Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-28
CIVIL service 70
RUE P|)S|0FF|C[S
GENERALLY CONCEDED THAT
WILSON AND AIDES WILL FOL-
Low CLEVELAND PLAN.
Nc. EVIDENCE OF pEs,RE
TO OVERTHROW TAFT ORDER
Despite ciamsr Of Democratic Aspir.
ants Pestoffiess Placed in Civil ssrv.
ice Probably will BE Permitted TO
Remain There = Efficiency Depart.
mont Engaged in Reorganization.
Especial Correspondence


=. Especial Correspondence.l
Washington, March 2s.-If Postmast-
er-GeneraI Burleson and President
Wilson desire to reorganize the post
office, department or any part of 1t. in
accordance with the spirit of the civil
service law. they have the example OF
one Of the strongest president and one
of the ablest lawyers that ever occupied
the presidential chair to guide them.
The history of the Cleveland order COW
erfng into the civil service 100000 or
more railway mail clerks is a simple
one but it contains a lesson which
might we'll be studied if the admins
tration. as Mr.. Burleson asserts, is SIN
cereiy DESTROYS OF maintaining the in
tegrity OF the civil service law.
PRESIDENT Cleveiand's order affecting
the railway mail clerks was issued to
become operative March Is, 1889. This
was eleven days after Cleveland's sue
cessor had taken the oath Of office.
This action was remarkable enough in
itself, as Offering the incoming presi-
dent the opportunity to annul the order
or revoke it il he desired to do so-for
presidents power to change or re-
woke an executive order. Of either him.
self of his predecessor. is complete. But
Benjamin Harrison no less than Grow
er Cleveland chose to associate himself
in high minded way with the decree
removing an army Of government
clerks from the field of politics. in
which they had been both useful and
annoying to both parties.
The civil service commission notified
President Harrison that it would be
physically impossible to make the ex-
aminations directed in the order before
March Is. and President Harrison ex-
tended the order two months, with the
helpful qualification that any clerks
might be covered at once into the civil
service on certification of the civil SER
vice commission. The effect Of this
action was to permit the government
to retain the services Of all clerks. re-
CARELESS Of politics, who were able to
demonstrate their fitness to serve the
government, and to allow reasonable
time in which to examine them.
: Wilson 10, Follow Suit.
The country will be greatly surprised
If President Wilson does not insist up
on substantially the same procedure
with reference to the $4,000 fourth class
postmasters whom President Taft by
executive order placed within protec-
ton Of the civil service law and whose
commissions would not be worth the
paper they are written on II the de-
mands of democratic place hunters
were the only considerations to be OBJ
served by the administration. It Is
the belief here that President Wilson's
protested regard for the civil service
may be taken at its face value; and
this being so. it is not conceivable that
he would approve any plan Of civil ser
vice examination for postmasters that
had not the endorsement Of the civil
service commission.
II the procedure Of the civil service
commission Is to be followed strictly,
even the appointing power will have no
knowledge Of the politics Of the per-
sons who pass the examination for
fourth class postoffices. 1t Ii too much
to believe that the postmaster gen.
eral, or his assistants. will make APP
pointments to these offices in the civil
service without such knowledge, but It
is true that no such knowledge can be
gained thru any scheme Of examina-
ton which the civil service commission
will approve. In the past, when, thru
letters to congressman or others,
knowledge of the politics of an appli-
cant has been gained in the offices OF
the civil service commission, the papers
have been sent back. that the commits
sion might have no record In Its files
Of the politics Of any persons taking q
civil service examination. If. there
fore, Postmaster General Burleson and
the president are earnest in their In
tention to reform the fourth class Of
fees, they can easily do so. by working
in cooperation with the impartial
commission which so ably executes the
spirit and letter of the civil service
laws.
Reorganization Under Way.
A great step toward the reorganiza-
ton Of the executive departments in
Washington in accordance with the
principles Of the civil service commits
sion.
The act of March 4, 1913, continues
the authority under which the civil
service commission shall establish a
system Of efficiency ratings and makes
$4,000 Immediately available for the
work. This is in pursuance OF section
of the legislative. executive and
judicial appropriation act OF Aug. 20,
1912. which provided that the civil
service commission shall, subject to
the approval Of the president. estab-
lish a system of efficiency rating for
the classified service in the several
executive departments In the District
of Columbia based upon records Kept
in each department with such fire.
ouency as to make them as nearly as
possible records of fact" The law re-
ouires a minimum rating OF efficiency
which an employee must attain before
he may be promoted and a rating be-
low which he may not fall without be-
ing denoted; and a further rating be-
low which no employe may fall with
out being dismissed for inefficiency.
The act thus gave the civil service
commission supervision Of what Writ
ually amounts to reorganization Of
the. departments in Washington but
provided no funds for doing the work
At the next session funds were pro-
yided for the initial year. The later
law requires the civil service commits
sion to Investigate and report to the
president with its recommendations
as to the administrative needs OF the