The San Francisco call., 1904-04-18

became President, it was deemed un-
necessary in these cases to require
competitive examination. These cases
form less than 1-20 of / per cent of
one of the appointments. They COM
prise, for instance, a steward in the
White House, a coachman in the Navy
Department, two special agents in the
Bureau of Corporations. the superin-
tendent of the Government Hospital
for the Insane and other cases. where,
on account Of special reasons, the ap-
plication was considered imprac-
ticable. unwise and unjust or unneces-
sary. These cases are explained in de-
tail in the annual reports of the Civil
Service Commission. They were usual
ly made on the recommendation of a
Cabinet officer and with the approval
of the commission. In all of these
cases the person was excepted and not
the position. This has been found by
experience to be a much better plan.
The statement of Representative Hay
that during the administration Of
Presidents Cleveland and Harrison
there were no suspensions Of the rules
and only three during the administra-
ton Of Mckinley. while in Roosevelt's
administra ton there have been sixty,
leads to a most erroneous inference.
Inder previous administrations ex-
ceptions were not usually made by
means Of suspensions Of the rules. but
by means of changes in the rules, thus
excepting certain classes of positions
from competitive examination. From
time to time Presidents Cleveland
Harrison and Mckinley excepted from
competition hundreds of positions
which had been competitive. On one
occasion alone MAY 29, 1899 S047 such
places were excepted. But these ex-
ceptiOns were not in the main in the
form Of suspensions Of the rules"
which were the only matters called for
by the House resolution. President
Roosevelt, however. made them in the
form Of such suspensions for the ex-
press purpose of limiting their num-
ber.
Moreover. prior to April Is. 1903.
there was a provision allowing
anDointments without examination
where the position to be filled
required such peculiar qualifications
in respect to knowledge and ability. or
such scientific or special attainments,
wholly or in part professional or tech
nical, as are not ordinarily acquired in
the executive service of the United
States Under this provision President
Mckinley made 21 appointments and
President Roosevelt only five Instead
Of making appointments of this kind
under a general rule President Roose-
welt preferred to deal with each case
separately by a suspension of the rules.
During the last year 1858 more ap-
pointments were made through COM
petitive examination than in the prev
ious year and 3007 more appointments
were made in that year than in the
year before. Under President Roose-
welt about 10000 positions have been
added 10 the classified service.
Heretofore extensions of the classi-
fed service have usually taken place
near the close of an administration
and the exceptions made soon after the
new administration commenced. But
President Roosevelt at the very be-
ginnine Of his administration began to
extend the number of competitive posi-
tions and to strengthen the rules He
also dealt out summary justice to Of
tenders. several Of whom held positions
in his own party"