The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-11
CORRECTED BY FOULKE
AN EDITORS MEASUREMENTS RE
GARDING THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Competitive System Has Advanced
with Great Rapidity Under
President Roosevelt.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

some very strong editorial charges against
the enforcement OF the civil-service laws
by the present commission. The editorial
was brought to the attention Of William
Dudley Foulke, civil-service commissioner.
who gave the specifications close atten-
ton and then sent the following reply to
the editor Of the Herald.
THE article in your issue Of May 2. en-
titled Evading Civil-service Rules has
just come TO my notice. In 1t occur the
following general statements:
"First-That President Roosevelt has or
dered more places taken out Of the classi-
fed service during his short term than
President Mckinley did in his term Of five
''Second-That the records Of the COM
mission show a surprisingly large number
of exceptions that have been ordered in the
"Third-That some OF the positions thus
hlled have been restored to the protection
OF the civil-servics rules Immediately after
the appointment OF the individual for
whom the exception was made.
"F~Ourth-That there have been three
times as many appointments under Presi-
dent Roosevelt as under President Mck1n-
ley by virtue OF the rule excepting men
from examination in cases where extraOr-
binary, special or technical qualifications
'F1fth-That there have been a large and
unknown number Of places filed without
examination under the rule allowing tenn
work.
~"Sixth-That there is little to boast Of
In the way of additions tending to
strengthen the civil-service rules.
THE celebrated definition of the crab, "a
small. red fish that walks backward Ca
was not red, not a fish and did not walk
b~ackward), was accuracy itself by the side
Of your allegations, for in your case not a
single one of the above statements Is cor
rect.
I'm the first place. the President has not
ordered a single place taken out of the
aTanuFGn1 uarrfoa IL knn u-aofn11u ~
cepted ten persons only from the require
ment Of examination rather insignificant
number, when compared to the $4,000 or
more places in the classified service. 1
should think that such of these cases as
you refer tO-the steward of the White
House, a cOachman in the Navy Depart
ment, etc.-might pass on their face with
out adverse criticism. In none of these
cases did the position revert to the CLASH
fed service in the way you speak of, for
II had never been taken out; the person
was excepted, and not the position. This
has been found by experience to be much
the better plan. If, for instance, the posi-
tiOn of cOachman had been excepted gen.
orally. and not the particular man ap-
pointed TO fill an existing vacancy, it would
be found that the number of coachmen
would suddenly Increase, and many excep-
tions would creep in in place of one. The
plan OF making specific exceptions OF indl-
Viduals to I'LL existing vacancies rather
than exceptions of places was adopted in
the British civil service, where it was
found 10 be preferable. The commission
"a always QIGAEAAGu NAAo ELIOu DIS
shown in it's previous reports, and Presi-
dent Roosevelt himself took the same
ground when he was one Of the commits
sioners.
The particular case OF assistant commits
siOner of immigration was the result of
serious dissensions and grave IRREGULAR
was deemed best TO fill the three most i'm
portant places with entirely new men,
rather than by promotion, as would have
20 be done if the new assistant commits
siOner were to be appointed under the
rules L am unable to say, and L do not
believe you can tntelligently say, that this
decision was unwise.
You speak of other instances of APP
pointments 10 office without examination.
under Clause G, Section 8 of Rule 4, which
provides for an exception If the position to
be filled requires such peculiar qualifca-
tons or such scientific or special attain
ments as are not ordinarily acquired in
the executive service; and you say that
three times as many appointments have
been made under this clause by the present
administration as under the administration
OF the late President. This is incorrect. In
point Of fact, very few such appointments
Under President Mckinley only twenty
one were thus appointed, and under Presi-
dent Roosevelt only five.
You say that this provision has been
taken advantage of in a great many cases
recently. and that one instance is recorded
by which a messenger entered the pay roll
A dOOrkeeper at the White House was so
appointed, but l think you will realize that
where the life of the President may be at
stake ii Is important TO have a doOrkeeper
who Is skillful in discriminating between
the reputable citizen and the crook or
Anarchist. and that extraordinary qualif-
cations are required for this task. We had
no person on any eligible list known to be
competent for this duty, and l for one was
only too glad TO except from examination a
man who. L believed, could properly per-
form il.
You further ~criticise the rule for the
employment of temporary appointees TO
GO a fRmDnFErW Inh This rfrIa Was nnSzaI
at the recommendation of the commission,
since 1t seemed absurd 10 go through the
delay of certifying from our eligible regis
tiers. perhaps from remote sections of the
country. persons who would be employed
ONLY for a few days or months and then
be discharged after their names had been
taken off our eligible lists. You saw the
Civil-service commissioners do not know
how many appointments are being made
under this provision, but it is thought they
are numerous This is also incorrect. The
number made during the three months of
February, March and April following the
adoption or this provision Is 1S3. OF which
twenty-one were for thirty days In the
Marine Hospital Service at places where
eligibles were not accessible; forty were in
the various pension agencies to prepare
quarterly accounts, and twenty-four in the
Government Printing Office, eleven being
for the remainder of the session of Con-
gresS, and the other thirteen for periods of
thirty days. This number is not excessively
large. the total OF all temporary appoint
ments during the same time being $40. 1t
IS believed that many Of the employment
for job work before the change in the rules
had not been previously reported to the
commission. as IL was not considered that
the men employed were in the regular serv-
ice of the government. The new rule has.
therefore, made an Improvement in this
respect.
You say. furthermore. that civil-service
supporters have had little TO boast Of in
the way OF additions to the existing rules
tending To strengthen them since the ad-
vent Of President Roosevelt TO the White
House. Let US see. President Roosevelt has
placed In the competitive service 1888 posi-
tons in the War Department, and over
5000 places in the rural free delivery serv-
Ice. He has amended the rules so as TO en-
power the commission to take testimony
In Its Investigations: to hold u the sal
aries OF persons illegally appointed; TO pre-
vent temporary appointments without eX-
animation when there are one or two eli
gtbles upon the list; 10 enable the duties of
Indian agent 10 be performed by Superin-
tendents appointed through the classified
service; 10 restrict transfers TO those places
where the duties are similar; TO prevent re-
instatements for the mere purpose of
transfer; 20 forbid transfers without ex-
animation from places which have just be-
come classified. and other rules of a SINH
lar character.
There has been no administration since
the adoption Of the civil-service law in
which the competitive system has advanced
with greater rapidity and certainty during
an equal period OF time than in the admin