The Washington times., 1904-03-06

mention"
service Of the best men for an addi-
tional length OF time, and furnish an
incentive to excel
Il think the civil service rules should
be amended so that at least per cent
OF the clerks could be discharged with
out any reasons or specifications being
given. This would make II so that a
political change Of the entire percentage
would take twenty-five years II worked
upon political lines, which I think would
not he the case II that were feared,
the right TO discharge the per cent
could be limited to those that the dis
charging officer should certify were not
dismissed for any political cause
Tho Government would not suffer by
this short term principle. The service
is becoming so divided and classified
that It takes Only a short time Cor
clerk to learn to do the particular du-
ties assigned 20 him. I ILLUSTRATE that in
the Pension Bureau in this way: The
work here is so arranged that il is Ike
shoe factory. It would take a man
two or more years apprenticeship TO
learn to make a good shoe. but he could
go into a modern shoeshop. take a GER
tam part OL Lllc .WUlhr SdyLI5 CuNGAz
out soles. and in two weeks learn 20 do
his part as well as If he stayed five
years. The same would apply TO running
a pegging machine; in a short time he
could get the run Of the machine. aud
do as good work as If he had worked at
il all his life.
THE work Of the Pension Office il
subdivided in the same way. For in
stance: Among the divisions. sections.
ara classifications would be, say, Navy
widows The amount Of law upon
that subject in the statute book-is very
small: the clerk could read II in two
minutes. the work could be explained
to him the decssfors shown him. ne
could read UP on it. and go over the en-
tire ground ia LNU weeks. Then ne
could be put to work on those cases and
in six months handle that kind OF cases
to the entire satisfaction OF the bureiu
Yet. he would be entirely ignorant Of ths
Mexican War Invalids' But in two
weeks he could read up all the law a=d
decisions upon the latter subject. be-
come familiarized with the cases. and IN
six months he could handle them sat
isfactorfly. ~
These, OF course. are simply illustra-
tons. The clerk, like the man in The
shoeshop learns but a very small pJr-
ton of the business of the entire depart
ment. but that which he learns he learns
fully and well. can do the work thor
OughIy. and become exceedingly expert.
By becoming expert he does better work
than If he tried TO learn the whole bust
IA IS; hence the Government. by reason
o. this classified service, couI6 get the
best sort of expert work from it's clerks
almost from the star. and not lose
through the inability, want Of expe-
ricnce or of education Of the newcomer.
Ten or even fve years work of that
kind by corps Of clerks continually
and individually replaced, would be OF
most excellent quality, and the clerks
themselves would go out OF the Govern
ment employ knowing. il is true, bsIt
little Of the service, but having a gen.
eral knowledge OF its order and disci-
pline and the love of system which tha
experience gives.
1t seems as if it viii be impossible 70
establish civil service pension. at least
for the present. Everything connected
with pensions seems TO be now subject
to criticism A very great amount Of
this criticism is unjust. but nevertheless
il is afioat. people believe what is said,
and they fear that If once a civil ser
vice pension is established Congressman
will put their favorites. their relatives.
and their wives relatives on the civH
service pension roll.
This fear has brought about such an
objection that it is not possible TO dis
cuss the proposition with judicial cam
dor, but as a matter Of fact the civil SER
vice rules as at present applied to the
existing condition OF the public service
must bring about a civil pension unless
a change is made by Congress in this
and the tendency which that
produces.
"A civil service pension IS at lea<e
as sensible as a bounty land warrant
act or a bounty pension to soldiers. FOR
instance. of the Indian war who ser. ed
a few days IN protecting themselves and
now want the Governments 10 support
them for life.
Il have before me an Indian war roll
in which there were nineteen private
soldiers, who were commanded By one
majcr. two captains. four ieutenants.
and two other commissioned officers.
They put in bill 10 the Government
for expenses of nearly s.. se0. and now
want to be pensioned for life
"A civil service pension is a judieious
and graceful act Alongside OF such a
II may come in time. but
IL Is not necessary now to discuss il.
If the short term plan should be ap-
piled, then, Of course, there would be
no civil service pension.
There are at present a large number
of superannuated clerks ON the roll.
Some OF them are quite ancient. but
among these old clerks are those very
valuable by reason of their remem-
brance Of what has passed in the bu-
reau. and the example of their upright
and moral conduct. 1 have two dirislon
chiets of advanced age 70. whom 1 en-
lertain a very profound respect
Il would not. under the circumstances
devolvinS upon me. discharge any OF
these old clerks unless for some moral
delinquency. They come to their desks
and do their work the best they can
They do not accomplish very much but
what they do they do as well as they
an. Having been IN the Office for many
years. their records have been that Of
ntegrity and work, and / do not caro-
% discharge them, even though some
)r them are not earning their salaries