The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-10-26
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

y.
An amendment to the Civil Ser
vice rules that has spread dismay |
in Washington was authorized by |
the President just before he lett the |
Capital for his trip through the
South. This was in effect all
amendment giving to the Cabinet
officers the right to dismiss any
officer or employee in the classified
service whose inefficiency or mis-
conduct in Office is brought to the
attention of or witnessed by the
head OF the department. The dis
charge may be made summarily and
the person so dismissed is without
recourse. A 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 employee 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 person will mere
ly need to have personal knowledge
of the inefficiency or misconduct Of
the employee and his power of re-
moval is absolute. Only those i'll
the departments or familiar with
their workings can understand the
full meaning of this order, or COM
prehend the effect that it 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.
fiuence I'd preterment than this IS
now to those who have passed their
examinations and felt themselves
secure tor 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 vast improve
ment OF the service both in efficieu-
cy and economy. There is not d
department that will not be bene.
fted by wholesale application Of
the amendment. There are depart
ments far behind in their work,
notably the United States Patent
Office. Other departments such as
the Navy are impeded IN their work
by many superannuated clerks and
all are suffering from the presence
OF persons unequal to the work fer
which they are appointed, from
diss ipated clerks who stretch their
sick leave and annual vacation time
to cover frequent sprees, still others
who use Government time, the
services of amanuneses paid by the
Government, data and illustrations
collected by the Government, and
Government stationary to carry on
literary work for which they re-
ceive outside pay. The number
who engage in small speculations
from the Government such as the
use for private purposes of station
airy, ink, books and pocket knives,
9 and the employment as messengers
and house servants of the depart
ment messengers is so large as to
include probably nine tenths of the
employ ees. One acquaintance of
your correspondent, woman EN-
ployed for more than thirty years
in government Office has the mes
senger of her department attend to
her furnace in her house twenty
blocks distant from the Office. He
also takes care of the side walks for
the chief Of the department and acts
as bu'ler when the chiefs wife is
receiving. This same woman pre-
sents her grandchildren 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 stationery and
on department typewriters. Her
thirty days annual vacation are
arranged after this fashion. She
decides for instance to take one at a
time and selects Monday. Satur-
he -. al