The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-11-03

| WHICH tne Chlness government IN no way
| contests to act as we have acted In the mat
| ter OF restricting coole immigration. That
| this right exists for each country was ex-
| plcitly acknowledges in the last treaty be-
| tween the two countries But we must treat
| the Chinese student, traveller, and business
| man in spirit Of the broadcast justice and
| courtesy II We expect similar treatment to
| De accorded TO our own people OF similar rank
| who go to China. Much trouble has come
during the past summer from the organized
| boycott against American goods which has
| been started in China. The main factor in
producing this boycott has been the resent
| ment felt by the students and business peo-
| pie OF China, by all the Chinese leaders,
against the harshness of our law toward edu-
Gated Cinnamon of the professional and bust
| ness classes.
This government has the friendiest feel
| ings for China and desires China's well-be-
ing We cordially sympathze with the an
nounced purpose of Japan to stand for the
| integrity of China. Such an attitude tends
| to the peace Of the world.
The Civil Service.
| The civil service law has been on the stat
| ute books for twenty-five years Every
President and vast majority of heads of
| departments who have been in office during
| that period have favored gradual extension
| its principles have been understood, the
greater has been the favor with which the
| law has been regarded by administrative Of
fcers. Any attempt to carry on the great
executive departments of the government
| without this law would inevitably result in
chaos. The Civil Service commissioners are
doing excellent work; and their compensa-
| ton is inadequate considering the service
they perform.
The statement that the examinations are
| not practical in character is based on a mis-
| apprehension Of the practice of the commits
sion. The departments are invariably con-
| Quilted as to the requirements desired and as
to the character Of questions that shall be
asked. General invitations are frequently
| cnnt IN oil hnnIc of1 dana rfr,nnn q cL o
whether any changes in the scope or char
acter of examinations are required. In other
words, the departments prescribe the re-
| quirements and the qualifications desired, and
the Civil Service commission co-operates with
them in securing persons with the qualif1ca-
tons and insuring open and impartial com
petition. In large number of examinations
| (as for example, those for trades positions)
there are no educational requirements what
ever and person who can neither read nor
write may pass with high average. Vacan-
cies in the service are filled with reasonable
| expedition and the machinery OF the commits
sion, which reaches every part of the coun-
try, is the best agency that has yet been
devised for finding people with the most suit
| able qualifications for the various offices to
be filled. Written competitive examinations
do not make an ideal method for filling po-
sitions, but they do represent an immeasur-
able advance upon the ''spoils'' method,
under which outside politicians really make
the appointments nominally made by the ex-
ecutive officers, the appointees being chosen
by the politicians in question, in the great
| majority of cases, for reasons totally uncon-
| nected with the needs of the service or OF the
public.
Statistics gathered by the Census bureau show
that the tenure of office in the government SER
vice does not differ materially from that en-
| joyed by employees of large business corpora
tons. Heads Of executive departments and
members of the commission have called my
| attention to the fact that the rule requiring
filing of charges and three days. notice be-
fore an employe could be separated from the
service for ineffciency has served no good pur-
pose whatever because that is not a matter
| upon which a hearing Of the emplOye found
| to be inefficient be of any value, and in
practice the rule providing for such notice and
hearing has merely resulted in keeping in
| certain number Of incompetents, because OF the
reluctance Of heads of departments and bureau
chiefs to go through the required procedure.
Experience has shown that this rule is wholly
| ineffective to any man, II superior for
improper reasons wishes to remove him, and
| is mischievons because it sometimes serves to
keep in the service incompetent men not guilty
of specific wrong doing Having these facts in
| view, the rule has been amended by pro-
| viding that where the ineficiency or incapacity
| comes within the personal knowledge of the
head Of department the removal may be made
| without notice, the reasons therefor being filed
| and made a record of the department. The
absolute right of removal rests where 1t al
ways has rested, with the head of depart
| ment; any limitation of this absolute right
| results in grave injury to the public service.
| The change is merely Of procedure; it was
much needed; and it is producing good results.
| The civil service law is being energetcally
and impartially enforced, and in the large
jority of complaints Of violations of either
| the law or rules are discovered to be unfounded.
ably with any other Federal statute. The
| question of politics In the appointment and re-
| tenton Of the men engaged in merely ministerial
work has been practically eliminated in almost
| the entire field of government employment COW
| cred by the civil service law. The action of
| the Congress in providing the commission with
| its own force instead Of requiring it to rely on
| detailed clerks has been justified by the In
| creased work done at a smaller cost to the gov
| eminent. l urge upon the Congress a careful
| consideration of the recommendations contained
in the annual report of the commission.
Copyright Laws.
Our copyright laws urgently need revision.
| They are imperfect in definition, confused and
| inconsistent in expression; they omit provision
| for many articles which, under modern repro
ductive processes, are entitled to protectlon
| they impose hardships upon the copyright pro-
| pretor which are not essential to the fair pro-
| lection of the public; they are difficult for the
! courts to interpret and impossible for the Copy
right office to administer with satisfaction to
the public Attempts to improve them by
| amendment have been frequent, no less than
twelve acts for the purpose having been passed
| since the Revised Statutes. To perfect them by
| further amendment SENS impracticable. com
plete revision of them is essential Such re-
| vision. to meet modern conditions, has been found
| necessary in Germany, Austria. Sweden, and
0ther foreign countries, anu DIS e1nDOuylnS IL
are pending in England and the Australian col
| ones 1t has been urged here, and proposals for
| commission to undertake 1t have, from time
| to time been pressed upon the Congress. The
Inconvenience of the present conditions being
| so great, attempt to frame appropriate legis
lation has been made by the Copyright office,
| which has called conferences of the various in
| terests especially and practically concerned with
| the operation of the copyright laws. 1t has
secured from them suggestions to the changes
| necessary; 1t has added from its own expert
| ence and Investigations, and it has drafted a
| bill which embodies such Of these changes and
| criticism. appeared to be sound and safe. In
| form this bill would replace the existing in
| sufficient and inconsistent laws by one general
| copyright statute. 1t will be presented to the
Congress at the coming session. 1t deserves
| prompt consideration.
Aduteration of Foods.
| recommend that a law be enacted to regu-
| late interstate commerce in msbranded and
| adulterated foods drinks and drugs. Such law
| would protect legitimate manufacture and com
welfare of the consuming public Traffic in
foodstuffs which have been debased adul-
terated so as to injure health to deceive pur-
chasers should be forbidden.
Smoke Law.
The law forbidding the emission of dense black
or gray smoke in the city of Washington has
| been sustained by the courts. Something has
been accomplished under it, but much remains
city from DETACHMENT by the smoke nuisance.
Repeated prosecutions under the law have not
had the desired effect. l recommend that it be
made more stringent by increasing both the