Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-07
Favors Elimination.


| In his speech referring to the present
aspect of the civil service he said:
1T is time to eliminate it. 1t has been
the subject of political abuse, and today
these offices are filled by the appointees
as republicans, and they have not come
into office by virtue Of the civil service,
| but 1t is proposed they shall retain their
| Office by virtue of it and feed for the
remainder of their lives at the public crib
For one l shall oppose the proposition in
whatever form it presents itself. Life
| tenure of Office l deny is advantageous
| to the public service. 1t nullifies inspira-
| ton and ambition in the holder because
there is no inducement for him to exert
himself and elevate the service. Service
| under it should be for a nxed period Of
duration, not to exceed four years. with
opportunity of reappointment. Then there
| would be inducement for improvement of
service. but as it now is there is none.
He Is fixed for life. and because Of that
fact he becomes indifferent in the dis
public sentiment. Both of these are not
likely to improve the service, and the
public suffers in consequence thereof.
THE civil service law administered
has become great political machine,
and it is no surprise in view Of this con-
dition that nearly all appointees are of
one political faith 1t is no surprise in
view of this fact that 1t has become a
powerful factor in the republican ma
| chine, and plays an important part in
every campaign. 1t was said many years
ago by Roscoe COnkling of New York
that it would become swivel service in
| stead of a civil service Has it not prac-
| tically become SO now as administered?
| Does not every one know that its admin
| istratiOn for some years has been par
tisan, and as such it has manifested itself
throughout every department of the serv-
| ice in which it Is known? 1t needs atten-
| beneficial purposes will all be nullified.
! We all favor good public service, but we
| know this law as now administered does
not produce such result and We all
deplore that fact. Changes in the law
and it's adminiStrat ton should be made in
order to promote the service and secure
| to the people and the country the very
best service possible
Mr.. johnson Issues Warning.
Representative Johnson Of South Caro-
lima warned the House not to be hasty In
tearing down an executive order or plan
ming to do so. Representative Fitzgerald
Of New Yori: supported him.
Representative Fowler of Illinois made
frequent objections to items carried in
the bill. He objected to appropriating
$4,000 for the establishment Of a sys-
| tenn of efficiency ratings. but was over
| ruled. He also objected to the raise IN
salary of an electrician in the Treasury
| Department on the ground that increases
should first be given to lower salaried
men: later he withdrew his objection
Other objections, made on small items,
were raised by Mr.. Fowler from time to
! time, but We're Overruled
| Consideration of piecewOrk in the office
| of the auditor of the Post Office De-
partmetn precipitated discussion, Rep
resentative Mann of Illinois. Representa-
| tive Buchanan of Ohio, Representative
| Foster of Illinois and Representative
Johnson of South Carolina participating
| Representative Johnson. in charge of the
| bill, replied in general that the piece
| work system in the Office had proved en-
! tirely satisfactory, and that there is no
| complaint.
Appropriation for Piecework.
| The bill apprOpriates $4,000 for COM
pensatiOn of employees on piecewOrk ba-
sis, the figures being the same as when
the employees were paid straight salaries.
| The committee had, concluded about
one third of the bill when the motion to
| suspend for the afternoon was agreed to.
| (Report of tOdays debate on the legis-
lative, executive and judicial bill will be
found in another column