The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-26
THE CyvTL SERVICE LAM.
4 Former tI,il servant for seven Years
supports Col. Ogdens Views.

To THK EDITOR OF The SvN Tine
howl that has arisen from the civil snrN ice
reformers regarding tho crit ism Of Prrsi-
dent " Ills l. Og len on the pra e, zeal workings
OF TIE ,ivil Service law is on u par with the
censurc that a certain class of iudiyiiuals
has always given public men who ha," been
strong enough to chang" TIA. ir opiri ions after
years OF eyperi'noe have targ't tlcmtta' tie
practical side OF any pues; ion is very different
from the theoretical
As one wNo spent seven wears in tie public
service under re present system and WHO
has rad many oprortul 'i's Of Judging the
workings Of ciiii service reform. | heartily
echo col Orden's reoommsndai ion tia, the
ttw he very much modified i iaan pla ceo
ia charge OF n large brancA of any public
service should DO allowed 10 have under i'm.
In post ions where originality of thought
and Independence OF ac, ior il required. men
f ! Is own select ion \ man pla Cod M the
head OF department l. held responsible for
the work that /. done WI lie he il In charge
In the nature OF {, iurY IL Is ptysicHlly imlos-
siole for any one man to know all toe workiC g.
OF IL department, and it il therefore mos,
essen'iil. In order 10 cet H." best work from
the various suD-diNi ions 10 ha vc men IT,
charge who are IL sympathy with tho heed Of
the department and pl whom lie las ont
denor. IL is all very well for the theorists to
cry. II viii pave the WY for tn. SCOTSMAN "
bul ioW are they sCIus so Get Ground 'l"
undeil ,bl" statement tHEt az the present tm"
the p'y government il very much tampcred
Ivy reason Of fact that 40 msny 'mplove"s
OF the 'i'V. ~ c1srCs ot ydT ious -ub-diyi tons
ar" mer VITO ar" anxious ia -" 'hc present
NUM- ip'! government : II j. easy "i,ouc ,
Tor tu"se men To SAY, "krmov tGcm IL they
are nov com pe'cui Rut tl.' courts ha ~"
construed tie liw So Vrrv niue IL g. vor al
- employee" that, urd,r tie present system.
" "a almost lmruNs ihl" 10 nav" removal iolu
FOOD. rNcrut i.i case. o. absolute iii shoIi,s'l
vl!c are very hard to prove In too many
instances hive employees. VITO have been
removed for inCompet.ncy or other cHus's.
been r, instatsd by the courts and back sal
ares gwen them. 1ii'tH nitdc the h"' d. OF
departments very "hary o. removing any
clerks "Ac"ut on very vell-defncd causes
In my OF tuion tie laN s1ou!d b" so amended
A. TO give to" head Of any depart ment IN"
power of removal OF any man wlo. by is rosi-
lion and salary, has oittc work OF great OF ie-
lnHll'v or tHs charge Of y number Of men Tor
whose work the h, ed Of the d-paTtm"n j.
resi- ous IDLE 10 the government. H. order that
the best good may oDttiu frome reform move
meut slch Hs swept the municipal ticket into
10 yer last fail
Then. too the promot ion Of an individual
in the service depend first. upon his record
while employed. a. given hv the chief OF his
division and. secondly. on hi answer TO Ger
tain arbitrary questions which, IN most in
stance have - little relation to hi- work a.
Aglliuaido had 20 do with the victory of
Manila which AT" propounded NJ eN4minS-
tons htlu AZ certain Intervals Il- mark ~
this examination counts 5O per cent aud Va"
record as given by the head Of N. division
counts 50 per cent A. the head Of the depart
iuent cannot possibly have time 20 examine
each mans individual record he j. therefore,
compel led to rely upon ,he recommenda,
tons of the various chiefs of division. And
when that head of a division l. work Ing ana
wishing for the low ufdll of the administration
he j. not likely to give a man to whom he l. op-
posed poitiicnily. good general ay"race on
his work which II i necessary 10 have in order
to get hiyh enough on the liz, 10 receive
promotion
The sooner the Law T. modified 10 correct
these evils the sooner " u the city and state
and the nation receive better and increased
service on To" part OF ~ employees II has
been proven time and time again that where
a nam has -hovu himself capable OF per-
forming his du' les and i an acquisition To the
public service he will hc retained in Once
But the civil Service law. a. II exist AZ the
present time merely keeps the men in office
who would h" kept in ANYWAY and at the
same time serves a. cloak for -tilted m'di-
oCri'Y fEANk 4 kiNGsLtNp
NEW ltgk \oN "A