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

which the law has been regarded by ad-
mtniafrative Of1icers. Any attempt TO carry
government without this law would inev-
Hably result In chaos The civil service
commissioners are doing excellent work:
and their compensa tion Ii inadequate con-
siderfng the service they perform.
The statement that the examinations are
not practical in character is based on n
MISREPRESENTATION of the practice of the COM
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-
quired. In other words, the departments
prescribe the requirements and the qualifi-
cations desired and the civil service COM
mission co-operates with them in securing
persons with these qualifications and In
surfing open and impartial competition. In
a large number of examinations tas, Tor
example, those for trades positions) there
are no educational requirements whatever
and q person who can neither read nor
write may pass with high average. Va
canctes in the service are filed with rea-
sonable expedition and the machinery or
the commission, which reaches every part of
the country, Is the best agency that has
yet been devised for Ending people with
the most suitable Qualifca tions Tor the
various offices to be flied Written COM
petitive examinations do not make an Ideal
method for filling positions, but they do
represent an unreasonable advance upon
the '.spoils'' method. under which OUTSIDE
pollticians really make the appointments
nomiually made by the executive omceIs'
the appointees being chosen by the pohu
clans In question, In the great majority OF
| cases. for reasons totally unconnec.eu W,'h
the needs of the service or OF the puoilc.
Statistics gathered by the census bureau
show that the tenure of oflice IN the GOV
eminent service does not diner materialy
from that enjoyed by employees OF large
|
danartments and members OF the eohnnfss
sion have called my attention TO the rae
that the rule requiring filing OF chaTses
and three days notice before an eInpioye
| could be separated from the service fer IN
efficiency has served no good purpose what
ever, because that Is not mater upon
which hearing Of the enploye found "
| be inefficient can be of any value. ana ia
| practice the rule providing fer such notlce
| and hearing has merely resulted In keeping
| in certain number OF incompelenls, pe
| cause of the reluctance of heads OF Depart
! ments and bureau chiefs 10 go through inc
| required procedure Experience has SHOWN
! that this rule is wholly Ineffective to save
| any man, IL a superior for improper reasons
| wishes TO remove him, and Is mischieVous
because it sometimes serves 10 keep III tHs
service incompetent men not guilty OF spe-
| ciic wrong-doing. Having these facts IN
| view, the rule has been amended by pro-
| yiding that where the inefficiency or IN
| capacity comes within the personal knowl-
| edge of the head of a department the re-
! moval may be made without notice, the
! reasons therefor being filed and maee
| record of the department. The absolute
right of removal rests where it always has
| rested. with the head CT department; any
| limitation of this absolute right results IN
| grave injury to the public service me
| change is merely one of procedure; 1t was
much needed and is producing good re-
| suits.
The civil service law is being enerseu-
| cally and impartially enforced. and i'll the
ArIt Yllafr a o.
| lations of either the law. or rules are dis
| covered to be unfounded In this respect
| this law compares very faForably with any
| other federal statute. The question OF poll
| tics 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-
| quiring 1t to rely on detailed clerks has
| been justified by the increased work done
| at smaller cost to the government 1
| urge upon the Congress q careful considera-
| ton of the recommendations contained 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, entitled to protection; they i'm
| pose hardships upon the copyright proprie-
/ tor which are not essential to the fair pro-
| tecuon 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.
1 quent no less than twelve acts for the pur-
| pose having been passed since the revised
| statutes To protect them by furtner amend
ment seems impractcable. a complete re-
/ vision of them is essential. Such re-
vision. to meet modern conditions has been
! found necessary in Germany. Austria, Swe-
den and other foreign countries, and bills
| embodying it are pending in England and
| the Australian colonies II has been urged
here and the proposals for commission
TO undertake it have from time TO time been
pressed upon the Congress. TIE inconyen-
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. 1t has secured from them sug-
| gestions q S TO the changes necessary; it has
added from its own experiences and inveS-
| legations, and it has drafted bill which
| embodies such of these changes and addi
/ 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-
! SenteQ. 10 the congress at the coming SeS-
/ sion. 1t deserves prompt consideration.
| Adulteration of Foods.
| I recommend that 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-
/ Stunning public. Traffic in foodstuffs which
! have been debased or adulterated so as to
| injure health or to deceive purchasers
! shoulu be forbidden.
| Smoke Law.
The law forbiddtng the emission of dense
| black smoke or gray smoke in the city of
| Washington has been sustained by the
courts. Something has been accomplished
under il, but much remains to be done if
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
| both the minimum and maximum fine; by
| providing for Imprisonment in cases of re-
! peated violation; and by affording the rem
| So