Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-13
IS SEVERE

IIUUILI ~ ULILiII
Continued from First Page.)
pears that Postmaster Merritt did not ini-
tiate any of these improper appointments
or assignments, and his responsibility LOT
them appears to be secondary and depend
ent upon the extent to which subordinate
is justified in protesting against the ORDERS
or suggestions of his official superlors.
Done by Transfer.
1.-THE investigation indicates that the en-
ployes who entered the service by transfer
and without examination are, In general,
inferior to those appointed through compe-
tition. The investigation made by the COM
mission shows that many of the persons who
entered the service by transfer had failed
upon competitive examination or were from
states which were In excess of the appor-
tionment, or had not passed with sufh-
GENTLY high grades to be reached for ap-
pointment by the regular methods.
1t Is the observation of the commission
that where a service or office remains
unclassihed there is always tendency to
Increase the number of employees beyond
the number actually required for the trans
action of business.
Among the employees in the department
or In the post office service who were
brought in to the classified service within
the last few years by classification. having
been appointed without examination under
the rules, were thirty war emergency en-
ployes, classified by the act of April 2s
1902; twelve made permanent under para
graph II of rule y. and 33S classified In the
rural free delivery service on November
q, 1901. The total number of employees
In these three classes who entered the
service upon considerations other than fit
ness ascertained by competitive exami
nation was $50.
Service Was "Packed."
Nearly all of the clerks and messengers
in the rural free delivery service who were
covered into the classified service were In
positions in Washington. D. c. One hun
dred and thirty-three of them were APP
pointed prior to July 1, 1901; twenty-six
were appointed in the four months i'm
mediately preceding the classification. and
fifty-six were appointed in the twenty-six
days preceding classification. How many
of these were appointed for reasons other
than the needs of the service 1t Is, of
course. impossible for the commission to
determine, but that the service was packed
with employees in the interests of the indi-
vidual, is indicated by the fact that the
rumber of appointments in the month Of
the classification was more than twice as
great as for the preceding four months.
7 his assumption is strongly supported by
the fact that during the entire eighteen
months that this service has, been CLASH
fled there have been seventeen persons Sc
lected for appointed to positions within
the District of Columbia, as against fifty
six clerks and messengers appointed during
the twenty-six days preceding the classif-
cation.
There was no necessity of anticipating
the needs of the service by an excessive
number of appointments just before CLASH
hcation. for the commission had registers
of eligibles at that time which were ample.
and also appropriate. as Is shown by the
fact that all but four of the thirty-seven
Ofnfr ants vyhf oh haan do 10
the rural free delivery service in the Dis
trict of Columbia and outside since Novem-
Der 81. 1901, were from registers then in
existence.
THE appointments made under the cir
cumstances above set forth resulted in
a congestion of the service. and when
reduction is to be made the employees ap-
pointed for political or personal considera-
tons are cared for. sometimes at the ex-
pense of persons appointed upon merit and
without influence. In relieving the branches
of the service thus crowded with employees.
transfers are made to other parts of the
service. to the injury of eligibles in line for
appointment by reason of their ascertained
fitness
THE passing of the war emergency the
amendment on December IL. 1901, of the
rule relating to transfers. and the new pro-
visions of the revised rules which became
effective on April 10, 1903. will. 1t Is be-
Ueyed prevent the continuance of these
abuses in the classified service; and the
adoption. at the earliest practicable date, of
regulations for the employment of Iaborers
in the Washington post office, In accordance
with the executive order of March 20, 1903
Will. there is reason to hope, put the en-
ployment of laborers on the basis of fitness
and the needs of the service"
In answer to the first question whether
all of the employees outside the force of
carriers were regularly in the service and
entitled to their positions Mr.. Proctor says
the report shows that appointments to
competitive classified positions in the
Washington post Office during the admins
tration of Postmaster Merritt have been
made in close conformity with the spirit
and letter of the civil service rules. except
when transfers from outside offices of per-
sons appointed for the purpose of classif-
cation. and improper assignments of la
borers to classified duties. have interfered
with the proper method of appointment.
Appointment and Transfer.
In 1897 practice was adopted by the
Post Office Department. and continued for
the purpose and with the effect of evading
the requirement of the civil service law and
rules that appointments to classified po-
sitlons shall be based upon competitive
examination. The method employed was
to appoint persons to unclassified post Of
fees shortly before the classification of
those offices by the establishment of the
free delivery service and to transfer to
other offices and departments the persons
80 appointed shortly after their classical
tion-the effect of the combined appoint
ment and transfer being to admit the per-
sons designated to positions which should
have been filed by open competitive exami-
nation. The number of persons thus
tering classified positions by appointments
in smaller offices and subsequent transfers
Increased from two in 1897 to twenty-five in
1898, twenty eight in 1899 and reaching the
maximum number of SiXty-one In 1900 and
decreasing to fifteen in 1901, eight In 1902
and two in 1903. The last ten were APP
pointed six months prior to classification.
The total number of such appointments
and transfers was 13S.
The commission. on February o. 1885,
called the attention of the department to
the evil which would result, and requested
that the practice be discontinued
Promise of the Department.
The first assistant postmaster general. on
February 10, 1898, replied in a letter, in
part as follows:
II have to say that. In compliance with
your suggestion. 1t is the purpose of the
department In the future to confine appoint
ments of persons at post offices where the
establishment of free delivery is contem-
plated to a period of not less than six