The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-05
PROBE OF Civil.
SERVICEDELAYED
Possibility that Measure May
, Not Be Brought Up TIL
After Present Session.
WILL WAIT FOR TARIFF
President Probably Will Hold Back
Names Of New Commission Till
After Investigation.
WILL WAIT FOR TARIFF

There will be no investigation of the
! civil service until the tariff bill has
passed in the Senate and. possibly. not
during this session Of Congress.
Senator Pomerene. chairman of the
Civil Service Committee of the Senate,
and other members of the COMMITTEES
| are not anxious to rush the probe
through during the hot months and at
time when IL might serve to detract
public attention from the tariff ques-
ton.
Notwithstanding the delay thus in
| volved, President Wilson probably will
| not send the names of the new Civil
Service Commission to the Senate until
after the investigation has been COM
pleted. The President has intimated
as much to callers recently, and II is
understood that he told Senator Pom
creme when the Ohio members called
at the White House Monday that he
| doubted the wisdom of pushing the in
vestigation through at this time.
President Wilson and Senator Pomerene
discussed the proposed Investigation at
| some length The President intimated
| strongly to Senator Pomerene that he
| would deprecate any investigation which
would destroy any of the many sound
organs of the civil service system in an
attempt to cut out abuses which may
have grown up. Senator Pomerene as
sured the President that it was his desire
TO perfect rather than injuTe the civil
service and that IL his resolution seemed,
upon mature consideration. not to be the
best means of purging the system. !;
would be changed in committee. The
Pomerene resolution instructs heads of
departments to procure for the Senate
from all their subordinates signed and
sworn statements of their connection with
the civil service and their status before
coming under its protection.
Might BE Misused.
To this resolution II is objected that
clerks with axes to grind against supe-
riors will be given an opportunity to air
their personal grievances to the serious
detriment of discipline and without offer
ing the committee the information 1t
should desire. namely. the means which
have been employed to evsde the civil
service law.
Senator Pomerene already has been
given a foretaste Of what may be ex-
pected. Because Of the publicity given
his desire to clean up any abuses in the
civil service and recommend legislation
which would effectively prevent such
abuses in the future. the Ohio Senator
had been literally deluged with letters
and personal calls from clerks or former
clerks who believe they have been badly
treated.
Many of them have been<urned out for
ineficiency- Now they believe that. with
a new administration, some of their more
fortunate brothers should be turned out,
and they should be restored to ONCE.
Mr.. Pomerene is receiving also a large
number of letters from men and women
who now are employed in the depart
ments and who seen a golden opportu-
nifty for promotion through the demo-
ton or discharge of Republican clerks
Of a higher rank than themselves The
Senator is keenly awake to the fact that
few of these complaints are based upon
actual wrongs. though he also is aware
that there have been numerous cases
where political affiliation has played an
important part in filling places under
the Civil Service.