The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-07
Congressman Watson Besieg-
ed With Inquiries From
Federal Employees.
THE MEASURE is OUTLINED:
SOME NEW PROVISIONS INJECT
ED INTO CIVIL SERVICE LAM
EMPLOYEES MUST GO HOME TO
VOTE.

Publishers PreSsl ...--,
Washington, April 6.-RepPesenta-
tive Watson of the Sixth district is
being besieged with inquiries from
the army of federal clerks as to the
detailed provisions of his proposed
bill requiring male employees of Uncle
Sam to go home to vote at general
elections.
Il am satisfied" said Mr.. Watson.
that If some of the fossiIiferous gov
eminent clerks were required to go
home and vote they would acquire a
touch of patriotism that would i'm
prove the public service immensely
Under civil service as it is now oper
ated patriotism Is at a low ebb in the
departments. This was shown at the
outbreak of the Spanish-American
war. When patriotic young men all
over the country were champing at
the bit In their eagerness to take up
arms for their country no a single
man in the classified service in Wash
ington offered to voiunteer-not one.
The records will bear me out in this
statement"
Mr.. Watson is receiving a great deal
of encouragement from members Of
congress who do not like the present
civil service system.
The 1iifs Provisions.
When. asked today as to the exact
provisions of the bill which he in
tends to introduce he said .' =
Some of the details remain to be
decided upon at conferences which
uytu hn hnl hut in, n
bill will provide that there shall be a
theoretical examination of each appli.
cant for admission to the government
service, the examination to be directed
solely to determining his fitness for
the particular work which he Is to
preform. II he passes this examina-
ton the head Of the department will
take him on six months probation. If
during that time, he demonstrates
that he is a practical and useful gov.
eminent employee the department
head at the expiration of the six
months will appoint him to the pos
ition which he has been holding tenn
porarily. His appointment will be for
a fixed period of six years and no long
err. At the end of six years without
any action of anybody he will cease to
be an employee of the government and
1t will require the Affirmative act Of
reappointment by the department
head to continue, him In the. govern
ment service. The bill will provide
for the adjustment of the civil SER
vice commission.
The Examination.
"All examinations to determine the
theoretical fitness of applicants will
be conducted by the heads of the
various departments. l am satisfied
that this plan would operate immeas-
urably for the good OF the public SER
vice. 1t would furnish an easy and
convenient way for the heads of de-
partments to get rid Of the dead tim
ber' which now weighs down the SER
vice in nearly every bureau in every
department. Clerks would cease to
be mere machines but would be put
on their mettle, so to speak well
knowing that unless they did good
work they would be dropped from the
rolls at the end of six years from
date on their appointment
Mr.. Watson is very much in earn
est in this matter and 1t Is believed
that IL the civil service committee
Of the house should undertake to
smother the bill he will move to dis
charge the committee ard bring the
bill before the house.