The Washington times., 1913-04-30
POMERENE WILL ASK
INQUIRY TOMORROW
Ohio Senator Widens Scope of
His Investigation Into Civil
Service on Woman's Advice.
acontinued from First Page. }


.-l existed, when the civil service
eligible lists contained names of both
Republicans and Democrats, 10 prefer
the Republicans
Republicans In Jobs.
In fact. as TO the consular service,
supposed to be on a very strict civil
service basis. it has been charged that
about 80 per cent of appointments have
been from Republicans. despite that
Democrats have taken examinations
and in the natural course OF things
would procure a much larger share OF
the places. This matter of the con-
sular service is booked for an especial
ly interesting inquiry.
The Civil Service Commission has
heard a good deal about the proposed
Investigations, and has been cheerfully
confident that il would get away with
whole skin. Its position will be that
there has been absolutely no favoritism
in the matter of examinations and rec
concentrations. The commission doesn't
know politics. When persons take ex
aminations and get on the eligible lists,
the matter is UP to the executive OFF,
cials. In taking men from the eligible
lists. il has been repeatedly charged.
these have been given to preferring Re-
publicans. Congressman and Senators
have not been chary about using their
influence at this point to get their parti-
.. d
divergence between the Democratic al
legations and the testimony of either
division chiefs or members of Congress.
as to the extent of preference given to
Republicans.
Plans Are Suggested.
Various plans for reforming the civil
service have been suggested. one OF
which, proposed by Leslie NJ. Shaw,
when he was Secretary of the Treasury,
was to have a sharply limited tenure
This was taken up last session, in an
effort to fix the tenure at seven years,
bur il failed to get into legislation.
Advocates of this plan are by no
means convinced that they haven't q
chance to carry il through and they
look to the investigation of the civil
service to strengthen their case.
the other hand. believe that an inquiry
will strengthen the appeal for a re-
tirement. promotion, and pensioning
system President Wilson is thorough
going civil service reformer who would
extend and strengthen the merit sys-
tenn as much as possible.
Possibilities of general overhaul
ing of the civil service laws affecting
$4,000 Government employees in WASH
ington, and 23S,617 in the whole coun-
try lies in the plan.
Ever since March 4, in fact longer
than that, many of the Democrats in
Congress have been insisting the Re-
publicans had overloaded the service
with Republicans and that gross abuses
existed. However, IL has been the idea
of many of the Democrats that 1t would
he hne thing to prove this in order
that the Democrats might retaliate by
overioading the service with Democrats.
Wilson Against That.
President Wilson. ID is believed. will
not stand for any system of further |
maladministratfon OF the civil servicei
laws in order to make up for past de-
linquencies by Republican Administra-
tions, il such wrong as alleged has been /
committed.
3 That the civil service laws are in \
serious need of being perfected has long /
been well understood in Congress. !
When head of the Civil Service COM !