The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-15
PENSION BUREAU.
Commissioner IronquiIl's ;"
System Of Promotions.
A Splendid Plan Tried With.
Success.
is BASED ON MERIT.
Various Political Pulls Are
Sidetracked.
Merftorious Democrats Better
Than Unworthy Republicans.

AAcA AoVA AVuS DoAnOCA nus DOUtOA
Than Unworthy Republicans.
Working quietly and diligently. says |
the Washington Star, avoiding news |
paper inquiries on the subject for the
past month. the new commissioner OF |
pensions. Eugene f.. Ware, has evolved |
of pensions which is designed to rest
entirely on merit. The new plan has
been tried in several instances and the
promotions along the line made with
out friction Mr.. Ware now purposes
to make it a permanent feature of his
service at the head of the pension bu-
reau.
letter of instructions sent recently |
by the commissioner to a special coma
mittee on promotions explains the sys-
tenn admirably.
Il want you to pick out the best men
you can find in the bureau for each
place" he wrote, three from which I
can select I want to promote for merit
I want to establish an incentive. There
man who attends to his duty Do not
forget the man who has no statesman
interceding for him Remember the old
soldier and prefer him when his merits
cedence to political pull and do not let
religion or nativity cut any figure.
When merits are equal, and only when
Democrat" The word only in the
last sentence was underscored.
HIS FIRST LESSON.
MY first lesson on assuming this
Office" said the commissioner to a Star
reporter this morning, was that the
most remarkable pressure was brought
to bear on the commissioner of PEN
sionS to appoint men to positions in the
bureau who had no experience in the
office. I had two 81 800 positions to fill
and hoped to postpone the selection OF
men for these places until had fully
"a mill 10 ri0 od f1,
ditions. But I found I had to make
those appointments and make them
soon. I think there were over 400 men
presented to me with the strongest en-
dorsements for those two Jobs
We'll. nearly all of the applicants
We're well fitted for the work. but l
looked about the office I saw a good
many other men who had worked here
for years, who had developed the most
valuable knowledge and experience
here-many of them old soldiers--and
was made an $500 clerk it should be
| the man who had proven his ability and
his steadineSs right here under fire, SO
to speak. I'll appoint outsiders as
places for them may be created, but
| they will have to go in at the bottom
| of the ladder.
HIS SECOND PRINCIPLE.
That was my first .principie-that no
| outsider should be jumped over the
| heads of efficient clerks already in the
| office. My second principle was this
| that men in the Office should be promo
! ted, not jumped half a dozen grades ct
once, and should be promoted entirely
| on merit. Those two 'dictums' SO to
| speak. are the basis Of this new sys-
| tenn of promotions.
| You know, meet my chiefs of divis-
| ion. assistant chiefs, chief clerk and
| deputy commissioners every week. We
have little congress here with about
| 40 members. This system was evolved
| little by little by that congress- ex-
l nIQ1nQd m n
! told them all that merit, tried and
/ proved, was to be the only considera-
ton. Then when the first vacancy
| arose I appointed a special committee
of three chiefs of division to serve as
| select committee on promotions in that
/ one instance.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT
'"Those gentlemen acted exactly ac-
| cording to my instructions. They sent
! me list of men from whom could
choose. Every man on that list was Of
the highest possible grade. good
| many were Democrats You see the
Democrat feels that when head-lopping
is to be done his head will be the first
to go. So he has two incentives to be-
come one of the best clerks in the office.
Well, about half the number returned
on this list were Democrats. One of
them was an ex-confederate soldier.
called the committee together and ask
ed them what they meant by recon-
| mending an ex-confederate for promo
ton here in the office. told them
might have to explain that to the coun-
try if the promotion should be made.
| And those men replied to me that it
| was simply because any list of the most
efficient clerks in this office must in
clude that ex-confederate's name.
Il made the promotions with this help
from the select committee of division
chiefs. Then when I gave each man his
commission gave him a letter along
this line" The commissioner then hand
ed the reporter blank letter announc-
ing that the addressee had been pro-
NOTED from - grade to = grade. After
| that announcement came the following:
THE COMMISSIONERS LETTER.
This is to say to you that you do not
owe your promotion to political in
fiuence or to the commissioner or to
your friends. You were promoted sole
ly on account of merit, and hope that
continue the course which gave you this
promotion"
The commissioner then went on to
explain the various markings given his
clerks. They are divided, he said, into
classes of poor, fair, good, very good
and excellent" according to their in
dustry, accuracy and general efficiency
By directing the division chief to make
the promotion he made the division chief
responsible. and he did not fear the re-
suit.
"Of course can't tell whether shall
be permitted to go on with my plan. I
have superior officers, you know, and
the pressure for appointments on an
other basis may be too great to be re-
sisted But If can go on / shall base
my promotions in the bureau of PEN
sions entirely on merit and on nothing
else.'