Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-18

of occasional exceptions to the civil service
rules with the provision that the reasons
for these shall be stated in the annual re-
ports of the commission. In former admin
istrations the exceptions made were of
general nature and admitted whole classes,
where the necessity existed only with re-
spect to individuals. Under the present ad-
ministration practically such large ex-
ceptionS have been made. and the funda-
mental principles laid down in the civil
service act have been uniformly applied
Under the old rules provision was made
for dispensing with examinations for posi-
lions requiring such peculiar qualifications,
professional or scientific. as are not ordf-
narily acquired in the civil service. This
enabled appointing officers to raise the plea
that certain favorites should be selected on
account of alleged special qualifications.
There have, for example, been instances of
typewriters being admitted to the service
without examination, under this clause In
the rules Under no former administration
has the civil service commission had such
vigorous support in the enforcement of the
law and rules, both from the President and
his cabinet. A spirit of cooperation toward
the civil service commission exists today
throughout the service which had been
largely lacking under previous administra-
tons. Mr.. Doyle, who has been secretary
Of the commission eighteen years, recently
made a somewhat extended trip on official
business. On his return he reported that
the most noticeable and gratifying evidence
attitude of the postmasters and collectors
toward the civil service act and rules. That
in itself we count no small achievement.
No Criticism Before Campaign Opened.
mo criticisms were made of our work. or
the attitude of the President toward 1t, until
the exigencies of the campaign seemed to
demand 1t. The Civil Service Reform
League, in the report of the council made
at Philadelphia on December II, 1902 de-
clared that:
" The leagues standard Of duty for the
discharge of public trusts is so high that
its attitude should be- and will be- while
it continues animated by the spirit which
caused its formation, always rather critical
than laudatory toward those actually full
filing trusts
1T may well be the proud boast of the
league that 1t has not abandoned that STAN
dard. In spite of this fact, up to the pres
ent time no criticism has been made in the
resolutions adopted at the annual meeting
of the league, either of President Roosevelt
or OF his commissioners, for alleged failure
to properly enforce the law or the rules or
to properly represent the civil service re-
form sentiment Of the country. I quote
from the resolutions adopted at the annual
meeting of the league, held in Philadelphia
on the 18th and 18th days Of December
1902, as follows:
The National Civil Service Reform
League, assembled in Philadelphia in this
Its twenty-second annual meeting:
i. Congratulates the high character and
ability of the national civil service COM
mission:
On the regulation of the labor service
of the federal departments in Washington
by the adoption of the registration system:
On the closing of the many backdoor en-
frances to the classified service by wise
amendments to the civil service rules:
On the successful extension of classical
ton to the rural free delivery service, now
Including 11300 officials.
ON the adOptiOn of the pO1icv Of IN,
ing fourth-class postmasters during good
behavior.
On the enforcement of the law by the
administration through separation from the
service of officials violating it's provisions
On the extension of the competitive sys-
tenn TO a part OF the municipal service of
the District of Columbia.
On the adoption and successful opera
ton of the merit system in the federal SER
vice of Porto Rico and in all the serv-
ice, excepting schools in the Philippines
ION the Illustration Of the attempt to
saddle upon the classified service all those
clerks in the census office who were origi-
nally appointed under the patronage of Con-
gress and on the classification of the per-
manent census bureau.
Ion the promotions in the diplomatic and
consular service, which it is hoped, will lead
to the general adoption of the merit sys-
tenn in that branch Of the service
THE resolutions did not contain one word
O. criticism of the President or of the COM
mission. and the proceedings show that on
1.-THE twenty-third annual meeting of the
league was held in Baltimore on December
IL and H. 1903. Once more the committee
en- resolutions congratulated the country on
the results that had been achieved, and
again voiced no word of criticism either of
the President of the commission.
Competitive Appointments.
Doubtless the best test of actual fidelity
to the law and rules is furnished by the
number of competitive appointments. The
first year of President Roosevelt's admins
tration witnessed 1907 more appointments
through competitive examination than in
the year before. In the second year, ex-
GLIDING the rural carriers, there was fur
Their increase of 4,8S8 such appointments.
and last year Of 2,124. The whole number
of appointments last year was 80, $50, in
Guiding 14,S07 rural carriers, as against
1925 in the first year Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration.
1.-THE administration of President Roose-
Welt differs from that of any of his pre-
decessors in that the great extensions of
the classified service were made near the
beginning of his term. This rendered it i'm
possible for him to secure any personal ad-
vantage from the appointment and subse-