The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-07
CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY
SENATOR BORAH IS GOING TO ASK
 FOR TT
Many are Dissatisned-Deciared Fa- yorftism, Not Merit System, is Employed Generally in
 Promotions.

Senator Borah of Idaho. aided py both insurgent and conservative sena- tors. will try early in the session to put through a resolution authorizing the investigation of the whole sys-' tenn of the Federal Civil service. Cummins of Iowa, Is chairman of the Committee on Civil Service. and he stands back of his Idaho colleague in his endeavor to let in the light.
 It is the general impression, ap- parently, that the Senators of the United States, for the most part, are not deeply in love with Civil Service restrictions on appointments but there are certain features of the service which have appealed to the Senators are In need of amendment and there seems to be a fair prospect that the system will be looked into and very likely overhauled thoroughly before another year has gone by.
 The administration favors purity in the Civil Service. and 1t is known to be MT. Taft's desire that the spirit of the service shall prevail in all depart ments. Civil Service affects thou sands upon thousands of appointees to office as far as their getting into office is concerned but. once in, merit seems to count for little in the maj ority of cases of promotion.
 Not Fault of Commissioners.
 It is not the fault of the Civil Ser vice Commissioners that the unit per- son at work in a department of gov ernment is promoted while the 1t one stays where he is. knowing that he has been unjustly treated. but yet forced to be content to draw his small 40 hfa hardaf work, while the unworthy one gets fat check and an easy birth.
 When Senator Borah first advanced the opinion that the civil service sys- tenn needed Investigating. he was commended by several conservative brethren to whom Mir. Rorah's ordinary activities do not appeal. If memory ia right. 1t was William Alden Smith who said that the chief of bureaus in Ire various department were In many cases nothing more or less than petty tyrants who recommended the advance ment of men and women from grade to grade on solely personal grounds ana without the slightest regard to the efficiency or the lack or IL sho"n m their work.
 There are in round numbers 30.000 employees of the National Government at work in Washington. Any investi- gation of the civil service. however. will reach the government depart ments all over the country. It will not be a local affair. Complaint is fre- auent, in the washington departments and in the Government service eise- where. that because man belongs to the same lodge as his bureau chief or that he happens to attend the same church with him. or that their wives are great friends. will lead to the promotion of the lazy one while the hard work keeps at his old desk.
 May Evolve Promotion Plan.
 The civil service does not take cog nizance of promotions excepting in some comparatively few instances. The recommendatio for advancement from grade to grade are made, and. of course 1t has to be taken for grant ed that those who make them are passing their words of praise on merit alone.
 If the Senate adopts the Borah reso- lution and a Committee of Inyestiga- ton is appointed the wholem alter of promotions will be gone Into. and 1t Is expected that some plan will be evolved by which advancement in grade may be made subject to the rules of the civil service.
 It is likely that some, of the senators are A bit selfish in their desire to have a plan for promotion by merit put into force in all the departments As things are now, senators and re- presentatives are besieged by govern ment employees with requests that in- fiuence be used to get them pro- motion, which, of course. every one of the applicants says he deserves. If advancement can be put on merit basis. the members of Congress would be relieved of many importunities and of the necessity of many visits to the heads of departments to make appeals for the importuate.
 Pensions not Favored.
 For years there have been attempts to secure the passage of law which would enable old Government clerks to retire on pensions. Congress al- ways looks timidly at the prospect of a pension list, but if the Government should authorize one. 1t is certain that 1t would save money and increase the amount of daily work. In every de- partment In Washington there are men and women who ought to be sitting in easy chairs by the fireside at home with people to wait on them. These include men and women who In their day have done faithful service and, who come to the departments day in and day out, and there try to work. No oue.>has the heart to discourage them, and they do what little they can. They are borne on the rolls and they receive full salaries for modi- cum of labor. Where the force in the office is limited the younger clerks do their own work. and that which the older ones are forced to leave un- done.
 Many of the veterans of the service who go to the departments on crutehes Or in cabs which they pay for out of their slender means because of inabil- ity to get into the street cars, are either veterans of the Civil War or Che widows of veterans. There areswomen trying to work in the departments whose husbands wore stars on their shoulders when in the war service of Uncle sam. A
 WonHA starve if Dasmlssed.
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