The Washington herald., 1913-05-29

mills of North Carolina should tell the
naked truth. In this contest. President
wilson stood out firmly for DIR. Neil. al
| though the latter rs a Republican and
was at first Republican appointee.
Senator Overman again indicated his
reactionary attitude when he voted with
nine others against the Kern resolution
calling for an investigation into the con-
ditions growing out of the mine workers
| strike in the coal fields of West Vir-
ginia- He received his second bump
there. the resolution passing by large
majority.
Overmnn First to Act.
Senator overman was the first to intro
euce resolution calling for an investiga-
ton Of the civil service. His action was
based supposedly upon startling informa-
ton from unnamed sources showing de-
piorab,e conditions Of partisan favoritism
in past civil service appointments. Shortly
thereafter Senator Pomerene OF Ohio.
chairman OF the Civil Service COMMITTEES
OF the Senate, was fired to introduce an
even more sweeping and ill-considered
resolution of investigation Senator
Overman's resolution called upon the
Civil Service Commission for informa-
ton. Senator Pomerene's idea was to call
upon the clerks themselves. thereby offer
ing all a chance to air their grievances
over the heads OF their superiors to the
almost certain disruption of discipline
and consequently Of efficiency in the de-
partments.
Shortly after these resolutions were in
troduced. the secretary of the National
Democratic Fair Play Association, a
nebulous organization OF job hunters,
boosted to the representative OF The Her
al NA.N L. n
Senators Overman and Pomerene with the
information upon which they had acted
in introducing their resolutions. Senator
Pomerene declares that IL the Informal
ton came from this source he did not
know IL at the time.
Investigation by The Herald disclosed
some interesting facts in connection with
the efforts Of these people to ferret out
frauds in the civil service. Their meth
cd was to gum-shoe through departments
ascertaining the names Of clerks who be-
lieved they had grievances. These were
invited to meet representatives of the
organization in their rooms at the Ma
tional Hotel, there to pour out their tales
of woe to sympathetic ears. Then. after
these clerks had been duly impressed
with the enormity of their grievances,
they were directed 10 Senatorial ears, or
their stories were made known to Sena-
tors by other means.
Attitude of Pomerenc.
Senator Pomerene has never been re-
garded as a spokesman, SO far as is
known. II is uncomfortable. say his COL
leagues, that the chairman of the Civil
Service Committee should knowingly do
anything to impair the efficiency of the
system. The belief is that the Ohio
member has permitted his enthusiasm
for reform to obscure his judgment In
adopting the means he proposes for
probing the civil service.
Both the Pomerene and Overman reso-
lutions have met decided opposition in
the committee. not because other men,
bers OF the committee are not DESTROYS of
roofing existing evils out of the civil
service system. but because they believe
the means sought to be employed in the
two resolutions will work harm to the
entire fabric without suggesting rem
edies for past or future abuses.
Senator Cummins of Iowa late chair
man of the committee, is quite as de-
sirous of improving the service and pre-
venting abuses as his Democratic COL
leagues He proposes that steps be
taken to strengthen the civil service law
without tearing the entire fabric to
shreds through an investigation which
will leave the probers no wiser at the
end than they are at present.
Senator Cummins believes that the
probers should be less interested in as
certaining who has been favored in the
past than in making partisan favoritism
impossible in the future by strengthen
ipu he Laws