Evening star., 1909-06-28
HAS NO USE FOR SHIRKERS
Proposes to Run His Department on
Business Basis.
NO BLAME ON THE COMMISSION
Charges Against the Civil
knowledge or Authority.

partment of Commerce and Labor is to
go on the first of July said Secretary
Nagel to Star reporter this morning Il
generally do things first and talk of them
af;erward.
Il propose that the employees of this
department shall render a fair equivalent
do not must get OUT continued the Sec
retary. 1T is purely a question of put
ting the department on a business basis.
am less disposed to be exacting with a
man who has grown gray in the service
after years of faithful performance of
duty than with the young fellows who
have come into it to be supported. The
fellows who observe Office hours because
they are compelled to, who drop their
pens at the hour for quitting no matter
what the condition Of their work or who
fall to give intelligent interest to it at
any time have no place here.
Men Of bad habits. whether 1t be in
temperance in drink or intemperance in
neglect of duty, need expect no consider
alton from me. I am going to consider
each case carefully on its merits. and
when I act it may be depended upon my
action will be well within the require
ments of the law"
Asked as to the authenticity of a state
ment recently published in which prom
inent officer of the Department of Com
merce and Labor Is said to have assailed
the civil service commission. charging
1t with the responsibility for the wholesale
amount Of ineficiency found to exist in
his department and with the daily open
and hagrant violation Of the law, Secre-
tary Nagel said:
80 far as 1 am concerned, the state
IN ryffeYlv yyith Ia nd
false. Indeed" he continued. you are
the first newspaper man / have talked
with on the subject. / have better sense
than to start controversy with another
the newspapers. Furthermore, / do not
know Of my own information, nor has
aaythinE been reported to me which
would warrant some Of the things set
forth In that statement
Nothing to Warrant Charge.
''The trouble here is being dealt with
here and Will be dealt with in proper
manner. know OF nothing to warrant
the charge that the civil service COM
mission is hampering this department
or responsible for the inefficient en-
ployes that may be found in it.
The charges referred to intimated
that the United States civil service
commission Is responsible for the
wholesale amount Of inef1ciency found
in the Department of Commerce and
Labor, and that the commission daily
openly and hagrantly violates the civil
service laws.
When the attention Of Assistant Sec
retary Ormsby McHarg was called to
whether he was responsible for the
matters which 1t contained. he declined
to confirm or deny, saying he did not
propose to be brought into a newspaper
controversy with the civil service COM
mission or any other government de-
partment. What I have to say" he
said. Il do not say anonymously. and
when / say thing / am willing to
back UP my assertion.
Nothing has occurred in this depart
ment to warrant the belief that the civil
service commission was in any way in
terfering with Its administration or
forcing incompetent clerks upon US. BY
direction Of Secretary Nagel l ran down
facts will be reported to him for his
action. That Is all there Is to 1t. There
has been found a large number of in
efficient, mechanical clerks in the de-
partment service-men who have no in
terest whatever in their work. Beyond
a statement which was given out Sat-
uriay,. and which The Star had in full
yesterday morning. l have not author
lied the publication OF any statement
whatever upon this subject I cannot
tions upon me. but some of them have
done so without warrant"
Must Do Their Duty.
Mr.. McHarg il known in his department
as q strict disciplinarian. A hard worker
himself at all times. he insists that his
employees shall likewise render a fair
equivalent for the money paid them. He
Is a bitter enemy Of the ''mechanicaw
~l> -
drops his pen in the middle OF a letter
at quitting time, who takes no pains to
inform himself as to the proper perform
ance OF his duties, whose chief recon-
mendation Is not in what he Is doing,
but what he has done in days gone by,
or whose nerves need alcoholic stimulant
to steady him for his daily task"
Since Mr.. McEarg has taken hold Of
the Department of Commerce and La
creased, he says. fully 80 per cent. I'm
deed, would swear 1t has been increas-
ed 25 per cent" he exclaimed; land II
Is simply the result OF making the men
or expected to work himself to death or
make q phenomenal record. 1t Is simply
a case Of doing what he Is paid for: that
Is all there is to 1t. There Is no reason
or warrant for sensationalism in this
case or for Juggling in controversy with
any other department"
Gen. John G. Black. president of the
civil service commission, who Is reported
to have been very angry at the charges
against the commission. was not at his
desk today. He was reported to be in
disposed at home. Commissioner Nell
benny. however. while declining absolute
ly to make any comment as to the pub
lished statement or the alleged grievance
Of the Department Of Commerce and
Labor, said:
Rules Strictly Adhered To.
There Is never q single instance where
q person 10 certified by the civil service
commission for appointment under the
government outside the civil service law
and rules except by executive order, and
for that the commission Is, Of course, not
answerable. Nor is there q single in
stance where the rule as to apportion-
ment OF certifications for appointment
among the several states is ever waived
until after 1t Is shown to the satisfaction
of the commission. by the department
asking 1t. that such waiver is for the
| goid of the service and in the interest
Of good administration. Discretion as to
1 the waiver of the apnOrfinrrnepf r,,io &c