New-York tribune., 1906-05-16
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The President addresses National
League at White House.

washington. Nav iS--president Roosevelt deliv-
cred an address at the White House this afternoon
to representatives of state and municipai ~ ~CNi.
Service commissions and OF the NationaA SINal
Service Reform League, who met here To-Day Iof
a conference with the commissioners OF the gen
eral government with view 60 considering ques-
tisns for the betterment OF Civil Service through
out the country The President said:
have grown increasingly % feel every year " thss by
naye spent e pSSe Non @ here represent
II is important that the friends Of the %oyemenS % @
symbozing Il, shall make it evident % eeyoLa rl
s m sss OF business methods obtain
in the handling of the law. The ersnies ot tt9s ~
nd some iInperfecton which they can dllate upon
and enlarge out o. az propoTton aqs or pfst s s reason
it is particularly ncunnsent upon you hG s are sy en
gafona IN ssee Sae Sr unpa 70 make clear
that no one can fail % see that you are coacered
tration Of the public service One q the gratifyinS
things OF recent M yeS6s nes eesm e and Because OF
that interest, Il Is peculiarly tncumoent upon t yCG
TO TO see t4SS st mere M e Is not D practca The ecncy
the service, with honesty as OF eonrse ne es Aeo
stone of efficiency. must be the priihs tssl %
To the general rules that you lay down you VIII
find at times that II is necessary 70 make escep-
tiOns There are many places In which it Is pos
Animation a6soiuteIy Tndeviatingiy.. for entrance
to positions as clerks stenOgraphers, letter carIeTs
ing promotions, the system OF written competitive
examinations does not SECURE the 6es{ % gaces
saTy hexbility which will permit you to meet Sps
TO meet special cases. Sometimes, though more
rarely. classes Of exceptions will have 70 be made
pToper reasons In other wors dc not beiieve for
one moment that any system OF rules can be de-
vised under which IL will be possible to shield your
self from the duty Of exercising your own tudg-
ment, your own independence.
POLITICS WORKS HARM TO SERVICE.
After considerable experience in almost every kind
of governmental work. l have never yet found any
which the intrusion Of political reasons in making
appointments does not do damage. The result IS
always bad when the appointment has to be COM
plicated with the question OF politics It Is true az
present that IL s impossible & to o
and as yet no way has been devised to secure such
able or unavoidable, the intrusion Of political con-
siderations into the choice Of men whose duties are
now naturally brought into relations with a
great number OF important offices in different
branches OF the government throughout the
try. and continually have to consider the ques-
Practically without exception | find that an office
the Civil Service law where there is an effort 20
e1rSumvent i the law where there is effort 20 get
dered; the chance for fraud for peculaton for dis
IN the office Were Re aw N is % an and OGe nT
observed If the appointing officer administers the
he tries to evade Il or 1iolate IL 4 has been II my
efficiency and corruption are sure to obtain. And
ance OF the Civil Service law can never result in
thoroughly efficient administration of any Office yet
am inclined more and more to feel that the OBJ
servance in letter and spirit Of the Civil Service
laws is the first requisite IN obtaining clean effi-
cient governmental service in any branch or bu-
reau OF the government.
General John G. Black. president Of the United
States Civil Service Commission, presided over the
opening session and Commissioners Afford W.
Cooley and Henry F. Green delivered brief ad-
dresses After less than an hour spent in this
way the twenty more delegates were conducted
through the office of the Federal Commission and
shown the working methods employed there.