The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-16
READS A LESSON.
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wAautvutuv, MAY ~ President Rooee.
volt declared to-day In y sTprch delivered
NJ the White iinuae hat after considerable
etperterce In almost every kind n Govern
mental work he hal never vet found any
position mr. any hranch of the service ne
regards which tho intrusion ~ political
rpa@nns In making appointments did not
do damage
The President was talking To twenty
atty and state civil service officials who
ara In Washington to confer with the mein-
hers Of tho Federal commission with q Hew
to securing an interchange uf ideas IN order
that more uniform methods might he'
adopted In the administ ration Of civil
service acts in national state and municipal
governments. The visitors were presented
to the President by Gen. John G. Black.
chairman Of the United States Civil Service
Commission. The President said.
Il have grown increasingly to feel every
year that I have spent in public life the i'm
portance Of the movements which you
gentlemen here represent. II IL important
that the friends of the movement that those
like YOU who stand in the public eye as SYM
bolizing il shall make it evident beyond
possibility of misunderstanding that you
are anxious TO SEQ Commonsense business
methods obtain in the handling Of the aw,
"The enemies Of this movement for reform
are always on the watch to find some i'm
perfection which they can dilate upon and
enlarge out of all proportion, and insist that
il is representative of the movement. For
that reason it Is particularly incumbent on
you who are eng ged in the actual admins
tration Of the avs. national, State or
municipal, to make it clear 80 that no one
can fail to see that you re concerned chiefly
in securing the effe ctive business admins
tration of the public service.
zone of the gratifying things Of recent
years has been the rapid spread of interest
in the whole movement, and because OF that
interest it is peculiarly incumbent on you
to zee that there is not a chance for the
opponents to say that it is not practical.
The efficiency Of the service, with honesty
az Of course the keystone of efficiency,
must be the prime test Of what you do.
ITO Gse great general rules that you lay
ga nv to make exceptions. There are many
plac in which it is possible to follow the
rule of a competitive written Examination
absolutely undeviatingly- for entrance to
positions as clerks, st~enographers, letter
g %rriers, railway mail clerks, &c, for in
stance.
"But in making promotions the system or
written competitive examinations does not
secure the best results. Moreover, IN the
interest of preserving the necessary fexibil:
ity which will permit you to meet special
exigencies special exceptions have TO be
made to meet special cases. Sometimes,
though more rarely, classes OF exceptions
will have to be made. Do not be afraid
at all to make these exceptions; but be sure
you are making the exception for proper
reasons. In other words, do not believe
for one moment that any system or rules can
be devised under which 1t will be possible
to shield yourself from the duty OF %exercis-
ing your own judgment, your own inde-
pendence.
after considerable experience in almost
every kind OF governmental work, have
never yet found any position or any branch
of the service regarding which the intrusion
does not do damage. The result is always
bad when the appointment has to be com
plicated with the question Of politics; 1t
Is true at present that it il impossible to
dissociate certain classes OF appoint
ments from such considerations, and as yet
no way has been devised to secure such dis
sociation. Yet it remains true that,
whether avoidable or unavoidable, the in
trusion Of political considerations into the
choice Of men whose duties are purely
ministerial is always detrimental to the
service.
Il am now naturally brought into rela-
tons with a great number of important
Offices in different branches OF the Govern
ment throughout this country, and l con-
tinually nave to consider the question Of the
efficiency with which they are handled.
Practically without exception l find that
an Office in which there is laXness in the
administration of the civil service law.
where there is an effort TO circumvent the
law, where there is effort to get around It,
is an office in which poor service i~s.renderedi
the chance for fraud, for population, for dis
honesty, is always greater in such an Office
han in the Office where the law is well and
faithfully observed.
III the appointing officer administers the
civil service law in a spirit of hostility to 1t,
If he tries to evade it or violate 1t, it has been
my experience that in the great majority
of cases ineficiency and corruption are sure
to obtain. And while, of course. it is true
that the mere observance Of the civil SER
vice law can never result in a thoroughly
efficient administration of any Office, yet
| am inclined more and more TO feel that the
observance in letter and spirit of the civil
service law il the first requisite in obtaining
clean, decent, efficient Governmental SER
vice in any branch or bureau of the Gov
eminent