The Detroit times., 1911-01-20
CIVIL SERVICE FOR
SCHOOL TEACHERS
Detroit's System Should Be Extended
To Include Them, W. d. Foulke
Tells Board of Commerce.

The guest OF honor at the Board OF
Commerce luncheon I'm the Hotel TUT
| :, Thursday noon. was William Dud'
ley Foulke. OF Richmond. Ind, one
OF the most prominent writer's and
speakers on the subject OF civil ser
vice. Levi L. Barbour, president OF
the municipal civil service commits
sion, introduced Mr. Foulke. He
spoke briefly upon the aims OF the
Detroit commission, which Is just be.
irg organized. In introducing Mr..
Foulke, Mr.. Barbour told OF his work
in the United States civil service COM
mission.
Mr.. Foulke spoke In part as follows:
Detroit Is to be congratulated upon
the specific and drastic character Of
the civil service amendmcnt 10 It's
charter. Generally the provisions OF
eity civil service law are genera ana
vague. leaving a wide discretion 10
commission in Michigan IL would lie
better still TO put the city civil service
and the city commission under the
general supervision OF that body. But.
having none. you have made the best
arrangement practicable.
The provision for all unpaid commis-
sion Is also sood one, higher class
OF men can be secured without COM
pensation Inan could be upon the low
salary that would have to be allotted
10 such an office. An appeal TO puoac
spirit rarely fails TO call out cltlzens
OF standing ana patriotism who VIII
devote their very best efforts TO mu-
nicipal service from the pure sense OF
each party, with the mayor TO decide
In case of tie. The restriction, too.
upon the mayors power OF removal -
a wise one. There are only three
IN. N nat
OF duty and malfesance. and the COM
missioner whose removal Is sought ~
entitled TO hearing; The reasons
must be reported. All these steps. WITH
their attendant publicity, Will measur-
ably protect the commissioners against
arbitrary or capriclous removals for
personal or political reasons ~ woni QUIZ
such an removal by Judgment OF
court which does not involve greater
Inconvenience and dangers
Your provisions for promotion are
TN advance OF the system now prevail
ing in most OF the federal departments.
but IL will be found that in the future
even these provisions can be improv-
ed. The National Civil Service Re-
form league is endeavoring to insti-
tute a new system providing that mere
Increases OF salary when the duties on
determined by efficiency records. These
records have now been developed with
reasonable scientific accuracy In Chi-
both places il well worth study But
promotion from one position to an
other where the duties are different.
can. 1t Is believed. best be determined
by competitive examination and pro-
baton in the new grade.
Your civil service commission might
appropriately provide In It's rules Tor
tfons and require that the reasons for
such promotions by the appointing Of
Ger should conform TO such re8uia-
lions. -
Your list of excepted places is still
larger than Il ought 10 be and larger
than IL will finally become. Teachers
Education can well be selected by com
petitiye methods and the deputy or as
sistant can well be omitted from your
exceptions; alth1ugh ne may tem hed
OF department. Still IL may be bet
ter for you not TO go TOO fast and these
exceptions may be eliminated hereaf-
i have always found that the best
results In regard to the discharge OF
men from the classified service are not
rea ched when there are too many re-
strictions placed around the appoint :
ing officer 1t IL. OF course. only fair
that the man whom IL Is proposed 10
he permitted TO answer them. but the
provision that the civil service commits
sion shall investigate and pass upon
such reasons tfurther than to ascertain
pies the head OF a department In max
ing a removal where he ought to have
free hand. He will. In general. not
make removals arbitrarily where he
has no discretion In filling the place
OF the man removed. while the knowl-
edge that his action may be investi-
will often deter him from making re-
movals that ought to be made. Under
YOUR law the commissioner Will have to
exercise great care not to paralyze mis-
power except I'm the most clear ana
urgent cases. There are far more bal
men retained than good men discharg-
ed. even where the power OF removal
Is discretionary.
on the whole. your law Is an admir-
able one and the foregoing. criticisms
are not made to discredit IL, but 70
point out some OF the pitfalls which
may still lie in the path Of those who
are seeking to enforce IL.