The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-11
CIVIL SERVICE
COMPARED To
SPOILS SYSTEM
INTERESTING ADDRESS BY PROF
FARNAM TO LOCAL
MERCHANTS.
JOSEPH STOEHR TAKES A CRACK
AT TACTICS OF ADMINS
TRATION.

JOSEPH STOEHR TAKES A CRACK
AT TACTICS OF ADMINS
TRATION.
The regular monthly meeting and
dinner of the Bridgeport Business
Mems Association at the Stratfield,
last evening, was the occasion of a
most interesting lecture by Prof.
Henry w. Farnam, of Yale Univer-
sity. upon "Civil Service Reform as
Applied to Cities" About forty of
the business men and their guests
seated themselves at o'clock to par
take OF an excellent dinner and listen
to the lecture and the discussion it
might bring about. Prominent among
the guests of the association were
Mayor Wilson and Percy Wallace, of
the firm of Sellew & Wallace, of Wa
terbury, president of the Waterbury
Business Mems Association, and the
vice president Of the same body, A.
X. Chattaway.
Although only a comparative few
were at the dinner, several more came
in afterwards, in time to hear the lee
ture at 8 o'clock. President Charles
D. Davis raped for order at that
hour and asked Mayor Clifford B.
behalf Of the city.
Mayor Wilson said he was glad to
be able to welcome to his city the pro-
fessor from the only city in the State
which boosted Of a civil service sys-
tenn in Its government, and he freely
granted the freedom of the city to
such q man as Prof. Farnam. He
spoke of New Haven being the home
Of a large number Of wonderfully bril-
liant men, and spoke especially OF
Prof. Farnam as being prominent
among all those brilliant men.
President Davis then introduced
Prof. Farnam. The professor opened
his remarks by calling special atten-
tion to the most prominent line on the
menu card: ASK the Professor" He
wanted everyone present to feel that
they were at liberty to ask any and
all questions they might choose, and
he would answer to the best of his
ability. To get down to his subject
he remarked that civil service reform
in any way to cause alarm, but that
it is a plain business proposition, and
as such, a subject that must inter-
est the up-to-date business man. He
spoke Of the great tendency now-a-
days to have efficiency engineers in
to reduces the cost OF maintaining the
business and promote the efficiency
of those who are connected with it.
A commission Is now studying to-
ward greater efficiency in the National
Government, and the civil service is
one Of the elements in this higher ef-
f1ciency.
He briefly told then Of the history
Of the spoils system, and Of the az
pointing power Of the head Of govern
ment, and brought out the fact that
during the term Of the first six pres
idents there had been but "a men re-
moved from office, all for cause, but
was q change and during the first
year Of the term he discharged 500
men, mostly for political reasons. The
law passed in 1920, providing for a
four year term for the really fat Of
fees, was the real cause Of the trou-
Bile which grew from the, changes In
administration each four years. At
tempts were made to get rid of the
spoils system at about the same time
that IT started, but with l'ttle success
until the murder OF Garfield, which
was committed by a disappointed Of
flee seeker. This brought the matter
to head, and since then the system
has grown until it now covers 260, 600
offices. It is fairly good system as
far as 1T goes. but it stops short of
some Of the fat offices. The commits
sion appointed by President Taft rec
ommends that all postmasters. co,lec-
tors. ETC., be placed upon the civil
service list.
He then explained the rule of three.
as meaning the selection Of a man to
fill a vacancy from the three highest
men on the eligible list, and showed
also that civil service appointment
does not mean indefinite holding of the
Office.
New Haven has had civil service
Il 1A DyOf
Farnam was the chairman Of the fiji st
board. All city employees are now Sc
lected for their position by examina-
ton, both mental and physical. He
said that civil service in New Haven
meant that the "door Of entrance is
exit is wide OPEN, meaning that any
employe would be discharged at once
upon proof OF his unf1tness for the po-
sition, the reason for his discharge be-
ing stated, but there being no trial
looking to reinstatement. New Haven
is the only city in the State having
such system.
board, because of the insufficient ap-
preparation for the installation of the
system. The board was given the Sc
lection of all the city officials and en-
ployes, except ME elected ones, and
the heads Of the departments. This
included all police. fremen, etc., but
did not take in the teachers in the
public schools. AS well as the men,
tai examination it was necessary to
devise ways to examine the candidate
physically, and arrangements were
made with the Yale physical director
to examine the men. The men all
seemed very much pleased with the
new system, feeling that it would in
sure square deal and they would
not be under obligation to any poll
tician for the job they might get
The examinations were as simple as
could be made, and required an ap-
plicant for the police force, for in
stance, to merely be able to read and
write, and answer a few questions in