New-York tribune., 1903-06-14

t ~ tbe irregularities herein set forth were dl,
re sisb departmentEi cias and in either case
came the postmaster with al me n0nintnent n0c
of eight laborers afterward separated three ce one ne
appointed to Offices about to be @ Glassi1ea me- post
once lust before sts consolidation. it appears tnat
1,roner appointments OF assignments and his re-
sposibiity for them appears to De coSorStnate
is lstiied protesting against the orders OF sus
% estsa9inn %e ne indicates that the employees
who entered the service by transler 20 those -
ehailliacn ,,,Ie con,5etition The investigations
Insde by the commission show thst AT 1anssfsr had
failed upon competitive exarliilst ston,1eyf
sates when aStdS WsIS With sncienty high grades to
he reached for appointment oE INC
n is the observation OF the commission 3nS5
where service or an Office reLnalls mans the num-
Der Of employees beyond the number actu'iiy t
60 the empl0ves in the department or in the
,,oetof5ee service who were brought into the cass
iaed service within the last few years by
under the rules. were thirty Wal nS Loo T,xeIye
made I,ermanent under Paragraph Il of Rule VII;
ano an cyosr SoS - 1901 The total number Of en-
,o,es in these three classes who entered the ser
ce-faiTed by competitive examination was 80
Nearly ali Of the clerks and messeneTts sd - nIo
the classified service were in POSITIONS IN !" 4t,
ton d c. One hundred ana thf yao1 +Tyentxsx
rere appointed in the four months immediately
preceding the classification. and hity-sN were aP
1oontca In the twenty-six days preceding cassilca
Iion How many Of these were appointed ioI req
course. impcssibe for the commission, to deter
mine. but that the service was haSkeG ~5 H6icsted
ployes in the interests OF - -e1te in
hy the fact that the number OF appolntllen. = IN III
the month Of the classification was more , thah
rw-ioe as great as for the preceding four Inohtho
This assunuticn is strongly supported py tfe IaSt
service has been classified there have been seven
persons selected for appointment 70 .sft
irf II %
six clerks and messengers ap2l,l1eg Ii uGlrtis ~
There was no necessity Of anticipating the needs
of the service by an excessive number OF appoint
1nents Just before classification. for the commlS.
were ample. and also appropriate fs Is en ~ ~
the fact that all but four OF me thlTty ~ ~
rotntments which have been made TO the rural nee n
outside since November e. 1901. were from registers
The appointments under the circumstances above
sci forth resulted in 4 congestion of the service.
ana when reduction is TO be made the eInpio!es
are cared for. sometimes at the expense or per
In relfsTing tie branches Of the service Ihus crowd
cd with employees. transfers are mace 70 elheF
parts Of the service to the injury OF eigibies IN
line for appointment by of their ascerained
ftress- -, a
1nent On December IL 1901 of the rule relating to
Tes 1T5 Which 3na Became ape @ eectre on April l5 1905 will
II is believed. prevent the continuance h as mes
at tho earliest practicable date OF regulations for
tho employment of laborers IN the Nashihgton ION
Of March as 1903 viii. there is reason to hope: put
she employment of laborers the basis OF fitness
and the needs Of the service
The investigation was made in response to
the following letter. dated May 1, from the Post
master General TO the commission:
I should be pleased If you would have one Of your
examiners detailed TO make an inVestlgauon OF lne
tanning whether or not the civil Service law and
regulations have been and are being complied with
in the administration Of shat Office.
Mr. Proctor was in conference with Postmaster
General Payne for hour to-day regarding
the report Later Mr.. Proctor said TO news
paper men that in all his experience with the
postoffce he had less trouble since Mr.. Payne's
incurnbency than at any ether time The Post
master General gave out the following state
lnent regarding the report
Attention IS called to the fact that since my in;
,rlInbnncy of the position of Postmaster GeneIai
Civil Service Commission report that mere nave
been hut persons transferred TO the WASHINGTON
CITY postofice by appointment from smaller otces,
and that these ten appointed to their respec-
tive places months prior to their trans,
fer which is in compliance with the law, rules and
regulations OF the Civil Service as they now exist
1t viii be noted that the commission report that
every person occupying competitive classified
place in the Washington postofce is there by right
of certificate regularly issued by the Civil Service
Regarding unskiIled laborers. which have not been
subject 10 classification IL is proper to say that
there has been much consideration OF this question
part Of the Civil Service Commission ana the
department and many conferences have been had
on this subject. On July 2 1902. an agreement was
reached and regulations adopteS = Hh were agreed
10 ry the Civil Service Conrniss;C and the depart
Inent which will DO away with all cause for COM
plants TO Irregularities in the appointment OF
The point raised by the report regarding the pro-
motion Of certain employees in the Office which have
directed by the department occurred previous
ton referred 10 have been authorized by me
since have been Postmaster General