The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-05-14
MUST START OVER
FOURTH CLASS P0STOFFICES
THROWN open !
MUST MEET ALL Corners
About Fifty Thousand 1ncumbents
Will Have to Take Their Chances
in a Competitive Examination That
Will be Open to Any Who Wish to
Try for Places.

All fourth class postmasterships,
except those paying less than $3.50 a
year, were thrown open to competl-
tive examinations by an order issued
Wednesday by President Wilson.
These positions are retained IN the
classified service, but about $4,000
incumbents who were "coVered' IN
the classified service by executive Or
ders Of previous Administrations,
will have to meet all eomers in COM
petitive examination 10 hold their
positions with civil service protec-
ton.
In a statement making this order
public, Postmaster General Burleson
announced that it was the purpose OF
President Wilson and himself to ex-
tend the classified service to include
Presidential postmasters of the Sec
ond and third class, probably within
a year. This may require legislation
by Congress, he said. His plain, which
will be laid before the President, will
provide for a qualification test for in
cumbents and applicants "in keeping
with the importance Of the Offices"
Under President Taft's order OF
October 13, 1912, fourth class post
masters were divided into two class
es, class "a" those drawing more
than $500, and class "B", those
drawing less than $500. Competi-
tive examinations were prescribed fol-
future applications for class "A' ap'
pointments, while the class 3D. posi-,
tions were to be filed upon recon-
mendations of post Office inspectors.
Wednesdays order leaves only the
Offices paying $50 or less to be fill
ed upon inspectors recommends
tions. Rules and regulations to gov
ern the administration of the new
order will be worked out and an
nounced by the civil service commits
sion as soon as possible.
In his statement the Postmaster
General said: 81 feel that Presiden
! Taft's order of October Is, last, die
not 20 far enough in that it failed tt
apply a merit system to the entire
service it was aimed to cover. 1t hat
the effect of placing within the clas
sifed service large number OF post
masters who have not been required
to demonstrate their fitness for sucl
appointments. Fundamentally a re
form movement has for its purpos'
the -ighting of an existing wrong
Therefore, if the application of tn
merit system to the postal service
was needed in order to correct an eX
listing evil, then the scope of the or
der affecting the change should haV
corrected as far as possible the condi
ton then existing as result of TIL
former system as we'll as to accom-
plish the desired results in the fu
| ture.
TPol5tical considerations in tn
past very largely controlled the sc
| lection of fourth class postmasters
and under this order Democrats mus
be held responsible for the wise an
safe administration of these offices
Under the circumstances the Tai
order violated at least the fundamen
tai purpose of the civil law, becaus
| it placed permanently in Office with
out examination or other test as t
merit or efficiency a great horde c
persons. If left in this condition an
permitted to operate without prope
examination into its workings, tn
order would make honest civil Sci
vice a farce and prove setback to il
!. proper administration and futur
: progress. My effort is to correct tn
evil and save the merit Of the orde
. and duly safeguard civil service an
efficiency"