Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-03-15
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CLUB NOTES ;:
Civil Service Reform Committee.

SlNll oCIVlSC NCtOlIl
Mrs. Tabor, chairman of the Civil
Service Reform Committee of the
Massachusetts Federation, and also a
member of the General Federation
Civil Service Reform Committee, has
evolved a new way OF impressing wo-
men with the advantages and necessity
OF the merit system in government.
She has organized a public class for
the study of the State and municipal
civil service. 1t is no new thing for
club women to organize classes III civil
service reform-the demand for the
study programs prepared by the Gen
eral Federation Committee is proof OF
that-the new feature of Mrs. Ia
bor's class is. that it is public class
held in a public building, and open to
all women who wish to know more
about the government under which
thew live.
The class is held monthly in the
Public Library Of Boston. and any wo-
man of that city. or of the outlying
towns. is welcomed as a member or as
an occasional visitor.
The various Departments OF the city
and State governments, and what cit
zens can do to assist the work of these
departments are exclaimed bv city and
State officials However, the class
really studies. and does not merely
listen passively to the official lectur
els. Mrs Tabor makes use OF the
Outline for the Study OF Munlc1Da
Government and Its Relation to Civil
Service Reform prepared by the
Worcester Branch of the Massacha
sets Auxiliary; and the members OF
the class read up on the subject tor
the day and go prepared to ask and an
swer questions The leadership Is en-
trusted to professor from the High
School, and at each meeting he ques
tons the class on what they have
read. and in the lecture given at the
preceding meeting, Mrs. Tabor re
ports a really live interest, and con
stantly growing membership
The possibilities of good in such
class are evident, and Civic Clubs all
over the country can do no better
work than to organize public GOOD
government classes with such modih
cations as the VARYING conditions In
the different town demand. An idea
place for holding such class would
be the city hall, because the class
meets to study government, and 1t Is
appropriate to do it in a government
building.
A manual for study may or may not
be used. the essential point being that
the heads of the various govern
mental departments be asked to eX
plain to the class. and are discussing
the ways and means. In small towns
where counter attractions are few, the
class would easily become popular
social event Men could be invited
and after the lecture and the quiz.
there could be informal discussion en-
livened with coffee and sandwiches.
Other clubs. | learn. are already fol
lowing Mrs Tabor's idea OF public
class. and are discussing the ways and
means of adopting it to their own mu
nicipal conditions. There probably
never has been. in the history of the
country so much interest in civic mat
tiers as today. Men and women alik,
are becoming impatient of the mis-
management of our towns and cite
under the spois system and are ask
ing themselves and each other what i,
the most cffectual remedy,
Our towns must be clean, sanitary
comfortable and beautiful, and the rev
enues economically eXDended-ant
people are realizing that such condi
tons are obtanable only when cacl
individual citizen fakes an active inter
est in the government This is nomi
nally republic, but actually many o
our cities are little oligarchies, and TO-
the simple reason that the average
citizen has cared little or nothing
about the way in which he is gov
erned He has been content to leave
the whole matter to self-consttutct
q ups of unprinciDled men who. rely
ing upon the popular indifference, have
administered the public business t.
their own profit But civic reform j
IN the air Citizens are setting thei
municipal houses in order and drivino
out the devil of graft The danger i
that having expelled this devil am
purii d the premises they NAV thin
that there is nothing more to be done