Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
BOTH PLACES EXCEPTED
WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL
SERVICE RULES.
DR.. Whites Difficulty in Filling Two
Positions at the Government Hos
pital for the Insane.

The signing of an order by President
Roosevelt excepting the positions of conf
Dental clerk and record clerk of the Gov
eminent Hospital for the Insane from the
civil service regulations signalizes the cul-
mnatlon of a particularly breezy CORE
spondence that has continued for some
months between DR.. w. A. White, super
intendent of the hospital, and the civil
service commissioners. The commission
carried on its end of the controversy
through Commissioner Cooley, and DR..
White personally attended to his part of 1t.
The letters and papers are carefully pre-
served in the archives of the commission
and the Interior Department, and are
screened carefully from the eye of the out
slider but the facts connected with the cor
respondence have become public property
with the signing of the executive order. 1t
appears that some time ago Dr. White de-
sired to appoint clerk to take charge of
the records of the asylum and another to
act in a confidential capacity. he mace
reausition on the civil service commission
and the usual list of three names was sent
him. He inquired to the qualifications
of the persons named by the commission
and found that while each was willing TO
become clerk of the government service,
none of them was willing to establish him
self in that capacity at an asylum Tor the
other requisition made out The same
result followed with the second and sue
ceedng allotments except that several OF
those certified expressed themselves as
being willing to take the job. but an
nounced at the same time that such posi-
ton would be used by them only as step
ping stone into the government service. ana
that they would Immediately set the proper
machinery in motion to secure transfer;
Under these conditions DIR. White turned
down all of them and wrote to the civil
service commission for more names.
The commission felt hurt and offended at
the manner in which the people certined py
it were so summarily turned down In the
meantime the work of the two positions
was carried on by temporary appointments
of the emergency order. But DR.. White
did not discontinue his efforts to comply
with the law. but made requisition after
requisiton, and finally, few days ago. the
commission sent in list or three names,
accompanied by a letter in which Dr.
White was informed that If he did not
make his selection from that list the COM
mission would take means TO cut OH his
emergency funds and he would be com
PEELED to let the work Of the positions go
undone or do 1t himself.
This brought DIR. White down TO the IN
terror Department posthaste for a confer
ence with Secretary Hitchcock.
But before going to the department he
wrote a particularly caustc letter to the
members of the commission. In which
he informed them of the reasons lot
rejecting all the candidates submitted
by them and informed them also that
he refused to accept responsibility TOT
ANYTHING that might happen If these posi-
lions were permitted to go untitled. Inc
perSonS desired are necessary 10 the ao-
ministration of the affairs of the hospital.
The confidential clerk has charge of many
matters that cannot be attended to by the
first person that comes along or by a per-
son who has not acquired some experience
in the work 1t would be the extreme or
foolishness DIR. White is reported to have
said to appoint person to the position
who would remain only long enough to get
a transfer to some other department In
the matter of the record clerk, this official
was charged with the keeping of the rec
ords of the thousand or more inmates or
he hospital and this work required all MS
attention. 1t is apparent that experience Is
required for this work. which is OF an ex-
act nature and that it would not be to the
best interests of the hospital TO nave re-
peated changes made in the incumbent OF
the position. - yr,,..
with these facts before him DR. Whlte
refused to accept responsibility Tor any
thing that might happen if the records were
allowed to lapse or the work OF the coiiii-
dental clerk be permitted to stop.
This brought Commissioner Cooley TO the
interior DEPARTMENT, and after confer
ence with Secretary Hitchcock an ORDER
was prepared and submitted to the Presl-
dent for signature excepting these Two
positions from the civil service ana petHlI
ting DIR White to appoint whom he pleased.
After much argument and explanation me
civil service commission withdrew from It's
attitude in regard to the positions, APP
nroved the order and President Roosevelt
cd