New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-16
URGE WIDE CIVIL SERVICE
Only President, vice-President
and Cabinet Would Be Exempt.
REFORM ASSOCIATION VIEWS
DR.. Eliot Deplores influence
and Urges Promotions Based
on Merit and Long Service.

Baltimore Dec 15.--The opening sessions
of the thirtieth annual meeting Of the Ma
ticnal Civil Service, Reform Association to-
day and tonight were notable FOR the
lengths to which the association desires the
government to go in the adoption OF us
views. If the ideas of the association are
put into practice, virtually only the Presi-
dent and the Vice-president OF the United
States and the Cabinet will be exempt from
the applicable of the Civil Service rules.
There will also be, il the association can
bring il about. a thorough revision OF the
government salary list. and promotions will
be made strictly on the basis Of merit and
length of service after thorough examina-
ten. These points were elaborated in the
report of the committee promotions, and
also in the annual address of President
Charles ". Eliot tonight.
Dr. Eliot said in part:
The iabors OF the National Civil Service
Reform League have been rewarded during
the administrations OF President Roosevelt
and President Taft by the attainment OF
many improvements In the national service
To-day about two hundred and ninety-four
thousand employees of the government are
in the classified service. of whom about TWO
hundred and twenty-six thousand are com
petitive ana most Of whom have been APP
pointed for merit and premise "a Demon n;
Strated through adequate examinations ana
thorough inquiry. About sixty-eight thous-
and persons in the classified service have;
however been appointed on e x, fa a.,
without competitive examination-a grey
Gus fact which cannot but gravely qualify
the satisfaction Of this league in the re
suits already obtained in the lower grades
of the national Civil Service under existing
legislation.
DIR. Eliot also depiored the fact that in
the unclassified service there remains some
thing more than nine thousand political
appointments which are inaccessible TO the
$4,000 men AMI women who have enLsred
the classified service. He continued:
However meritorious these servants Of
the government may prove themselves 70
D-ccrrine the active influence Of a patron
or without commencing themselves In some
way TO the persons in whose gift the higher
offices lie.
DR.. Eliot referred to President Taft's or
der putting assistant poStmasters in the
classified list and the Presidents declara-
ton in his recent message that in his
opinion first, second and third class post
masterships should be transferred to the
classified list. To procure the legislation
needed to bring about this change in the
Postoffice Department DR.. Eliot said. would
public opinion from all parts OF the coun-
try The league, Dr. Eliot said, would do
it's utmost in support of the recommends
tions'o President Taft. 80
DR.. Eliot here entered upon q review of
the plan prepared by the leagues special
committee on promotions. of which he
is chairman, for regulating promotions
throughout the service. He said:
The Con,u,itfee on Promotions is. strongly |
Of the opinion that neither seniority nor
efficiency records should be adopted as the
didates for promotion to q given once
should submit themselves TO the same tests |
of capacity. and that these tests should |
relate chiefly to ability to perform the |
duty of the higher position sought.
The Committee on Promotions also rec
Sha a as Dc ergna
pointents should be. 1t further recomnIends
that the Civil Service commissiop should
high place in the civil service. demanding
executive ability, should be filled through |
original open competitive examination. to
which employees should he admitted |
Through the exercise OF this discretion the
commission could bring new blood into the |
system at various stages. =.
Declaring that the policy of extending the
merit system which President Taft advo- |
Gates in his recent message to Congress, is
aims to carry the principle of competition
in the government service as far and as
high as it can be practically and usefulIy
applied Richard Henry Dana, of Boston. |
in the report of the National Council Of tbs
League, urged the league to do all in its
power to get Congress TO adopt legislation
removing the entire subordinate Civil Ser
vice from the influence of politics.
Mr.. Dana said the hopes of the move
ment were brighter than ever. II" lauded |
President Taft fer his being stanch |
friend of the merit system" and said:
The programme of legislation laid before |
Congress by the President shows clear |
not only OF the need for re- |
moving the entire subordinate Civil Service |
from the influence of politics, but also the |
fact that public opinion has advanced TO a |
point where it will no longer tolerate ex- |
listing conditions under which minor en- |
pIoyes are selected for merit, while the su- |
perior officers in charge of the work are to |
q, large extent chosen with regard to their |
political qualifications.