The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-14

were assigned to classified work with
the knowledge and consent of the Post
| office Department.
1T appears from the testimony OF the
postmaster that he protested against
this practice; that in the cases of sew
eral of these appointees there was no
necessity for their services; that per-
sons appointed under the designation of
laborer and assigned to classified work
were inferior to those selected from the
eligible registers of the commission; and
that equal efficiency would have been
| secured, with much greater economy,
had the department left the personnel
of :he force to his own selection
Specific Instances.
'Oliver H Smith, now on the rolls
of the office under the designation of
finance clerk, is engaged mainly IN the
supervision of the laboring force, and
has never been regularly and actually
assigned to act as auditor, such assign
ment being one of the conditions neces-
sary to the exception of the position CT
finance clerk from the requirement Of
examination. 1t appears that Mr.. Smith
should be actually assigned to the du-
ties of auditor, or be separated from
the service.
"a lady was nominally appointed in
the Moorestown, N J., postoffice, but
never left the Washington postoffice.
'She owed her appointment to the
classification transfer method, was pro-
NOTED from September 1, 1900, to July l,
1901, from $500 to $1,000 per annum by
direction of the department. and is do
ing the work formerly done by an en-
ploye who received a compensation of
81, 600 per annum.
In Interest of Individuals.
Nearly all Of the clerks and mes
sengers in the rural free delivery serv-
ice Who were covered into the CLASH
fed service were in positions in Wash
ington, D. C. One hundred and thirty
six Of them were appointed prior
to July /, 1901; twenty-six were ap-
pointed in the four months Immediately
preceding the classification, and fifty-six
HSIS dppclHlSO III Tue twenty SIX OdyS
preceding classification.
'How many of these were appointed
the service it is, of course, impossible
for the Commission to determine; but
that the service was packed with en-
ployes in the interests of the individ-
ual is indicated by the fact that the
number of appointments in the month
of the classification was more than
twice as great as for the preceding
four months. This assumption is
strongly supported by the fact that
during the entire eighteen months that
this service has been classified there
have been seventeen persons selected
for appointment to positions within
the District of Columbia, as against
ffty-six clerks and messengers ap-
pointed during the twenty six days
preceding the classification
Anticipated Needs of Service.
There was no necessity of anticipat-
les the needs of the service by an cx-
cessive number of appointments just
before classification. for the ColnnGiG-
sion had registers % cligibles at that
time which were ample, and also ap-
propriate, as is shown by The fact that
all but four of the thirty-seven ap-
pointments. which have been made TO
rural free delivery service in the Dis
trict of Columbia and outside since No
vember q, 1901, were from registers
then in existence.
"The appointments made under the
circumstances above set forth resulted
in congestion of the service, and
when a reduction is to be made the
employees appointed for political or
personal considerations are cared for.
sometimes at the expense of persons
appointed upon merit and without in
fuence. In relieving the branches of
the service thus crowded with en-
ployes, transfers are made to other
parts of the service, to the injury of
elgibles in line for appointment by
reason of their ascertained fitness.