Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05

stood. DE greater has bsea the 6kvor with
wnfch the law has 6een regarded BY Id
ministrative oanceFs Any attempt 70 carry
9overnnaent without this law would inev-
Naoly result tn chaos. The civil service
commissioners ere doing excellent work;
and theft compensation Il inadequate con-
Gderan9 the service they perform.
The statement that the examinations are
not practical In character Is based on
misappreh4nsion Of the practice OF the CONF
mission. The departments are invariably
consulted As to the requirements desired
and as to the character OF questions that
shall be asked General Invitations are
frequently sent out to all heads Of depart
ments asking whether any changes IN the
scope or character Of examinations are re-
CURED. In other words. tho departments
prescribe the requirements and the Qualih-
cations desired, and the civil service COM
mission co-operates with them in securing
persons with these qualifications and In
suring open and impartial competition. In
q large number of examinations Gas, for
example. those for trades positions) there
are no educational requirements whatever,
and q person who can neither read nor
write may pass with a high average. Va
cancies in the service are filled with rea-
sonable expedition end the machinery OF
the commission, which reaches every part OF
the country, Is the best agency that has
yet been devised for finding people with
the most suitable qualifications for the
various offices to be filed Written com.
petitiye examinations do not make an Ideal
method for filling positions, but they 90
represent an immeasurable advance upon
the "spoils' method under which OUTSIDE
politicians really make the appointments
nominally made by the executive omcsIs'
the appointees being chosen by the politl-
clans in question, in the great majority OF
cases. for reasons totally unconnecteo Win
the needs of the service or of the pubic.
Statistics gathered by the census bureau
= nf ~
eminent service does not differ materially
from that enjoyed by employees OF large
business corporations. Heads OF executiVe
departments and members OF the commas
sion have called my attention 10 the iact
that the rule requiring fling of charges
and three days notice before an employs
could be separated from the service TOT III
efficiency has served no good purpose what
ever, because that Is not mater apt "a
which a hearing Of the employe founo 70
be inefficient can be of any value, ana III
practice the rule providing for sucn notce
and hearing has merely resulted IN keeping
in certain number OF incompetsh,s. po
cause of the reluctance of heads OF depart
ments and bureau chiefs to go through the
required procedure. Experience has shown
that this rule is wholly ineffective TO save
any man, If a superior for improper reasons
wishes to remove him, and IL mischlevous
because It sometimes serves to keep IN the
service incompetent men not guilty OF spe-
cific wrong-doing. Having these facts IN
view, the rule has been amended by pro-
yiding that where the ineffciency or IN
capacity comes within the personal knowl-
edge Of the head of department the re-
moval may be made without notice, the
reasons therefor being filed and mace q
record of the department. The absolute
right of removal rests where 1t always has
rested, with the head of a department; any
limitation of this absolute right results IN
grave injury to the public service. Inc
change Is merely one of procedure; 1t was
nae6ed and iS producing good re-
suits.
The civil service law is being energeti-
caly and impartially enforced, and In the
large majority of cases complaints Of vo-
lations of either the law or rules are dis
covered to be unfounded. In this respect
this law compares very favorably with any
other federal statute. The question OF poll
ties in the appointment and retention OF
the men engaged in merely ministerial work
has been practically eliminated in almost
the entire field of government employment
covered by the civil service law. The ac-
ton of the Congress in providing the COM
mission with It's own force instead OF re-
curing 1t to rely on detailed clerks has
been justified by the increased work done
at a smaller cost to the government.
urge upon the Congress careful consdera-
ton of the recommends tiens cor aimed In
the annual report of the commission.
Copyright Laws.
Our copyright laws urgently need re-
vision. They are imperfect in definition
confused and inconsistent in expression;
they omit provision for many articles
which. under modern reproductive proc
esses. are entitled to protection; they I'M
pose hardships upon the copyright proprie-
tor which are not essential to the fair pro-
lection of the public; they are difficult for
the courts to interpret and impossible for
the copyright Office to administer with sat
isfaction to the public Attempts to i'm
prove them by amendment have been fire.
Quent. no less than twelve acts for the pur-
pose having been passed since the revised
statutes. To protect them by further amend
ment seems impracticable. complete re-
vision Of them is essential. Such a re-
vision. to meet modern conditions, has been
found necessary in Germany Austria Swe-
den and other foreign countries, and bills
embodying 1t are pending in England and
the Australian colonies. 1t has been urged
here and the proposals for a commission
to undertake 1t have from time to time been
pressed upon the Congress. The inconven-
ences of the present conditions being SO
great, an attempt to frame appropriate leg
islation has been made by the copyright Of
flee, which has called conferences of the
various interests especially and practically
concerned with the operation of the copy
right laws. It has secured from them sug-
gestions as to the changes necessary; 1t has
added from its own experiences and inves-
LEGATIONS, and II has drafted a bill which
embodies such of these changes and addt-
tons as after full discussion and expert
criticism. appeared to be sound and safe.
In form this bill would replace the existing
insufficient and inconsistent laws by one
general copyright statute. 1t will be pre-
seated to the Congress at the coming ses-
sion. 1t deserves prompt consideration.
Adulteration of Foods
recommend that a law be enacted to
regulate interstate commerce in misbranded
and adulterated foods, drinks and drugs.
Such law would protect legitimate manu-
facture and commerce, and would tend to
secure the health and welfare of the con-
sum!ng public. Traffic In foodstuffs which
have been debased or adulterated so as to
injure health or to deceive purchasers
shouIu be forbidden.
Smoke Law.
The law forbidd!ng the emission of dense
black smoke gray smoke in the city of
Washington has been sustained by the
courts. Something has been accomplished
under 1t, but much remains to be done II
we would preserve the capital city from
DETACHMENT by the smoke nuisance. Re-
peated prosecutions under the law have not
had the desired effect. / recommend that
1t be made more stringent by Increasing