Evening star., 1902-03-25
PROMOTIONS BY MERIT
THE PRESENT NEED FOR SUCH A
SYSTEM.
Commissioner Foulke Explains New
Civil Service Agitation-Would
Improve Entire Service.

In a recent conversation on the proposed
regulation of promotions in the govern
mental departments by civil service meth
DDS Mr.. William Dudley Foulke Of the
civil service commission explained to his
callers the basis Of the project so sue
clnctly and clearly that everyone present
commented on that fact Mr.. FOulke was
then asked to repeat his digest for publica-
ton In The Star. The following statement
Is his response:
There Is widespread complaint that
although admission to the classified ser
vice Is governed by competitive examina-
tions. yet after the applicant is once ad-
mitted promotion goes largely by favor.
This Is very certain to be the case SO long
as promotion is discretionary. The whole
civil service system stands for the reign Of
law against the power of arbitrary discre-
ton. We do not always get the best man
by q competitive examination, but we real
ize that 1t is safer to trust system Of gen.
eral rules. defective in Individual cases,
than to leave the whole matter to be deter
mined by one mans arbitrary caprice.
Abuses which grew up under the discre-
tionary system are far greater than those
which would arise from the defects Of the
law or the inadequacy Of the rules.
No Incentive to Diligence.
lnlS Is just dS true promotion as II IS
OF admission to the service. Wherever there
are no rules favoritsm is certain to play a
part. Political influence Is sure to be ex-
ercised, and 1 believe today that there Is
more pulling and nagging to secure promo
tions, reinsta tements. transfers and other
things which are largely discretionary than
there is In any other matter connected with
the civil service The result is that the in
centive to faithful and diligent conduct and
lt,,s~ f1 to-
ure paralyzed; that the best men are not
put In the most important places. or do not
receive compensation in proportion to their
deserts.
This system ought to give way To a svs-
tenn of promotion regulations as definite as
possible, and graded wholly upon merit 1
am not much OF believer in seniority as
the basis for promotion, though 1 think
even that is better than personal favor
The moment a public servant believes that
he will rise by regular steps, whether he
work well or i'll. his efforts will be at once
relaxed
SO far as possible. by merit alone. Now,
merit is Of several varieties-faithfulnes
integrity, punctualty, neatness, order DO
likeness. industry. speed, accuracy: all
these things are important. Mental quail
ficatiOns which enable a man to undertake
original, constructive work Is another i'm
portant element sometimes the most i'm
portant of all. Nearly all Of these quail
cheney Some of them can be tested by pro-
motion examinations.
A Daily Record Not Sufficient.
eff We were sure that the daily record
would be correctly kept and that the work
Of one man could be accurately compared
with that Of another. the daily record
would be by all means the best system.
But personal prejudice or favor will often
color this daily record. and where men are
engaged In totally different kinds of work,
In different places and sometimes under
different superior officers. 1t is often hard
to compare their efficiency one with an
other. Still, II these records are kept open
for the inspection of all there Is some guar
antee of reasonable fairness.
MY own impression Is that the best plan
is to combine a promotion examination
with these records-the examination to test
the mental qualifications OF the person who
seeks promotion. and his adaptabiity for
the kind of work which he will be required
to do, and the records to test his fidelity,
skill and efficiency in the work he has al
ready done. And one of the most valuable
of.all the features in these records of effi-
cheney would be a provision that any indi-
vidual in the service shall be dropped and
separated therefrom If he fails to reach a
certain minimum grade"