Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-13
Chiefs of Bureaus Blamed.

SuieIS OI outSduS o3duco.
When through any inhrnties mental or
physical. he is no longer competent to de-
liver an equivalent for his salary he must
go and let those able TO do 50 take his place
Our government IS no charitable institu-
tion.''
Il should like to inquire" interrupted
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio, IF there
Is no power anywhere to set rid of an IN
competent clerk"
There Is" replied Mr. Littauer. The
Law makes ample provision for getting ria
OF Incompetent clerk today. but ] was
Just about to comment on the fact that me
Law is not lived up to-"
Replying to further questions by Mr..
Grosvcuor, Representative I.ittauer said
that he thought provision could be In
serted in the law That would eliminate in
competent employees, and he thought II
would be a GOOD idea moreover, to elimi-
nate some OF the people who refused TO
obey the law.
''They are the heads of bureaus and the
heads Of departments, said Mr.. Littauer
''but they seem to be overcome with SYM
pathy for the superannuated clerk
And some of them are in the same
class" interjected Representative Charles
Lands OF Indiana.
Yes" repked Mr.. Littauer. many OF
them are in the same class. This govern
meut is not charitable institution. We
cannot make our departments homes Tor
the aged and infrm. We must demand that
our clerks continue competent and we must
md means OF getting llu OF muse VIII pIofS
that they not competent. For years
this House has included a provision in This
very bill declaring that no appropriation
carried In the bill should be applicable 10
the payment OF the salary OF an incapaci-
tated clerk. But when our bill reaches an
other body we find lnsstenCe there that
this ncapaCity must be permanent Then
the administration of the law goes TO the
heads OF departments and the heads OF
bureaus. and these gentlemen declare that
they are not gifted with divine foresight
that they cannot tell whether the incapacity
of the day in the case of any clerk VIII
not be cured at a future day. They say
they cannot tell whether the clerk stricken
with paralysis may not at some future day
be drawn out of his trouble. Consequently
the law is nothing but dead letter.
Carried Away by Sympathy.
ct was never the intention of Congress
that tenure of office under the civil service
should be for life. and yet the action of
these heads of departments and heads of
bureaus permitting their sympathies to
carry them away has evidently thWaftea
the intention of Congress-.
rs there any penalty attached" asked
Representative DalzeI OF Pennsylvania
for the violation of the law imposing on
the heads of departments the duty OF DIS
charging an Incompetent clerkT'
Representative Littauer replied that there
was not, and Mr.. Daizeil remarked that the
law was not of much account that had no
penalty attached to it, and suggested that
some such penalty would make the law eff
fective. Representative Littauer thought II
was within the power OF Congress TO ait Ten
such penalty, but thought the difficulty
would .ome in the framing of the law that
could he applied with justice, Mr.. DaiZel!
thought Il would be very easy.
There are extreme cases, no doubt, said
MIR. Littnuer, that can be made applicable
To the general law, hut the question
whether or not man is capacitated or IN
CHpacita ted is one that would be difficult
20 make subject to the exact provisions OF
q general law.
committee has conducted Il thorough in-
Quiry with the single patriotic purpose OF
bFnefiting the service.
Representative Prince of Illinois inquired
AZ an amendment would not be proper ex-
empting Union soldiers and the widows of
Union soldiers of all from the re-
strctions of the age limit, and Mr.. Lit
tauer said he did not care to answer the
question at this time.
Mr.. Prince gave notice of an amendment
lie will offer later eXempting from the oper-
alton OF the age provision veterans and the
widows of veterans of the civil war.
Mr.. Livingston also gave notice that he
should offer substitute for the age-linit
provision by putting on the civil service
commission the duty of annually reporting
on the efficiency Of every government clerk
siXty-fve years or older.
why not let these people GO out the
same door they came in?'' asked Mr.. Liv-
ingston. Civil service means civil pen
sions. and all the powers of heaven and
earth or he'll cannot stop ft-whether we
can or not remains to he seen" Laughter).
The civil service board has time to
burn" declared Mr.. Livingston. EVERY
body works but the board-let II shoulder
This work
MIR Marshall IN. d. followed with a
speech in favor of tire bill allowing free
alcohol for use in the arts and for mes
4.4 F.gfl