The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-25
THE BLIC CRIB.

sense but in order to quickly get at the | excessive number of public servants | the electors are asked each year in l some form or other to elect. It is just beginning to dawn upon people that they are asked to fill altogether too many offices and are obliged to bother their heads out of all proportion to keep up political fiction, to the ef- feet that each and every office must be filled by means of the ballot box. If .he movement in this State to estaD- fish a direct primary system of nom- mating public officers serves no other purpose than to emphasize the absurd ity of this fiction it will not have been begun in vain
 The Journal-Courier has printed the news of the formation of an associa- tion of postmasters last week Later in the day many of them dined with the letter carriers association, which was at the time in session in New Haven
 While neither set of postal officials owes its incumbency of public office to popular elections, similar principle determines the official existence of the postmasters. A change in the political complexion of the federal administra- ton means that all first-class post masters at any rate who are not in party sympathy with it's aims are re- moved at the first opportunity for oth- CTS, who know nothing of the cares of the office, and who are appointed be- cause they are numbered among the conspicuously faithful party workers at the polls The clerks and letter car riers come under the civil service laws. and hold their positions during good behavior and efficient conduct. In the days previous to the enact ment of the civil service laws, when postmaster was partisan ringmaster, who used his office and the employees thereof for the benefit of his political organization, 1t made difference who was put in charge, but to-day, when the great majority of the employees of the postoffice department are protect ed by the civil service law, 1t Is of no consequence whatever where the chief stands politically. In other words, with the postoffice taken out of practical politics the only consideration which should play any part, either In the appointment or retention in office of a postmaster, would be his ability to col- lect and deliver the mails accurately and efficiently Nothing was ever gain ed, for example, by the removal of Mir
 Sperry from the postmastership of New Haven, and should a Democratic administration succeed the present ad- ministration nothing would he gained by the appointment of a new post master, unless he was shown to be a more efficient man at the business.
 In a speech before local military organization in Hartford Saturday evening Mayor Henney advanced this same idea from different point of view He declared that Hartford need ed new city charter. one which rec ognizes the principle of single headed responsibilty. each administrative
 head to employ his own assistants and
 employees. In other words, Mayor
 Henney would reduce the number of public officials to he either elected ar appointed. Ii is not a question with
 him of the success or failure of the
 present administration of affairs in that city, but of establishing and
 maintaining an administrative system which experience and observation have
 determined is the likeliest to produce at all times excellent results. By plac-
 ing each department ,.lder responsi-
 ble head, and by applying the civil service principle to subordinate posi- tions. there would at once he estab- lished an administrative system of
 government which could be depended upon as much as any system depend ent upon human conduct and control
 can be relied upon. The nearer the
 municipality gets to business princi-
 ples of guidance the better off it will
 he from every conceivable point of
 view. Exactly the same thing is true
 in the case of most of the State off, ! ficers now either elected or appointed
 1t is. for example, an almost intoler- | able burden upon the electorate tO
 compel it to fill the offices of Secretary of State. comptroller and treasurer while that method of filling those of | fees aids in no way, nor does it hinder | the progress of the peoples business Except as they benefit the party seek | ing office in the distribution of favers | they might better be filled and kept filled during good behavior It is 2 per fectly simple matter to select the of- hces which for obvious reasons should