The Washington times., 1903-07-27
Singing Reply to ex-POst-
master Generals Letter.
CIVIL SERVICE LAW BROKEN
Commissioner Says Postoffice Rolls
Were Loaded Down With I'm
authorized Appointments.

replies not apt to AFFORD him pleasant
summer reading. On July 90 Mr.. Smith
gave to the public a letter telling how
his administration OF the PostofTice De-
partment had been hampered by the in
reference of the commission and how
the commission had misstated the coE-
dition of affairs as found
President John R. Proctor, Of the
commission. has now replied to that
effusion of Mr.. Smith. and in writing
the reply he has not hesitated to cali a
spade a spade. Mr.. Proctor begins by
saying that while MIR. Smith denies the
relevancy of a portion Of the commits
sion's letter on Postofnce conditions dur
ing Mr.. Smiths term OF Office the essen
tial statements in the letter have never
been denied, and as those statements
accused the then Postmaster General OF
divers offenses against the civil service
law, MIR. Proctor appears to think that
it would have been well for Mr.. Smith
to show wherein the report was wrong.
Washington Office Handicapped.
Mr. Smith wrote that one-third OF the
commissions letter concerned matters
in the Washington postofice, that the
Washington postmaster should answer
that part. and that it was irrelevant
when addressed to him. Mr.. Proctor re-
plies that the investigation shows the
Washington postoaice to have been made
a bureau of the department and the
Washington postmaster TO have been
handicapped by having employees forced
upon him when he did not want them
and had not requested their services.
1t was the department and not the law
which placed eighteen residents of Wash
ington and vicinity on the rolls of un-
classified Offices in different parts OF
the country so that they could shortly
get good positions In the department by
means OF the creased route" through
the classification OF the offices. The ap-
p0intments were made especially for the
purpose OF procuring good positions for
the people appinted and the effect was
10 nullify the civil service law.
'Greased Route" Made Greasier.
Mr.. Smith admitted that before he be-
came Postmaster General some of the
creased route" appointments were
made and that during his term the prac,
tice continued in limited degree. The
records OF the commission show that
four such appointments were made DUR
ing the latter part of 1897 and the early
part of 1898, prior to the appointment of
Mr.. Smith, and 124 were made during his
incumbency as Postmaster General. Mr..
Smith wrote there was no rule which
forbade the appointment of employees to
- hA- -.
showing that he had not remembered
section of civil service rule 2, which
forbids the classification of an employe
} in an unclassifed Office unless he has
actually served there sixty days OF re-
eeive6 his place through competitive ex-
animation.
Mr.. Smith complained that letter he
wrote in 1900 in which he agreed that in
the future appointments should be made
only according to the rules, was never
answered. Mr.. Proctor points out that
the letter was published in full in the
commissions report OF 1901, with the
statement that since it's receipt but one
creased route" case had occurred Then
adds Mr.. Proctor:
The letter OF December %, 1900. was
a declaration of intention on the part
of the department to observe the intent
OF the law. after six written appeals
from the commission, ranging from May
&c 1898. TO May "a. 1900, two references
OF the matter to the President, and the
appointment and transfer of 124 en-
plcyes by the Objectionable method"
Time for a Smile.
Mr. Smith resented the charge that the
rural free delivery service was packed
with unnecessary employees because
bfty-six appointments were made in the
twenty-six days before its classification
on November q. 1901, yet between that
date and May, 1903. only seventeen other
appointments we're necessary, although
the appropriation was doubled. Mr..
Proctor Gays the Smith charge that he
was unreasonable in framing rules for
the appointment OF rural free delivery
carriers is enough 20 cause those who
know to smile. for II is well known that
the work OF framing the rule was dele
gated to Commissioner Foulke by the
other commissioners and there was
never any disagreement among the Com
missioners
to the letter OF Mr.. Smith is a reply
to an editorial which appeared In the
philadelphia Press OF which Mr.
Smith is editor, making an attack on
Mr.. Proctor. The editorial stated thai
the department was compelled to make
696 appointments outside OF the eligible
list In year and a half Mr.. Proc
ter explains that this came about
through the refusal OF the department
20 make selections from registers con-
toining less than three names and 10
the refusal to accept persons who lived
outside OF the delivery district Many
postmasters sought TO avoid making Sc
lections from the registers and we're
sustained BY the department
Mr.. Proctor concludes by declaring
absolutely untrue the charge that he
tried TO get his own relatives into the
CLASSIFIED service. An investigation OF
the charge showed that IL arose from
the fact that Mr.. Proctor asked the ap-
pointment clerk OF one of the depart
ments TO change the assignment OF
newly appointed messenger from a dis
tant post IN the South to one nearer
Washington. as the young man was so
poor that he did not have the railroad