West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-10-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The President Issues An Order
That Shakes Up
EVERY DEPARTMENT OF
THE GOVERNMENT
AT Washington -- Some Reform
Needed in The Government
Printing ofHeo.
Regular Correspondent, OF The Argus.

Regular Correspondent OF The Argus.
WASHINGTON, Oct. ~, 1905
An amendment TO the Civil Ser
vice rules that has spread dismay in
Washington was authorized 10y the
President just before he left the
Capital for his trip through the
South. This was in effect an amend
ment giving to the Cabinet officers
the right TO dismiss any officer or
employee in the classified service
whose inefhciency or misconduct in
office is brought to the attention Of
or witnessed by the head of the
department. The discharge may be
made summarily and without notice
and the person so dismissed is with.
out recourse. y bomb dropped in
each department could have scarcely
created more CONSERVATION than this
order which came as a bolt from the
blue. Heretofore when an en-
ploYee in the classified service was
to be removed charges had to be
filed and the employee was given
time to show why he should not be
dismissed. BY the present order
the head OF a department who wishes
to remove u person will merely need
to have personal knowledge of the
ineihclency or misconduct of the
employee and his power of removal
is absolute. Only those in the depart
menis who are familiar with their
workings can understand the full
meaning of this order, or compre-
hend the effect that il will have.
The establishment of the Civil Ser
vice rules for the employment OF
department workers was scarcely
more Of blast to those who had
held their places for years by in
ilucnce and preferment than this is
now to those who have passed their
examinations and felt themselves
secure for life in their places. The
Government work in the Depart
ments has long been obstructed by
the presence Of persons in each
bureau inefficient, indifferent and
frequently dishonest. The new
order will result in a clearing out OF
this dead timber and though the
process is going to be unpleasant the
effect will be a vast improvement of
the service both in efficiency and
economy. There Is not a depart.
ment that will not b: benefited by a
wholesale application of the amend
ment. There are departments far
behind in their work, notably the
United States Patent Office. Other
departments such as the Navy are
impeded in their work by many sup
erannualed clerks and all are suffer.
Ing from the presence of persons
unequal to the work for which they
are appointed from dlssipated clerks
who stretch their sick leave and an
nual vacation time to cover frequent
sprees, still others who use Govern
mcnt time, the services Of amanuen-
ses paid by the Government data
and illustrations collected by the
Government, and Governm Mt sta.
tlonary to carry on literally work
for which they receive outside pay.
The number who engage in small
speculations from the Government
such as the use for private purposes
Of stationary, ink, books aud pocket
knives, and the employment as
messengers and house servants of
the department messengers is so
large as 70 include probably nine
tenths Of the employees. One ac.
quaintance ofyour correspondent, a
women employed for more than
thirty years in a government office
has the messenger Of her department
attend 10 her furnace in her house
twenty blocks distant from the
Office. lie also takes care Of the
side walks for the chief OF the
department and acts as butler when
the Chiefs wife is receiving. This
same woman presents her grand
children and the children of her
friends with rubber balls the size Of
an average apple made Of rubber
bands taken from the office supplies.
All her private letters are written
during Office hours on Department
stationary and on Department type.
writers. Her tair,y days annual
vacation are arranged after this
fashion.
She decides for instanc. TO take
day ~ time and selects Monday.
Saturday she is excused at ten or
u NJ ~