The farmer and mechanic., 1906-10-02
Nil service commissioners Ready to
prevent Violations OF Law.

Hon. +. NJ. simmons, Raleigh, n. c.
Sin In The Washington Post of this
morning an interview stated TO ema-
late from You is published, in which
You aIlege that the Federal office hold
erS of North Carolina, both those un-
dtr the civil service rules and those
not unicr the civil service rules, are
indulging in undue partisan activity in
Violation of those rules, and that this
i& particularly true in the Fifth In
ternal R-Venue District of North Caro-
lima. having its headquarters at Ashe-
Vile in that State. BY a recent presi-
Dental order the entire force of the
revenue district in question, except
ing the collector himself, was put in
the classified competitive civil service
and examinations have been held by
the Civil Service Commission to fill
vacancies in that district. These eX-
aminationS in the number of compete
tors and in the character of their
work have been thoroughly SatiSfac-
tory to the Commission.
The intention of the President il
classifying this force was undoubtedly
to secure a better performance of its
work and to that end to limit it's pO-
itic;u activities. l personally visited
North Carolina during the month OF
June last to Superintend the appliCa-
ton of the civil service rules to this
force, and at the same time the chief
examiner of the Commission, Mr.. T
NJ. Higgins, visited the Raleigh dis
trict with Il view of determining
Whether the action taken in regard to
tn" ASheVille district should be extend
cd to the Raleigh district. President
Roosevelt has said that Federal Off
Cials not within the classified service
'luu&t not use their offices to control
political movements, must not neglect
their public duties, must not cause
public scandal by their activity" and
he has said of those in the classified
service that I'm consideration of fiXity
Of tenure and of appointment in no
way due to political considerations, the
man in the classified service, while re-
tanning his right to vote as he pleases
and to express privately his opinion on
all political subjects, should not take
an active part in political manage
ment or in political campaigns for
judge. an army officer. regular sol
dier, or a policeman is debarred from
taking such active part"
The Commission desires that viola-
ti0ns of these instructions or of anv of
the civil service rules or the provis-
l"nS OF the civil service law of January
Is, 1883, shall be brought to its atten-
tlon. with View of investigation, and
such action on the part of the Depart-
lnetiS as Will prevent the recurrence OF
Violations. The Commission itself has
not as 4 general rule investigated
p"lluciu actiVity' outside of violations
OF the civil service act or rules but
$Ucn charges if made and apparently
WtH founded, Will be brought to the
attention of the several Departments
ana any violation of the civil service
act or rules the Commission will in
Ne&ngate itself fully and do all in its
power To secure effectual punishment
We would therefore be pleased to
receive any evidence in your possession
either of violation of the Presidents
instructions. or of an infraction of the
ACT ana rules, and will undertake to
follow up such evidence if it appears
that there is prima ia Gle case of i'm
proper action on the part of Federal
officials of any rank
Very respectfully
HENRY +. GREENE.
commissioner.
Senator Simmons Furnishes Plenty of
Evidence i'll First InStallment.