Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-15
Chairman Proctor Reports on
Washington POstcffice,
PROMOTION BY FAyORlTIsM
Investigation shows Clearly that "os'
or the Irregularities Were directed
ny the Department.

Washington, June lS.-Chairmah
Proctor Of the civil service COMMISSION
today submitted to postmaster-Geheral
Payne the report made by the commas
sion at the request Of the postmaster
general With reference TO the charge vi
violation of the civil service regulations
IN the Washington postofloe. The IN
aulry included the following points
/. Whether all of the employees out
side the force Of carriers were resu-
larly in the service and entitled TO
their positions: 90, whether the ciVil
service rules had been observed IN the
employment and assignment OF LABOR
ers: and go, whether there had Deeil
general observance of the civil service
law and rules In the administration
Of the Washington postoiiice during
the lncumbency OF the present post
master. In addition to the report
proper and transcript Of the testi-
mony taken, Mr.. Proctor presented
summary Of the findings. This sum-
mary concludes as follows:
THE SUMMARY.
departure from the observance OF
the civil service rules appears in the
promotions Of certain employees In the
Washington postoffice which have been
directed by the department, although
reports of efficiency are neither re-
quested nor received by the depart
ment. A case In point is that of lady
who was nominally appointed IN
Morrlstown. N. j.. postotiice, but never
left the Washington postotiice; VINO
owed her appointment to the cassin-
cation transfer method; was promoted
from Sept j, 1900, TO July ], 1901, from
$500 to 1880 per annum by direction
of the department and Is doing the
work formerly done by an employe VINO
received compensation of only SlVoO
per annum.
The information disclosed by the IN
vestigation seems TO warrant the state
ment that appointments to classlleu
positions In the Washington postOflce
without examination, by the devious
method OF appointment In small un-
classified Offices or In offices about 10
be consolidated, and subsequent trans
fer and the appointments of those Ia
borers who were appointed and sep
arated during the administration OF
the present postmaster, show a wide
dyergency In policy from a strict re-
gard for the public interest and at
ford indications that the department
used the Washington postoffice for po-
Ntical and personal purposes to an ex-
tent which left the authority OF the
postmaster in transfer and appoint
ments of this sort but little more than
nominal and placed the office, In many
respects, In the relation OF bureau 10
the department.
WHERE BLAME LIES,
The investigation seems to show
clearly that most OF the Irregularities
herein set forth were directed by the
department or requested or suggested
by high departmental officials, and In
either case came TO the postmaster with
all the force of direction. With the
exception OF the appointment OF eight
laborers, afterwards separated. three
clerks appointed to offices about TO be
classified, and one employe appointed
In the Good Hope District Of Column
bla) postofiice Just before its cOnsolida-
ton, Il appears that Postmaster Merritt
did not initiate any OF these improper
appointments or assignments and his
responsibility for them appears TO be
secondary and dependent upon the ex-
tent to which subordinate is justified
In protesting against the orders or sug-
gestions OF his official superiors
The investigation indicates that the
employees who entered the service by
transfer and without examination, are,
In general, inferior TO those appointed
through competition. The lnvestiga-
ton by the commission shows that
many OF the persons who entered the
service by transfer had failed upon
competitive examination. were from
states which were In excess Of the
Rpportionmont, or had not passed with
sufficiently high grades to be reached
for appointment by the regular meth
DDS.
II r. the observation OF the commits
Sion that where n service or an office
remains unclasslfied there is always "A
tendency to increase the number Of
employees beyond the number actually
required for the transaction Of busl-
ness.
Among the employees In the depart
lnent or In the nostofiice service who
were brought into the classified serv-
ice within the last few years by classl-
hcation, having been appointed with
out examination under the rules. were
30 war emergency employees classl-
fed by the act OF April 2S, 1902. II made
permanent under paragraph II OF rule
VIII. and 33S classified In the rural
free delivery service on Nov q, 1901.
The total number OF employees in these
three classes who entered the servlc
upon considerations other than fitness
az Rsoertained by competitive examina-
tion, was $50.
NOT FOR GOOD OF THE SERVICE.
Nearly all of the clerks and messen-
gers IN the rural free delivery service
who were converted into the classified
service were In positions in Washing
ton, ID. G. One hundred and thirty
three Of them were appointed prior 10
July |, 1901; 20 were appointed In the
four months preceding the classinoa-
lion, and IS were appointed In the s6
days preceding classification How
many Of these were appointed for rea-
SONS other than the needs Of the SER
vice. Il IL. Of course, impossible for the
commission TO determine, but that the
service was packed With ,emplOyes In
the interest Of individuals is indicated
by the fact that the number OF APP
p0intmcnts. IN the month OF classlfca-
tion was more than twice as great as
for the preceding four months. This
assumption is strongly supported by
the fact that during the entire Is
months that this service has been clas-
slhed there have been IL persons se-
lected for appointments to positions
within the District Of Columbia. as
against IS clerks and messengers APP
pointed during the 96 days preceding
The classification
There was no necessity Of antlci-
pating the needs OF the service by an
excessive number OF appointments Just
before classification. for the commits.
sor had registers Of ellgibles at that
time which were ample and also APP
propriato as Is shown by the fact that
an but four Of the 81 appointments
which have been made TO the rural