Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-27
OFFICIALS IN ACCORD
Heartily Support the Civil
Service Commission.
MERIT SYSTEM GROWTH
EXTENSION OF THE SCOPE AND
NUMBER OF EXAMINATIONS
Observance Of the Law and the Rules
Pension List for Superan-
nuated Employees.
MERIT SYSTEM GROWTH

The civil service commission has trans
rritted to the President it's annual report
for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1903. Inc
report calls attention to the spirit of hearty
cooperation on the part of public officers
in the enforcement of the civil service law
and rules, and states that the advantages
of the merit system in promoting EMERGENCY
and economy in the service continue to pc
shown in official reports, indicating large
increases in the work of offices without
corresponding additions to the force OF
employees.
Before discussing the work of the year
the commission calls attention to the COM
plete change in it's organization since SUD-
hitting it's last annual report Commls-
sioners Garfield and Foulke resigned In
February and April, respectively, and Com
missioner Proctor died in December.
Among the more important topics touched
upon in the report are the revision OF the
rules in April last, the observance OF the
law and rules, statistics of examinations
and appointments, the consolidation OF
local boards Of examiners for certain DIS
tricts, the power of removal, ana super
annua ton in the service.
Revision of the Rules.
The more important features of the re-
vised rules adopted on April 10 last are
pointed out, including the broad definition
now given to the classified service In line
with the natural growth of the merit sys-
TEN, which began in 1883 with 1894 classi-
fed positions, and has been extended by
executive orders of classification untll ~
now covers approximately, 125,eoo po-
sitions. Under the new rules the classineo
service is defined so as to cover the entlre
executive civil service permitted to De
classified by the civil service act and the
orders of classification, and provision Is
made for exceptions from examinations Tor
positions for which an examination would
be either inappropriate or not required III
the interests of good administration.
Under the old rules all applicants were re-
auired to be citizens of the United states
but the revised rules provide for admls-
sion to examination of Filipnos and Porto
Ricans.
Provision is also made for transfers to
the home service from the Philippine serV-
ice after employment there of three years
more.
The commission reports continued I'M
proyement in the observance of the civil
service act and rules which is shown not
only in the marked decrease in the number
of complaints Of violations of the act, out
in the fact that but few complaints APP
peared to be well founded, while the num-
Der of serious offenses have been materially
reduced.
The Indicted Employees.
In referring to the inquiry into the bust
ness of the Post Office Department the
commission remarks:
"As result of the investigation into the
conduct of business in the Post Office De-
partment, made under the supervision Of
the fourth assistant postmaster general,
number of officers and employees of that de-
partment have been indicted. An Inspection
of the commissions records SHOWS that
none of those indicted entered the service
through competitive examination This
should be gratifying to the advocates OF
the merit system, who hold that employees
secured through fair, open competition are
more likely to have a greater degree of in
tegrity as well as efficiency than employees
appointed under the patronage system"