Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-07

tdiTOdu culplOyeeS anu Tee VraVeuuR
public. As the greater pMrt Of COM
merce is interstate and exclusively un-
der the control of the congress the
needed safety and uniformity must be
secured by national legislation.
No other class Of our citizens de-
serves so well of the nation as those
to whom the nation owes its very being.
the veterans of the civil war. Special
attention is asked to the excellent work
Of the pension bureau in expediting and
dispOsing Of pension claims During
the fiscal year ending July l. 1903. the
bureau settled 2Jl. .9S2 claims. an aver
age Of S25 claims for each working day
Of the year. The number of settlements
since July I. 1903. has been in excess
OF last years average. approaching
1000 claims for each working day. and
1t Is believed that the work Of the b,,-
reau will be current at the close Of the
present fiscal year
Extension Of Civil Service Rules.
During the year ended Ju.a 80 last
25.56o persons were appoint,e a roug..
civil service rules. This was lo.G7o
more than during the preceding year
and 40 per cent Of those who passed
the examinations. This abnormal
growth was largely Occasioned by the
extension Of classification to the rural
free delivery service and the appoint
ment last year Of over 5000 rural car
A ~ t1, .:,,;l
rules took effect on April Is last which
has greatly improved their opera ton.
The completion Of the reform of the
civil service is recognized by good citi-
xens everywhere as matter of the
highest public Importance. and the sue
cess of the merit system largely de-
pends upon the effectiveness of the
rules and the machinery provided for
their enforcement A very gratifying
spirit Of friendly cooperation exists in
all the departments of the government
In the enforcement and uniform OBJ
servance of both the letter and spirit
Of the civil service act. Executive or
ders Of July g. 1902; March %. 1903.
and July 8. 1903. require that appoint
ments of all unclassfied laborers. both
In the departments at Washington and
In the field service. shall be made with
the assistance Of the United States
civil service commission under sys-
tenn Of registration to test the relative
fitness of applicants for appointment
or employment This system is COM
petitive and is open to all citizens of
the United States qualified in respect
to age, physical ability. moral char
acter, industry and adaptability for
manual labor. except that in case Of
veterans Of the civil war the element Of
age is omitted. This system of ap-
pOintment is distinct from the classified
service and does not classify positions
of mere laborer under the civil service
act and rules Regulations in aid there
Of have been put In operation in sew
eral of the departments and are being
gradually extended in other parts of
the service. The results have been very
satisfactory. as extravaganza has been
checked by decreasing the number Of
unnecessary positions and by increas-
ing the efficiency Of the employees re-
naming.
District Of Columbia Charities.
The congress as the result of thor
0ugh investigation Of the charities and
reformatory institutions in the District
of Columbia. by a joint select commit
tee Of the two houses which made its
report in March. 1885, created in the
act approved June 9. 1900. board Of
charities for the District of Columbia,
to consist of five residents Of the Dis
trict. appointed by the president of the
United States, by and with the advice
and consent Of the senate. each for a
term Of three years. to serve without
compensation. President Mckinley ap-
pointed five men who had been active
and prominent in the public charities
of Washington, all of whom upon TAX
ing Office July l, 1900. resigned from
the different charities with which they
had been connected. The members of
the board have been reappointed in sue
cessive years. The board serves under
the commissioners Of the District of
Columbia. The board gave its first
year to careful and impartial study
of the special problems before it and
has continued that study every year
In the light of the best practice in pub
lie charities elsewhere. Its recon-
mendations in its annual reports to the
congress through the commissioners of
the District Of Columbia "for the eco
nomical and efficient administration of
the charities and reformatories of the
District of Columbia" as required by
the act creating it, have been based
upon the principles commended by the
joint select committee of the congress
in its report Of March. 1898. and ap-
proved by the best administrators of
public charities and make for the de-
sired systematizatiOn and improve
ment Of the affairs under it's super
vision. They are worthy of favorable
consideration by the congress.
The Army.
The effect of the laws providing a
general staff for the army and for the
more effective use Of the national guard
hn hoo l<.,,N