Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-18

Washington. d. c.. Jan. 14.-Alter
"a lively debate lasting three hours,
the house yesterday in committee OF
the whole. by a vote OF - to %,
struck out oil the legislative, eXecu-
i've ana judicial appropriation bill,
the parasraph providing Tor the sal
aries ana expenses OF the civil service
commission anu tie cIerhs employ ed
uauer me commission. The action
VS. taken on mlOJIOn o. lar. Hepburn
o. iowa He was supported % Uoln
republicans ana democrats both ia
sueecn ana on the vote Those VINO
st.Bke Iu opuusIuuu ~ the civil seIN-
Ice system as AZ now stood were
.aessEs. hepburn, republican OF Iowa.
GlUsyenUr, republican Ot ONO, anu
bartlett. democrat OF Georgia; Wnne
among LnOse speaking Tor me service
wele -4essrs. Cooper, republican Oh
Wisconsin, and GHIeJJ9, republican %
aszaCuuseLts.
4 uOuce was given by AIR. Bingham,
in charge OF me bIIl JnaJ d. yea ana
nav vote viii be demanded on the
amendment striking Out the prOv4s-
ION Tor me expenses OF the civil serV-
ice COMMISSION when the bali IS re-
ported I'M the house. No conclusion
Was reached Ia the Comm4Jlee on Lne
legislative bill
ID.
veu0r SAID LuaJ wneu the law went
INTO euecJ the expenditures under the
BIu nov penang mere amounted 70
ABOUT So. yUy,gyU, TO-DAY AZ amounts
10 SoJ. .UUVs ana We are told the
reason Tor Jnar Is that 10 per cent o.
this amount Is PAID 10 men absolute
~ worthless 70 the puDuc service, SO
Jnat We nave practically a civIl pen
sion. 10 Is enough 10 say mat eNpen-
diJures under this system have IN
creased 80 per cent IL IS enough 10
say mat under this system The
wrongs and Ouuases and irregular
tiles and crimes JnaU are charged to-
day. ii they did not originate under
the CIviI service administration, nave
been covered through the adh.nistra-
ton OF that system up 10 date"
Mr. Hepburn IN the course OF his
address declared that he was InclIn-
ed 10 criticise the heads Of the com
mission, but that civil service as IL
is administered Is a fraud" lie re-
ferred TO an interview he had had
with the head of a department hay-
ing over 500 clerks, who had stated
that he had So CLERKS who could not
get To Their desks il the elevators in
the building were not running anC
that il he should be permitted TO Sc
leCt his own force he could do ali the
business with 200 clerks"
Mr.. Gillette, chairman of the com
mittee on reform la the civil service,
demanded 10 know why the head OF
the department in question lid not
make his own selections.
Mr. Hepburn replied that Mr. Gil
lette knew as well as any one else
that this could not be done under the
practice which prevails although the
law might permit it.
Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin wanted
Mr. Hepburn 10 state why he did not
advocate legislative reform.
Mr.. Hepburn replied holly that
with the present makeup OF the com
mittee controlling such legislation,
il was well known that nothing could
be done along that line.
Mr.. Gillette favored a merit rattle.
than a patronage system. He admit
ted the system was not perfect and
would not oppose the bill amending
the law. lie did not think any good
would come from striking out the par
agraph providing for the commits
siOn's expenses.
The paragraph was stricken from
the bin. IS to 65. republicans and
democrats voting together to strike
il out