Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-17
A Negative Victory.

AS far as the department clerks in
WASHINGTON are concerned. the fight over
the legislative appropriation bill is con-
cluded in their favor. The President $
veto has effectively checked this attempt
TO establish a fixed term Of service, GER
tain to lead to the restoration OF the
spells system. The House has failed to
pass the bill over the veto, and now the
appropriations committee, admitting de-
feat. has redraUn the measure. with this
objectionable clause omitted. What hap
pens now to the bill respecting the Com
merce Court or any of the items which
appear to have been pulled out of the
measure by the committee for the alleged
purpose of scoring on the President IN
retaliation for his refusal TO sign the
original draft. is of no concern to the
workers in the governments ranks here
at the capital For the present at least
they are safe from the menace of a fixed
tenure, and for this salvation they owe
their thanks 10 President Taft. whose veto
stopped a movement that was designed
and destined 10 place reappointment in
the service upon the low basis of political
favor.
The bill as it now stands. as before IN
that respect, establishes an innovation in
advantage of the clerks. Promotions are
10 he made upon the basis OF efficiency,
as determined by records. In its spirit
tie new provision is clearly in the line
of strengthening the merit system. As
far a. it goes IL tends to render the gov
ernment service more consistently gov
erned by the doctrine that the best men
are chosen and retained and promoted
But fhiS advancement toward an
ideal civil service leaves undone the
vitality essential thing. 1t makes no pro-
vision for the superannuated. short of dis
charge after efficiency has begun TO wane
IL was declared 70 be the purpose of the
seyeT-year tenure clause to accomplish
this end by simply wedding out the
elder workerS-save those with records
as military or naval veterans-regardless
of their length of service or past per-
formances. This was in a manner the
logical course II the United States is not
10 take pains TO provide in some way
for its workers grown old in its service.
There is no bright prospect ahead in
The matter OF any practical solution OF
this problem. AS far as the House OF
Representatives Is concerned, the uues-
lion is not regarded as of moment It
has been recently a matter of open boast
that there was no support on the floor
tor civil pension proposition, in any
forIn. and point was made of the al
leseo fact to justify the supposedly sin
cerc attempt by means Of the seven-year
tenure ciause-changed from its original
-cur-yCar fornl-to clear out the dead
wood from the departments in order to
increase the average Of efficiency. Thus
The chances OF an enactment in the near
future which will put the government
service or the same basis as that occu-
pied by the larger corporations and by
many small business institutions, in
which length Of service is a merit and
rot repToach, and reward fidelity with
etIrement upon A competence and en-
rage continuous connection by guar
teeing honorable release from active
~ al the end of the years CT physical
npetence
therefore this session will close with a
2auve success in regard 70 the evolu-
n OF the government service, consisting
defense of the merit principle in the
'eciion OF the Ubiquitous fixed-tenure
osal This is something 10 be thank
for. even though the United States Is
sk. held back from doing that which is
handed by every considera ton Of h,,-
10y and business enterprise.