The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18
PLANS TO CURE ILLS
IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Examining Boards May Be Con
solidated and Method Of Super
annuatiOn Devised.
WORK OF COMMITTEES
Service Pension Bills Are Being
Observation-Disclosures
for the Militia.
Special % the indianapolis Journal.

that for the present at least no further
steps will be taken toward the establish
ment of central boards of examiners. Some
time ago il was stated that the commission
would establish such board in Indianapo-
lis at an early date. In the attack on the
commission in the House during the past
week several members dwelt on the central
board system as an extension of the power
of the commission. Members of the COM
mission deny that the central board is an
enlargement of it's powers. The purpose of
the central board is explained in the fol-
lowing statement made TO the Journal:
THE commission has at this time
twelve hundred boards of examiners
throughout the country, and conducts cor
respondence with each of these boards rela-
tive to civiI-service matters. The need of
onsolidating the boards into districts, with
trained man in charge of the work of
local boards within district, has been felt
for some time. There are believed to be
distinct advantages in consolidating the
boards within a certain radius into a civil
service district. With an experienced man
| in charge of a district the commission
would be able TO transact its business In
connection with applications, examinations
and certificates for appointment within the
| district more quickly and satisfactorily
than by requiring officials at distance to
communicate directly with this Office. In
structiOns and information relative to civil
service matters could also be furnished by
the officer in charge of the civil-service dis
trict to public officials. local examiners and
others within the district much more
promptly than by communication with
&c oIS haI hat
vestigations of alleged violations of the
civil-service law or rules in any particular
district could be made by the civil-service
officer in charge of the distrit, except in
cases where the inquiry might be of such
a character as to require the presence of
representative direct from the commission"
The attack on the Civil-service Commits
sion has been followed by a serious discus
sion as TO the ACCESSIBILITY of so amending
the law as to eliminate some of the recog-
nized evils in the public service. The be-
lief is expressed by many senators and rep
resentatives that this question will soon be-
come one of paramount Importance, and
possibly issue in a national campaign.
They point out that the merit principle suf-
| fers every time an attack is made upon it
/
growing sentiment in favor of limited
tenure as proposed by Representative
Hemenway, OF Indiana, chairman of the
committee on appropriations. Such plan,
| IL is believed, would permit the department
to rid itself at stated periods of the super
| annuates, the continued employment of
which tends to increase the ineficiency Of
| the public service Superannuation IS one
/ or the growing evils which mi OnharS
| contend must soon be remedied In a bill
now pending, which has the Endorsement
CT Representative Hemenway and other
| leaders in the House, it is provided that
| appointments to the federal service shall
/ be limited to five years. When that period
has expired the incumbent may be reap
| pointed If competent and If too old or in
! capable OF performing service he may be
| retired. The fact is recognized that long
| service with the government units men for
| employment in other walks of life and there
| Is tendency in the direction of some form
| or insurance or annuity plan which will
| enable the clerks TO make provision for old
| age. An effort will be made to pass some
| laws In this connection this winter, but the
chances are that action will be deferred
| until next winter.
The members of the pension committees
of Congress are devoting considerable time
at present in personal investigation at the
pension bureau. to comforting with the Off
proving the pension laws 1t is proposed in
some quarters that every one OF the $4,000
men who served in the Union army in the
| civil war and who is not on the pension rolls
| shall be taken care of by the government
| All OF the men who are receiving less than
Sl2 month will have their payments raised
| TO that amount. 1t is the intention of the
| Grand Army Of the Republic to try to in
| duce Congress to pass a service pension bill
similar to that governing the veterans of
| the Mexican and other wars. Under these
laws any soldier who served a stated time
in the army and was honOrably discharged
became eligible to a pension.
At the encampment of the Grand Army,
held at San Francisco last August a res
olution was adopted calling for the passage
of service bill, and a committee was APP
pointed to come on TO Washington. draw up
a suitable measure and submit it to Con-
| gress This committee has arrived here
! and begun its sessions 1t Is said that the
| work of drawing up bill will be completed
In few days. There are now between
| twenty-five and thirty service pension bills
| before Congress, but no particular bill has
the support of any large body of veterans.
The committee on military affairs has
completed the army bill. Generous appro-
priations are made for the National Guard
organizations I'm the various States. The sum
of 100000 is made available for the main
tenance of the guard is accordance with
the provisions or the reorganization act n
like sum is proposed for the annual maneu-
vres and 100000 for ordnance supplies to be
allotted to the various States. There Is
a disposition in the committee to allot
money to the States for the support of their
guard organizations according 10 the
amounts appropriated by the respective
| Legislatures. If this plan were enforced
Indiana would probably fare better in the
distribution OF federal funds than many
States In the West, on account of the liberal
policy Of the Legislature IN making APP
preparations for the militia.
Representative Watson is making every
effort to bring prominently forward in the
House the subject of more restrictive i'm
migration laws. So far he has received
little encoura cement. The President strong.
| ly recommended in his message that steps
| should be taken 10 prevent the admission
| to this country of the illiterate and vicious
classes, and IL is generally admitted amona
public men that radical action is neces-
| sary, yet nothing has been done up To this
| time. Mr.. Watson is studying the question
| carefully. and during the past week he has
, | conferred with MI. Sargent, commissions,
! general of immigration. The Indiana mem.
| Der expects to have a hearing before tht
House committee, when he will make ar
argument for a favorable report on his bill
prescribing an educational test for all for.