The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-20
SECRETARY BONA ARTE ON
 CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

work in the furthering of the objects of the National Civil Service Reform league, through its organization of so- cieties, lectures and many excellent publications.
 Dr. GMman's remarks were very ap- preciatively received by the audience, many of whom had known him as a famous professor of Yale university.
 The following is an abstract of the address delivered by Hon. Charles J.. Bonaparte:
 Secretary Bonaparte reiterated, with even greater assurance, he said, pre- viously expressed belief, given since he assumed his present official position, that ''the practical application to pub lie business of the principles of civil service reform is indispensable to the continued existence of our form of gov- ernment and, further, that, without it, the orderly and efficient administration of the navy department with such a navy as we have would be altogether impossible"
 The secretary then proceeded to give what, in his opinion, based on his off, cal experience, should be the practical and immediate aims of the Civil Ser vice Reform league with view to the improvement of the federal civil ser- vice, saying in part:
 "Ih the first place, we should all try to strengthen the federal commission by securing more nearly adequate com pensation for is members and one or two, at least, among their principal subordinates.
 Tn the next place, we should all try to open up, not to the average, but to the exceptionally merltorious, civil ser- vice of the government q fair prospect of promotion within the government service.
 The method of selecting subordinate employees from the civil service eligible lists, the secretary. here pointed out, had drawn the attention of private es- tablishments to the class of employees obtained by this means. The result was that the service began to suffer from the inroads of these private en1- ployers from whom competent subordi- mates received the advancement which the government could, but won't, give them in it's own service"
 He continued: "A great deal of fuss has been made about the superannua- ton of our public servants, which so far as it is or may become an evil, is open to complete remey by the mere discharge of their full duty on the part of responsible superiors; the want of fixity in the service, however a prac- tical evil, and for which a cure is far less readily found is hardly mentioned, either in congress or by the press. In the navy department this situation would be greatly improved If effect were given by law to a recommendation contained in my last annual report, and which will be repeated in my next, to the effect that a small corps of civilian commissioned officers having military rank and right of retirement, be- recruited from particularly desery- ing civil employees of the department. In non-military branches of the service an appropriate remedy would be fur nished by the abolition of fixed terms for all officials whose positions are in no wise political, and the requirement. that such positions when not profes- sional or otherwise peculiar be filled only by promotion"
 The secretary suggested another change in the law of slight importance in itself, he said, which would greatly facilitate the recruiting of the depart mental civil service.
 Finally" MT. Bonaparte said, q should like to see the privilege of spe- cifying the sex of eliglbles in requisi- tions abridged, and men and women taken without discrimination according to marks, except when both the head of the department and the commission hold that the duties of the position to be filled can be properly discharged only by a man or @ woman, as the case may be. According to my observation, l am now referring to the federal ser vice, wherever women can be chosen by favoritism the place will swarm with them (for the most part widows or fe- male orphans), but where the choice must be made for merit they will not get a square deal"
 The annual convention of the Nation