The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-12-05
The CIVIL SERVICE


The civil service law has been on
the statute books for twenty-five
years. Every President and a vast
majority of heads of departments
who have been in Office during that
period have favored gradual extern |
sion of the merit system. The more
thoroughly its principles Have been
understood. the greater has been thel
favor with which the law has been
regarded by administrative officers
Any attempt to carry on the gTeat
executive departments of the Gov
ernment without this law would IN
evitabIy result in chaos. The Civil
Service Commissioners are doing eX-
cellent work; and their compensa-
ton is adequate considering the ser
vice they perform.
The statement that the examina-
lions are not practical in character
is based on misrepresentation OF the
practice of the Commission The
departments are invariably consult
cd as to the requirements desired
and as to the character of questions
THAT shall be asked. General lnvl-
tations are frequently sent out to all
heads of departments asking whether
any changes in the scope OF charac-
ter of examinations are required In
other words, the departments pre-
scribe the requirements and tho
qualifications desired, and the Civil
Service Commission cooperates
with them in securing persons with
these qualifications and insuring
open and impartial competition In
a large number of examinations las
for example, those for trades posi-
tions) there are no education re-
quirements whatever, and person
who can neither read nor write may
pass with high average. Naean'
cies in the service are filed with rea'
sonable expedition and the machin'
erv Of the Commission, which reach
cs every part of the country, is the
best agency that has yet been devised
for finding people with the mos
suitable qualifications for the var
ious Offices to be filed. Writer
competitive examinations do no
make an ideal method for filling
positions. but they do represent al
unreasonable advance upon TIT
"spoiIs' method, under which out
side politicians really make the ap
poin+ments nominallv made by tn
executive officers. the appointees be
ing chosen by the politicians IL
question. in the great majority o
crses. for reasons totally unconnect
ID with the needs of the service or o
The public.
Statistics gathered by the Censu,
Bureau show that the tenure OF OF
fcc in the Government service doe
not differ materially from that en-
loved by employees of large bushes
corporations. Heads of executive de
partmen+s and members Of the Com
mission have called my attention II
the fact that the rule requiring nj
| ing of charges and three DAYS notice
before an employee could be. separat
cd from the service for inefficienc'
has served no good purpose whatever
because that is not matter upor
which hearing of the employee
found to he inefficient can be of any
! value. and in practice the rule pro
viding for such notice and HEARING
has merely resulted in keeping in
certain number of incompetents. be
cause of the reluctance of heads OF
departments and bureau chiefs to %
through the required procedure. Elk.
| pericncc has shown that this rule is
wholly ineffective to save any man
IL y superior for improper reasons
wishes to remove him. and is mis-.
nhievious because it sometimes serves
% 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 ineffciency or
incapacity comes within the personal
knowledge of the head of depart
mcnt the removal may be made with
out notice, the reasons therefor being
fled and made a record of the de-
partment. Tho absolute right of re-
moval rests where it always has rest
I'd, with the head of department. !;
my Limitation of this absolute right
results in grave injury to the pub
lie service. The change is merely
ono of procedure; it was much need
d and it is producing good results.
The civil service law is being
ncrgeticallv and impartially en-
forced. and in the large majority of