Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-06

aspirants for elective Office. clear up TO
that OF President.
The civil service system, he declared.
sis admirable in many respects. but
Iamentably weak in others. While II may
have minimized political corruption, II
has not adequately developed eficiency
Under present rules the new enploye
is admitted to civil service by reason OF
having passed certain technical examina-
= tons. without having been subjected 10
any real character. capacity or initiative
analysis Consequently, as experience mas
shown, only about % per cent or these
employees are properly placed. Whiie an
additional 60 per cent could be so placed.
leaving Is per cent who. from the civil
service standpoint, should be taken into
the back yard and shot. Advancement
for the civil service employe Is possioie
within certain limitations, yet this I'M
proper placement and inadaptaplllty 10
the work to be performed result In the
dead leyeling process which gradually
curtails ambition.
This condition is materially affected py
the continual changes in administrative
supervision and by the CONSEQUENT rae.
that there is but little personal interest
in civil service employees as against those
appointed for political reasons or whose
appointment is secured through ciNl
service manipulation. The tendency 10
perform the least possible work IN INC
minimum number of hours naturally pc
comes inherent. and for this reason Inc
outlay for salaries and wages unaer lhe
civil service system does not piouuce
the results which come from CORE
spending expenditures in commercial
life.
Now this unfortunate situation could
be relieved in large part by the employ
ment of vocational analyst TO conduct
a very careful psychological examina-
ton upon each candidate. in addition 10
the technical and physical examinations
now required The result OF THIS psy-
Geological study would mean better
placement for each individual and men
would be found to be much better htted
for the work assigned TO them But even
such a placement this should De tenta-
tive The civil service commission shouid
continue to keep an oversight OF It's
product. and without absolutely elimi-
nating men from the service. the commits
sion should nevertheless be empowered
to place on the lower rungs Of the lad
der such men as lack sufficient ability
to stand firmly on. or 10 climb from, the
rung upon which they were originally
nlaced Generally speaking, IL may he
said that a civil service employe who Is
not worthy OF promotion Is hardly worthy
of retention III MS OTiSIldl HOSiGoH.
THE principles of psychology should
next be applied to the development OF
efficiency in civil service employees, as
consequence OF which administrative
costs would be materially reduced Imita-
ton. competition. concentration and 10y
atty are all psychological elements which
are susceptible of direct application Ia
work and in the evolution OF civil serv-
ice should be duly considered.
I'm some European countries men are
even chosen to be mayors of cities be-
cause they have efficiently grown into
the work of administration. The weak
ness of the United States, from an adj
ministratve standpoint, grows largely
out of the fact that there Is a lack OF
continuity I'm the administrative manage
ment. Perhaps the more vital reason may
be that there is lack of intelligent
choice in elective candidates. II may pos
sibly seem to be radical statement, but
| am inclined to the opinion that psyche
logical expert should analyze all candi-
dates for office. from the President down.
However, it is fortunate that as a
general proposition. in selecting men for
high offices, the intuitive natural sense
of the voters results In a proper choice
But the reverse occasionally happens
and the outcome is often war. either So
cial or physical--an absolute impediment
to civilization and progress"