The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-03

Place church has greeted each member
of his congregation at the beginning of
the New Year by sending out cards
through the medium of the women's
committee. Sections were assigned to
each member and in this way the entire
parish was covered on New Years day.
The greetings are in booklet form,
the cover inscription done in gilt, read
ing Your Pastors New Years Greet
ing, 1907 Below is an appropriate
quotation of scripture. On the inside is
a picture of the one whose birth has
been celebrated the past week, with a
personal letter from the pastor. On the
last page is a list of good resolutions to
make for the coming year.
NEED FOR CONSULAR REFORM.
Consular reform is subject which
has been long before the people, and
has received a vast deal of commenda~
ton and advocacy first and last, but it
seems to make little real progress. The
whole commercial body interested in
foreign trade is strongly in favor Of it
theoretically. Perhaps most of those
composing this body are in favor of it
chants are politicians and would be
strongly tempted to let reform slide il
they had son or nephew for whom
consulship was desired. The reform of
the consular service implies appoint
ment in the first place for ascertained
qualifications, ascertained by a COM
petitive examination, the purpose be-
ing to get in every case the best
=
must be understood that the consurs
tenure in service does not at all de-
pend on his political opinions, nor up
on the influence of political friends, but
upon the intelligence and efficiency Of
his performance of duty. Consuls 50
appointed do not begin their service in
the most profitable places, but in in
ferior places, and are advanced by pro-
4 motion according to merit. In this
way the nation could build up a SER
vice of the greatest usefulness to our
commercial prosperity and of high hon.
or to the national name.
All this Is admitted by those who
are deeply concerned in promoting our
commerce abroad The persons who do
not acknowledge 1t are the politicians
who desire to retain consulships as Of
fees of patronage, places which Sem
ators and Representatives and bosses
may control the disposition of in their
own interest. At this time two bills,
both excellent ones, are before Con-
gress for the improvement of the con-
sular service, one of them having been
introduced by Senator Lodge and one
by Representative Burton Of Ohio.
Both Of them provide the essential con-
ditiOn of appointment by competitive
examination instead Of by what is call
ed a pass examination. They provide
for appointment to a grade in the con-
sular service, not to q particular place,
! Advance from one grade to a higher
grade would be by promotion. Provis-
ion is made also for the transfer Of
consular officers from one place to an
other, or to and from State Depart
ment service. In short, both schemes
contemplate the acquisition of a COM
petent body of able and trained experts
in consular duties who will be able to
render the best service to the nation as
) it's business agents.
l We doubt that either bill will become
} law, simply because it would have
the effect to remove the consular ser
range Of offices that are accounted
partisan spoils 1t is still true that the
average Senator and represent ative
holds that the person whom he wishes
to have appointed to any office is not
only fit, but fittest, and that a require
ment that his superior fitness be
demonstrated in a competitive examin-
alton is hardly better than an insult to
the person who recommends him. A
pass examination, and nothing more,
would be consented to. The theory of
the pass examination Is that it ascer-
tains that a candidate knows enough
to receive the appointment The prae-
tice under pass examinations is that no
candidate who Is backed by powerful
influence fails to pass. Perhaps it
might discover whether candidate
was in fact imbecile or grossly Of
fensve; but he would be a bold bu-
" reau official who should report him in
competnet when a Senator who was
under obligation to the candidate S
father for political service declared that
, he was an intelligent and refined gen
= t1eman, capable of performing the du-
ties of any office he aspired to hold.
The argument that is ostensibly urg.
ed against these bills is that they are
unconstitutional, inagmuch as they
! limit and restrict the Presidents pow
er Of selection in making nominations
The argument in substance, has been
- made a bughear in all debates on civil
3 service reform. The courts, we believe,
e have never shown much consideration
- for such constitutional doctrine. It
serves as a cover for the real motives
| of the opponents of consular reform.
= In respecting their merits. and that the
l. two, three, or four who attain the high
est record in such inquisition shall be
:. certified to him, and from that number
e he can make a nomination. President
c Roosevelt in his message commended
to the favorable action of Congress
r this subject Of consular reform already
g before it. He is a believer in the ad-
), vantage of competitive examinations
|. for trying the merits of applicants for
:, places of this character requiring sre-
= cial knowledge and experiences.
Of course, there is a chance that tn
s. spols-loving Senators would refuse to
h confirm any appointment not suggest