The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-14
FIX UNCLE SANS AGR LIMIT.
CONGRESS TACKLES PROBLEM or
GUSHING AGED CLERKS.
Representative Livingston, Himself "a. In-
slsts on an Examination as TO Fitness
for Nork-MOre Work for G1vIl Service
BOard-Bennet Lands This City,

lNtb eT hh-
slstS on an Examination ~ 10 Fitness
for Nork-MOre Work for G1vIl Service
B0ard-Bennet Lands Ih;S city,
WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The House Of
Representatives to-day entered upon the
consideration of the bill making appropria-
ton for legislative, executive and judicial
expenses for the year ending June 80, 1907.
1t presented a question that was supposed
to be Of engrossing interest and Importance,
the practical retirement Of clerks in the civil
service at the age Of seventy years, but
aside from the speeches Of Messrs. Littauer
(Rep., N. " and Livingston dem, Gal
Of the Committee o. Appropriations, ex-
planning and defending the necessity for
the proposed legislation and the action OF
the committee in relation thereto, no one
paid the slightest attention to the matter.
Mr.. Littauer said that the Committee on
Appropriations was compelled to investi-
gate conditions Of management in the va
rious bureaus, and although what 1t did was
but as q scratch on the surface there were
occasionally discovered conditions we'll nigh
scandalous. The machinery provided by
Congress did not work; its wheels had lost
their cogs; committees Of the House ape
pointed to supervise expenditures nthe
several departments seldom meet and
never reported. Conditions had become such
that the Committee on Appropriations felt
that q joint committee of Congress should
be appointed to investigate and report
upon the three important, almost vltali
matters In this connection: appointment to
Off ce, promotion, and tenure Of office. 1t
has never been the intention Of Congress
to make tenure Of employment in the civil
serv ice for life; but as a matter Of fact
there was no door out Of the service ave
that just wide enough to admit the
passage OF a coffin.
The Government was not only generously
liberal In the matter Of salary for clerical
ser vice, but the salaries were extrava-
gantly high. The great problem facing
the committee and which Congress must
face was the removal Of the incompetent
and inoapaoitated clerks. The committee
believed a law could be framed without
penalty attachment which would be effeo-
tive. That was to reduce the salary Of
clerks Of 65 years old to $780, Of es years
to 1 ,200, and of 10 years to $40, and that
after June 80, 1918, no clerk over 20 years
old be retained in service.
Mr.. Livingston gave notice that he would
propose as a substitute for the provision in
the bill that an annual examination be made
by the Civil Service Commission of every
employee o5 years Of age in the classified
service as to the efficiency and capacity OF
each to do a full days work. and hat on
the commissions reports the appropriation
committee should thereafter fix salaries
OF provide for reductions OF force. Mr..
Livingston added;
There Is nobody under the broad heavens
to-day that has SO much time as the Civil
Service Board. Everybody works but the
board. ILaughter,l The board has time to
burn, There is another reason why l want
them to do this work. These.people come in
through that door, and it Is the only door
they can get in. and there Is none by which
to get out. Let them go out the door they
CAME In. Why not2 Why handicap a Con-
gresham In his district? Why worry and
trouble this House trying to make q fair
rule?
Standing on this floor fifteen years ago,
when | was on the sub-cominitt making up
the pension list, / told you that you would
the day If you procrastinated then In
settling this question. A civil service law
q civil pension list. All the powers In
heaven. earth and he'll cannot divorce them.
We can do It OF not Is the question.
Laughter and applause
Your committee tried II and raised a hula
balloo over our heads, One gentleman said
to me yesterday: How old are your" l
"a on the lourtn OF April. ana lie
said: And YOU want TO put out all the seventy.
clerks without any examination,
any showing. without any dlscrimi-
nation?" ~Az ~
Speeches we're made by Mr.. Marshall
n. d. In favor Of free alcohol in the
arts; Mr., Hayes Qfep., Cali pleading for the
OF Japanese and Coreans, and
Bennett (Rep., \. ", who responded
70 a sneering assertion some days ago by
Hopkins dem, KY that he did not
go to New York for his ideals"
Mr.. Bennett made a very clever and, TO
his colleagues, a satisfactory showing of
conditions in the metropolis. The final
Of a people, Mr., Bennett said, was the