The Washington herald., 1912-06-27
CIVIL SERVICE
PLANK LIKELY
Washington Men Urge Claims on
Resolutions Committee at
Baltimore Convention.
REORGANIZATION OF THE
SERVICE IS FAVORED
Fulton Gordon Makes Speech Advo.
eating Appointments for Life.
Says Money Is Wasted.
Rr G. 8. PARTRIDGE.

Convention Hall, Baltimore, Nd, June
26.-A civil service plank will be incor.
porated in the Democratic platform. II
is proposed by the resolutions commit.
tee This was learned at the end OF the
committees session at midnight.
Strong representations for a civil serv-
ice plank in the platform were made
before the committee to-day by three
delegations, each Of which offered a
board"
George T. Morgan, OF the United States
mint at Philadelphia; Charles l. Stengle,
OF New York, and Fulton r. Gordon, OF
Washington, spoke.
All applied for a declaration that gov
ernment clerks should have the right 10
appeal: and the consensus expressed by
the committee was that IL was constitu-
tional and required no expression.
The plank proposed to the committee
by Morgan was:
Favor REORGANIZATION.
I'VE favor a reorganization Of the civil
service with adequate compensation.
commensurate with the class Of work
performed, for all officers and employees;
the enactment Of an equitable retirement
law for superannuated and disabled per
sons in the civil service; continuous serv-
.
an extension TO all classes OF civil serv-
ice employees OF the benefits OF the pro-
visions Of the liability compensation act
and the right OF direct petition to Con-
gress by the employees for redress OF
grievances.''
Others present were George L Cain,
League of Government Employees; Carl
c. Vandyke, president Tenth Division
Railway Mail Clerks; Charles n. TWadell.
Philadelphia: oscar F. Nelson. president
National Federation OF Post-office Clerks:
William E. Russell. president Federal
Civil Service Society Of New York; JOS
eph F Scanlan. Customs and Immigra-
ton Service, Boston: David D. Caldwell
Department Of Justice, Washington; r.
Stone Jackson, Treasury Department,
Washington; J. William Shelter. national
secretary Internal Revenue Association.
Warrington Mans Plank.
The plank proposed by stengel was
signed by representatives OF the National
Association OF Civil Service Employees.
including Ed. J. Cantwell, secretary
National Letter Carriers Washington.
and H. F. ODonoghue, Interior Depart
ment, Washington. The plank offered
is:
I'VE favor the principle OF appoint
in accordance with the rules for holding
examinations set down by the Civil Serv-
ice Commission, and favor tenure Of office
during good behavior and efficiency.
In order to promote a higher stadard
Of efficiency in the Federal classified
civil service, We favor the enactment Of
a law that will provide for the retire
ment Of disabled and superannuated gov
ernment employees"
Gordon offered a plank containing the
following principles:
Gordon's Recommendation.
All appointments for life, pensions for
those too old to render efficient service.
Increased pay to the underpaid class
whose wage scale was established sixty
years ago, when the purchasing power Of
money was double what 1t is to-day
Our civil department should be sum
ciently improved so that it would at
tract the best young men and women
in the country to the service.
Money wasted by anbquated methods
sufficient to increase pay Of underpaid
without adding to cost of taxpayers.
Gag rule is unconstitutional, un-Ameri-
can, and should be Immediately revoked.
A court Of appeals immune from polftI-
cal influence should be provided in order
that the government employees should
have redress If for any reason they are
unjustly Disseminated against
Clarence J. Owens, of WASHINGTON,
managing editor OF the Southern Com
mercial Congress, tonight submitted to
the resolutions committee a resolution
indorsing Federal legislation for inves-
tisation Of agricultural credits societies
in