Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-13
LONG DEBATE LIKELY
Many Senators to Speak on
Clerks Tenure of Office.
AMENDMENT Is OFFERED
Mr.. Williams for Plan of Reap
pointment After Five Years.
AS REWARD FOR EFFICIENCY
Will Be Taken Up Later-Mr. Cum
minis to Discuss Measure
He Prepared.
AMENDMENT is OFFERED
AS REWARD FOR EFFICIENCY

\ protrac ted debate over the provisions
in the Legislative. executive and judicial
appropriation bill relating to the tenure
OF office of the civil service employees is
promised in the Senate. When the debate
on these provisions Of the bill WAS taken
up today ii quickly developed that many
senators wanted to be heard.
Senator John Sharp Williams of Mis-
sissippi this Afternoon introduced an
amendment as a substitute for both the
House hye-year tenure provision and the
ten-year tenure provision contained in
the amendment Senator Hepburn of
Idaho offered yesterday afternoon.
Senator Williams made an emphatic
argument against the enactment Of a
civil service pension law. and offered as
his solution OF the problem a plan where
by the government clerks should hold Of
flee for FIVE years. and. IL they maintained
certain standard Of eficiency. they
should be reappointed.
II they failed to maintain this stand
ard the clerks should be dropped. SEN
ator williams said in this way 1t would
be possible to avoid a return TO the old
spoils system. His amendment will be
printed and taken up for consideration
later.
stated that as Mr.. Williams proposition
looked to be an upset Of the entire
civil service system, he intended to adj
dress the Senate at length upon A meas
ure which he has prepared during the
last two years providing for civil service
reform.
Opposed by Senator Burton.
Senator Burton Of Ohio was the first
RI tok In
five or ten year tenure of
ment. He declared such a plan would
mean return to the old spoils system
What Is needed in the government
service is a more efficient rating for
efficiency Of the employees" said Sena-
tor Burton. He added that he knew.
and every other senator knew, OF cases
of promotion by favor in the govern
ment service.
Any bureaucrat guilty Of such an act
He predicted that system Of retirement
and pension for the government employ es
was sure to come.
The short-term tenure of Office also
found an opponent in Senator Hoke Smith
of Georgia, formerly Secretary Of the In
terror under the Cleveland administra-
ton
'.The adoption Of the House five-year
tenure plan would be q dangerous blow
to the public service" declared Senator
Smith. ITO enlarge the period to ten
years would hardly lessen the blow. Sec
ton 5 Of the bill. as passed by the House.
says that the head OF q department may
reappoint Il the retiring employee is EN-
cient. We should guarantee to our young
men entering the government service per
manent employment as long as they are
efficient"
Senator Hepburn interrupted to ask
whether the great corporations Of the
had anything similar to the
civil service system. Senator smith re-
piled that they most certainly had.
Give Up Citizenship.
Senator Hepburn suggested that the
men who entered the civil service gave up
their citizenship for Office and asked IL
this were advisable. Senator Smith de-
clared the government service was for
the benefit OF the people at home" and
that he was willing to have the govern
rnent employees even make the sacrihce
OF giving up their citizenship In part In
order that the people should have an
efficient government
He pointed out that the army and navy
men at present give up their citizenship.
as far as franchise Is concerned for the
benefit of the country.
Senator Cummins entered the debate
long enough to say that he thought the
extension Of the civil service should be
designated by Congress and not by execu-
tive order, as at present, and that he and
his committee on civil service were pre-
pairing such q measure.