The Cairo bulletin., 1912-02-23

The public.3 on the contrary
which raises men into high positions
in government service, bases its pref
| erence less upon ability. and more
upon the candidates talent as a goot
talker Oratory has won many 3
candidate an Overwhelming election
And as long as this condition pre-
walls. men of inferior fitness are Ger.
tain to be placed into political
power.
Log-rolling, wire-Dulling, clubbing
Of interests, swapping appointments,
and kindred customs which obtain
within political machines, are con-
stantly in evidence. and menace
to any industry under governmental
control
As 4 measure to offset the evils
of political infusnee and pull, the
civil service has been established,
and 10 certain extent it is curbing
the evils set forth above But to
what a meagre extent civil service
reform has in reality offered the
remedy required, shall be pointed
out.
Civil service, in its present form,
is buFdened with handicaps which to
great extent violate some OF the
most salient rules of proper business
and in a great degree destroys its
own ends.
There is no provision In the civil
sarRice code for ad anceme1t be-
ausa Of superior service rendered.
a man holding civil service posi-
On Is only expected to do, and can
oaly ID bis work wall enough 50
taat he will not be discharged
There Is no chance for advancement
~ ones actual record in the service.
apiiitg does aot COM. IN promotion
Pf4Totion depends solely upon ones
cssiaE EMt1er examination.
~ there Is no Incentive ii d
az - iU.i 5r-1ile 10 ex Ell in his
york
This Is the trouble with all gov,
eminent 1"o@d industries AID VI
,endt ~ .ory case TO produce IT,
1iclent wolfmen u nc upy and
navy for tnstance, promotion de-
ends On cons;delat ms restricted
%reely to priority of service and
promotion Of even the man with the
NEST record depends upon vacancla.
curing ahead Of him, either
hrough the promotion Of a superior
officer, his retirement or death.
But perhaps the gravest peril
which accompanies government own
ership Of an industry lies in the en-
coafagement Of beauroeratic tenden.
cies.
1t Is well known fact today that
ths postmaster general OF the Unit.
ed states controls absolutely the vote
u the southern delegates OF BIZ,
party to the national convention.
rms is true because the voting
strength OF the south is composed OF
the negro and the federal Office
holder
The evil Of such control il far
'eachlng and insidious To extend
government ownership to the tele-
graph, and to the next logical step.
the telephone, would be only to ex-
tend the power of such beauro-
cratic tendency, a tendency which
cannot be viewed as anything bat fa-
tai TO democratic ideals.
England, which inaugurated fine
policy of state telegraphs in 1858
furnishes a striking object lesson in
the significance of such ownership
A study Of the events which fol-
lowed England's step In this direc.
ton cannot fail to be highly enlieht-
enins TO us at this time.
u begin with, the telegraph IN
England has been the political play.
th'ns Of every prime minister begin,
| nine with Disraeii
Inferior operation and dabioul
financing have characterized tbs
\ government owned telegraph lines IN
England from first to last. tn