that it was merely tenn
porary, and that it was entirely outside the
claSSlncatlon. Therefore il cannot be said
tilat any express or implied right to reten-
uon or classification has arisen, or that
any injustice is done them by the ter
niiHarlon OF their employment. The fact
tfat they have already enjoyed employ.
ment which was in the nature of a specja,
privilege is no ground for granting them
further special privileges which would nee
essarlly diminish correspondingly the on
portunlties of others who have a n-inr
right to consideration besides nroha bin,
service" tiie