Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-09
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Civil Service Advocates In
dulge ID Debate.
DIVERGENT VIEWS
SPIRITED DISCUSSION OF REPORT
ON RESOLUTIONS.
Recommendations Apply to Depart
ments of Government-Extension
OF Merit System.


prolonged were the debates on several of the
subjects brought up in the meeting. The
| morning session was given over entirely to
| the hearing and discussion of reports. The
election of officers occurred at the end OF
this session. the old officers being reelected,
with certain additions.
The reports of the committee on superan-
nuation and resolutions stirred up general
| debate and some sharp differences of opin.
| ion. At 1890 O. clock the delegates and their
local committeeman at the University Club
| and the sessions of the meeting were re-
| sumed at 2:30 o'clock. The afternoon ses
| sion was devoted entirely to the reading OF
important papers and was in progress as
The Stars report closed
Consideration of Reports.
The hearing of reports of the constituent
associations of the league was the firsi
| business this morning. According to the
program this should have been the order
| yesterday afternoon and evening, but the
| lack of time made it necessary to postpone
the reading of many of the papers until TINS
| morning. The reports were read by MIR
George Burnham, president of the Pennsyl,
| vania association; Mr.. Lucius B. Swift OF
| the Indiana association and Mr.. Elliott II
| Goodwin as secretary of the New York as
| ISOLATION. Mr.. Goodwin is also secretary OF
| the league.
! The report of the treasurer was then
| read and action thereon was reserved until
| the report of the auditing committee is pre-
| sented. This committee was appointed by
| the council
| The report of the special committee on
| the civil service in dependencies was next
| presented by Mr.. c. r. Woodruff of Penn
| sylvania. The report of the special COM
| mittee on approximation was presented by
| Mr.. William Dudley Foulke, former mem
| Der of the United States civil service COM
! mission. This report covered the ground OF
approximation. The committee suggests
| that the solution of the problem can be
| found in a bill before Congress directing
| that the President issue an order declaring
| that all jurors taken into the classified
| service shall be required to take out In
| some good insurance company an annuity
| policy, the premium to be deducted from
| the salary of the clerk. Some little oppo-
| sition was developed to this report Mr..
Evert p. Wheeler of New York declared
| that the proposition to compel clerks to
| patronize a business institution outside of
| the government is at variance with the
| best policies of the American people and is
| not just to the clerks themselves.
| Such action by the government, it was
| argued by Mr.. Wheeler, would give to a
| business corporation enormous profits from
| the paid employees of the public.
Mr.. Wheeler moved that the report be re-
ferred to the council, Mr. Bonaparte sec
| onded the motion of Mr.. Wheeler, although
| he declared he differed from both Mr..
| Foulke and Mr.. Wheeler as to superannua-
| ton. Mr. Bonaparte said he could not see
| where the subject of approximation had
| anything to do with civil service reform.
| Mr.. Charles Lyman of this city stated
| that the trend of the civil service law was
MT To
| man declared the belief that superannua-
ton has decreased since the passage of the
| civil service law.
| Mr.. Lyman made an eloquent plea for
the veteran of the civil war, who might
he said, furnish some of the superannua-
| ton.
The league voted unanimously to refer
the report to the council.
Report on Resolutions.
What was regarded as the most important
action Of the league in relation to civil serv-
| ice work was the presentation of the report
| OF the committee on resolutions of the
council. This report was submitted by Mr..
Samuel n. Ordway f Massa chusetts and In
1t the council summarizes briefly the work
| of the past year and makes the following
| recommends lions:
| The extension Of the competitive classifi-
| cation to all offices not involving the policy
of the administration, and which are not
| subject to confirmation by the Senate and
are above the grade OF laborer, especially
deputy collectors of internal revenue as
sistant postmasters. deputy marshals PEN
| sion examining surgeons, and so far az
practicable fourth-class postmasters.
The recognition of the fact that the post
Office is purely business department that
its administration should be divorced en-
| tirely from politics, and that the postmas-
ters dncluding those confirmed by the SEN
ate) and their subordinates should be ap-
pointed solely for merit.
The extension of the merit system to the
| consular service and to the entire Indian
service. to which 1t Is not already applied.
| The extension Of the merit system to the
Congressional Library, and to the whole OF
the municipal service of the District of CO.
lumbia.
the insular and municipal service of Porto
Rico.
| The extension of the merit system to the
service of the states and cities Of the coun-
| try not now under civil service laws OF
| rules.
The insistence by the President upon his
| constitutional right to nominate to office
free from any outside dictation or interior
ence.
The repeal Of the four-year term of office
law, and the general adoption of the prin-
cple of tenure of office during good be-
hayior and efficiency.
The rejection of all veteran preference
bills.
The adoption of civil service rule
l
mart of federal office holders, corresponding
to the departmental rules to the same eff.
feet, thereby giving the civil service com.
mission power to investigate complaints OF
such character
Constant effort to make and keep exam
nations practical, and to specialize them SC
as to test chiefly the capacity and fitness
of the candidate to do the particular work
of the position for which he Is examined
The league commends the efforts of the
Unitel States civil Service commission in
this direction.
Presented in Two Sections.
The report was in two sections. the sug
eestions and recommendations being givel
above. The other section included Ger
tain criticisms and Communications and tn,
oneration of the civil service law. TIL,
resolutions were read, over by Mr.. Ordwa.
and discussed at length. section O
the report reciting the right Of the leagu,
at the frequency with which the Pres
| ident has directed suspension of tn
| civil service rules. was objectionable t,
| some of the members on the ground tina
liz was a practical condemnation of tn
| President Mr.. Ansley Wilcox of New
York. a personal friend of the President a
whose house in Buffalo President Roosevelt
took the oath of Office, suggested that thi
section be referred back to the council
On the motion of Mr.. Bonaparte the word
|, | ing of the section was changed to meet tn