New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-02
CJVIL SERVICE DEMANDS.

The declarations and demands OF va
rious organizations Of civil employees are
worthy OF careful consideration, espe'
cially by those who make them. III
part they are highly commendable. us II
their approval of the merit system anu
their demand that it shall he honestly
upheld so as to protect employees from
unjust removal The demand for IAN
EQUITABLE retirement fund.-" however
such as was made the other day by inc
postal clerks at Rome. n. Y, Is not so
unhesitatlngly to be approved. In extra
hazardous occupations. such as the life
saving service. a pension system woulu
be fitting. But many VIII hold that with
an assured life tenure Of place and pay
on good behavior and efflclent service
and usually with better pay and easier
work than men in private employment
civil servants in general have little claim
To such a semi-eleemosynary provision.
Still more open to critical considera-
tion are some Of the extreme demands
which are made for obstacles 70 re-
moval For example. 1t is provided. ID
bill which has been introduced nj Al
bany at the instance Of an association OF
civil employees, that no man shall be dls-
missed without trial on charges, the pur-
den Of proof. Of course. resting upon tne
maker Of the charges. and that after tlat
there may be an appeal to the courts Tor
q review of the case. II ia extremely
q .odt nd
procedure would he for the good OF the
service-which is the supreme end. In
few cases. probably a very few, "
might be an additional safeguard against
unjust removal In far greater mum
her Of cases Il is to he feared that IL
would operate directly 10 protect ana
10 retain in office incompetent. untaith-
FIJI or otherwise unworthy employees.
Heads of departments would too often
shrink from taking so troublesome ana
burdensome q course, and would let men
remain who ought ~ he dismissed. "
has been found in practice that an ade-
nuate safeguard against wrongful dis
missal is provided In the requirement
that vacancies shall be filled from
connective eligible list Seldom. Indeed
will the head of department dismiss an
employe who is doing good service save
for the purpose Of putting some favored
protege in his place But If he must fill
the place from n civil service list. the
object of dismissal is destroyed Any
rule which would tempt employees 70 rely
or arbitrary technicalitles and red tape
rather than on good service for the main
tenance Of their tenure would be CONTRARY
10 the spirit If the merit system.
It is eminently desirable for civil en-
nloyes TO remember that the merit sys-
tom and the civil service laws and regu-
lations exist primarily for the benefit OF
the state and for the Improvement and
higher efficiency of the public service.
They are rot primarily designed for the
prot ection and benefit Of place holders.
They do. in fact serve these latter ends.
but only incidentally and subsidiorily r.
the former. The American people be
lieve in the merit system and will never
permit II to he abandoned. But they
do not believe in and will not permit the
establishment Of bureaucracy under
which the interests Of the public service
would be sacrificed or subordinated TO
the personal interests If tho public ser
wants