The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-04
MUST PAY HE ID ANSWER QUESTIONS Civil Service Commission Wakes Important Recommendation CORTElYOU IS COMMENCE Order for Retention oE Fourth Class Postmasters Is Most Important
 Administrative Reform
 of the Year.

Washington, December 5.-1he twenty second annual report of me 1niteu 9ta'eS civil service commission made puoiic eo- day contains d reconmendauoh tha' Congress should urge ihe eollectioh oi a fee from applicants foi eNaillliia'ioii ioi the government service.
 Should this authority be glNeh' the report states that the commission Will lhl- mediately issue a manud giving sucii oe- tailed information regarding the examiha- tions as will make it unnecessary Tor the more intelligent applicants to make spe- eial preparation for tn; examination ol some civil service school or institute ihe amount of the fee. 1t is suggested shcuTi be a small one. The argument In us Ia vor is that it would eliminate from the examination the large lumber ot persons who take them out oi curiosity, or to secure I higher rating on the eligible list through examinations. It is stated that 15O. 600 persons were examined Hast year. 10000 of whom secured positions. During the year the number S competitive po- sitions increased from l54,O93 to 11,SOf.
 Touching Roose,elt's Order
 Touching on the orcer of President Roosevelt of November r last, giving au- thority to heads of departments to sepa- rate an employe from the service without notice for delinquency or misconduet' the report says:
 ''The new rule neither changes the au- thority to make removals which existed as fully under the former as under the present practice, nor affects the Jurlsdlc- ton of the civil service commission mere- ly making some changes in the procedure in case of removal.
 The order of Postmaster General Cortel- you providing for the retention of fourth class postmasters during satisfactory ser" vice. is regarded by the commission as distinctly the most important admins trative reform effected within the kass year. The fourth-class postmasters con- stitute the largest class or employees se- lected without examination of any other kind. For many years these positions nave been treated as political spoiis, ana ap- pointments made to them with silght re- gard to the best interests of the service
 Regarding appointments to the Panama canal service the report states the com mission has experienced considerable dll- ficulty in securing eligibles for the posi- tions included in the outdoor service on the isthmus.
 As to the Philippine service, little diff fculty has been experienced Tn pfoVlding sufficient eligibles
 The action of President Roosevelt Tn dismssing William s. Lieb. assistant treasurer at Philadelphia, is given in full in the report with comment on it's inpaortsnce.
 Defect In Federal Service.
 Commenting on the desirabllity Of post tions in the government service, the com mission says that the separations from the service amount 10 about per cent annually, and further adds:
 'rhe great defect in the federal service today is the lack Of opportunity for am bilious. well educated young men. All of the higher positions are outside of the competitive classified service, and no sys- tenn has been established by which those who have distinguished themselves in the service can be promoted to the more i'm portant offices, and at the same time enjoy reasonable security of tenure. There is no sufficient inducement for the most capable men to enter the competitions as they can do better by seeking employ ment in large corporations, trusts and other institutions, where they can ip time command much higher salaries than they can ever hope to secure in the govern ment service"