Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-16
System Urged by Civil Service
Reform League Committee.
REPORT ON SUBJECT MADE
Necessary to Attract Men of High
Caliber to Government Places.
SUGGESTIONS AS TO BOARDS
Examinations for Advancement
Should Be Open to All Of Par
ticular Grade in Department.

"A probation system is essential to the
development and success of the service.
and such system must apply to the
higher AS well as to the lower grades. 1t
is essential, in order to attract men of
the right caliber to the service, and in
order to provide them with sufficient In
centive to remain in the service and give
to it their highest mental efforts, with a
view TO making 1t life career" Such is
the conclusion embodied in the report of
the committee on promotions of the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League. which
was submitted to the league at its Scs-
sion in Baltimore yesterday.
The report sets forth the evil of the
lack of such a system, recOunts unclassi-
tied positions of an administrative char
acter, such as chiefs of bureaus, assist
ant secretaries in the departments al
Washington. presidential postmasters. col
lectors of customs and internal revenue.
Inarshals. commissioners of immigration
outside Washington, which should be, and
could be, embraced Al such a system, ALL.
quotes a paragl aph from the report &C
companying the Pendleton bill. which
afterward became the civil service act.
submitted to the Senate by Senator Pen
dleton May II. 1SS2, setting forth clearly
the intention of the act that promotions
as well as appointments to the civil serv-
ice in the departments or larger OFFICES
should be gwen to those found best fitted
to discharge the duties. such fitness to be
determined by open. fair, honest, impair
Iial. competitive examination, and it
further outlines a plan for a promotion
System.'
Bill Provides for System.
1t recites that the passage of the bill
introduced at the last session of Con-
f;1 Of
chusetts, carrying out the recommended
ton of the Keep committee for a re-
classification of salaries, would make pos
sible the adoption Of a uniform promo
ton system.
1t discusses the merits and dement's
Of the free promotion system, whereby
the head of the department is unhamper-
ed In making promotions: promotion by
seniority, which tends to impair the
vitality and kill personal initiative. and
promotion on records of efficiency, which
theoretically would seem to provide for
q sound method of advancement" but
which appeals most strongly to those
who have merely a superficial knowledge
OF conditions in the public service. and
argue mainly from the point of view Of
experience in private business"
''As matter of fact" the report states.
this system rarely has been found to
work satisfactorily in public departments,
supplemented ny d. ulSCrttiOH III
the appointing officer to depart from the
system, and appoint from the outside, or
by competitive examination
The report refers to the fact that the
marking officer Is human, and the mere
fact that the record is continuous and
entries are made at stated intervals is
not sufficient to eliminate the existence
OF personal preference, favOritism and
outside influence" 1t quotes the chief eX
aminer of the civil service commission as
saying the history of efficiency ratings
as a basis for promotion in the federal
service is that they lapse or become per-
functOry''