Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-01
REVIEWS HIS WAR
ON CIVIL SERVICE
Overman Cites Economy Com
missions Verdict as to
Administration.
SEEKS EARLY ACTION
ON PROBE RESOLUTION
Again Asserts That Majority of Pro-
tected Government Employees
Are Republicans.

Senator overrnan today renewed his
charges that the civil service admin
istration has not been what it should
be, and to support his charges he re-
ferred to II report of the Presidents
economy commission which criticised
the civil service commission.
Senator Overman is pressing for &C
ton on his resolution introduced several
weeks ago asking for an investigation
of the civil service administration.
The report of the economy commission,
To which Senator Overnan had reference.
stated that after an exhaustive study of
the records of the civil service commits
sion and of evidence which was obtained
from the departments the Presidents
commission has come to the conclusion
that the Interpretation which has been
given TO the act by the civil service COM
mission has been such as practically to
defeat its primary purpose.
Seeks Early Action.
Senator overman started the ball roll
ing in the Senate today by asking Sem
ator Pomerene. chairman of the civil
service committee, how soon action would
be taken on his resolution. Senator
Pomerene replied that he hoped to call
a meeting of his committee early next
week to consider both Senator Overman's
resolution and similar resolution which
h himself was preparing for introduc
tors.
1T is out of no spirit of hostility
TO the civil service law that i am seek
ing this investigation said Senator
Pomerene, but because of desire to
have real civil service law admin
istered according TO the spirit and let
ter Of that law. In some of the depart
ments of the government an honest eff
fort MS been made. 1 believe. to live
up to the law. In others there has been
a deliberate purpose to disregard it.
Information that / have is to the eff
feet that % per cent of employees in some
of the government departments are of
loss to understand this. for / believe
there is not much difference in the intel
Igence of republicans and democrats in
this country"
Quizzed by Gallinger.
Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire
asked Mr.. Pomerene if he had made a
personal investigation Of this matter.
Il have not gone personally to these
departments. replied Senator Pomerene.
but am reliably informed that in one
division of the railway mail service The
superintendent, the assistant superintend-
ent, eighteen chief clerks and thirty-nine
out of forty six other clerks and $50 out
of TO clerks on the roll are all repub-
Hcans.''
But is it not true" said Senator Gal
lnger, that for many years the civil
service commission has been dominated
by democrats, one from Louisiana and
the other from Illinois?''
Senator Overman remarked that he
understood these gentlemen had been
voting the republican ticket, and SEN
ator Kern of Indiana demanded If 1t had
not been generally known throughout
the country that democrats had been
appointed to the civil service commits
sion, "as a reward for infidelity to the
democratic party
Reads From Report.
Senator Overman then proceeded to read
from the Presidents economy commits
sion report. He himself said:
Il did not claim that the administration
of the civil service commission Is a fraud,
but that 1t has been a deception. No bet
ter thing can be done than to proceed
with this investigation. The report of the
Presidents economy commission shows
istered by the commission has been a
cloak for the SpoilS system. We had bet
ter have a spoils system out and out.
am informed that before elections in
some cities political roundsmen repub-
icans, have been put on the rolls as
laborers and that after election they have
been advanced rapidly"
Senator Gallinger interrupted to say:
service, and / will welcome a fair in
vestigation, but statements have been
made which l cannot credit. l know
that In appointments from my state poll
ucs mas had nothing to do with the
selections l think that can see a reason
for the finding of the economy commits
sion The law provides for an appor-
tonment OF the number of civil service
employees to the state. / have not be-
lieved that this was wise. However, il
has been represented to me over and
over again that republicans have not
peen getting a square deal from the
matter of fact. nine-tenths of the civil
service employees here in washington
have no politics They do not go home to
vote any more
Cummins Discusses Report.
Senator Cumm3ns of Iowa declared
tnat as he understood the report of the
economy commission from one of the
men who had drafted 1T, the commits
sion had held that the civil service law
was inadequate. This is the first time.
he said. that he had ever heard the
civil service commission had fraudu-
iently administered the law He asked
II Senator Overman was not putting
his own Interpretation upon the com
missions report.
new ANKLE TO the Investigation :.
suggested in resolution offered by Sem
ator Stone of Missouri. This resolution
calls upon the civil service COMMITTEES of
the Senate to investigate and report uDon
the number of negroes in the yarions
government departments and how they
are apportioned. Senator Stone. in ex
pianatlon OF his resolution referred 10
nsures gwen at a meeting held here re-
Gently of the National Democratic Fair
Play Association. in which il was shown
that more than 900 negroes are emnloyed
~ the treasury Department more than
~ fNnl MI sary IN..Vas.