Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-30
Senate Republicans Bitterly
Attack 81. 100000 Income
Tax Salary Item.
WANT COLLECTION AGENTS
FROM CIVIL SERVICE LISTS
Amendment Prohibiting Future
Blanket Admittance of Ap-
pointees Defeated.

\ bitter assault upon the provision in
the tariff bill which authorizes in the
expenditure of s1.e00.000 in salaries for
supervisors and agents employed in the
collection of the income tax the APP
pointment of the employees without eN-
animation under the civil service was
made in the Senate late yesterday aft
ernoon.
The republicans asserted vehemently
hat this was only an entering wedge
by the democrats looking to still further
cGrtailmenI Of the civil service. and a
return to the old "spoils system"
The democrats replied that it was
nothing of the sort. but that they be-
1ieved more efficient and experienced
lot of men could be obtained for SUI
pervisors and agents in the collection
of the income tax if the men were
recommended by members of Congress
than if they were taken from any list
of eliSibles made up after po1functory
examinations. by the civil service conf
mission.
Taft's Action Is Scored.
Former President Tafts action in COW
e~ins into the civil service SO, 600 fourth
class postmasters after his nomination
In ana DelOrc the elecIOn ldSL
November was scored by Senator James
OF Kentucky. who declared that this had
been done in an attempt to win votes
for Taft.
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts re-
Piled that the late President Cleveland
had done the same thing with the railway
mail clerks of tho Post Office Department
Just before he went out OF office. Mr..
Weeks also pointed out that the fourth
c.2ss poStma stcrs OF all that section of
tho country north of the Ohio river and
east 10 the Atlantic ocean had been
under the civil service for several years
previous to the order issued by President
TAFT. and that placing the pOstmaSters
OF TIE southern states under the civil
service Hith the iGea of making perma-
nent the appointments could not possibly
have been expected to get Taft single
electoral vote.
Amendments which would have placed
TIC income ta-. employees under the civil
service We're offered by Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts, Senator Bristow of Kan
sas ana Senator McCumber Of North
Dakota. But they were defeated by
solid democratic vote.
Cummins' Amendment Defeated.
Just before adjournment Senator Cum
Minis of Iowa offered an amendment pro-
yiding that no executive order should be
issued by the President in the future
number of income tax employees which
would be appointed by the democrats un-
der the provision Of the pending bill. But
the democrats. who had lately been in
Weighing against the covering into the
civil service of large numbers Of federal
employees by republican Presidents. were
now forced by their caucus rule to vote
against this amendment, and it too was
defeated.
Senator Hoke Smith. who defended the
p;li for the democrats. declared that it
was impossible under the present civil
service examination to get men qualified
TO administer the income tax law.
~ bright boy just out of school could
pass the examination said Senator
Smith. ''out men of forty or forty-five,
equipped from business experience to do
such work. proba bly, would fail to pass
the examination.
DO YOU think the recommendation of
a congressman would be better than Il
civil service exanlination?" asked Senator
Root of New York.
Il think that the Judgment Of a con-
gresham would be better In the selection
OF competent men than the examination
the civil service has been conducting"
was the reply