Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-05-08
Postmaster General Says Sec
ond and Third Class Offices
Probably viii Go Under
Civil Service Within Year,
ORDER BY PRESIDENT
TAFT is MODIFIED
Competitive Examinations for
Applicants Now Required
and Politics Are 10 Cut No
Figure in Matter,
ny Morning journal srccrnI leased wirel

tIiy Morning journal special leased Wirel
Washington, May 7.-All fourth
class postmasterships, except those
paying less than $3.50 a year. were
thrown open 10 competitive examina-
tion b. an executive order issued to-
day by President Wilson. These po-
siuons are retained IN the classified
service but about $4,000 ineumhents
who were covered" into the classified
service by executive orders of pre-
vious administrations will have to
meet all comers in competitive exam
nation in order 10 hold their positions
with civil service protection.
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 second
and third classes. probably within a
year. This may require legislation by
congress. he said. His plan, which
will be laid before the president soon,
will provide for a qualification test for
incumbents and applicants "in keeping
with the importance Of the offices"
Under President Taft, October Is,
1912, fourth class postmasters were
divided into two classes, class "a, -
those drawing more than $500, and
class "B,r those drawing less than
$500
Competitive examinations were pre-
scrbed for future applications for
class "A' appointments while the
class "B" positions were 10 be filled
upon recommendation Of postoffice
inspectors Today's order leaves only
the offices paying $3.50 or less TO be
filled upon inspectors reports.
Rules and regulations to govern
the administration Of the new order
will be worked out and announced by
the civil service commission as soon
as possible.
In his statement the postmaster
general said.
81 feel that President Taft's order
of October & last did not 60 far
enough in that it failed TO apply Il
merit system TO the entire service 1t
was aimed at. Il had the effect OF
placing within the classified service a
large number of postmasters who have
not been required to demonstrate their
fitness for such appointments. Fun
damentally, a reform movement has
for its purpose the righting of an ex-
isting wrong. Therefore. If the ap-
plication of the merit system TO the
postal service was needed in order to
correct an existing evil, then the scope
Of the order affecting the change
should have been broad enough to
correct as far as possible, the condi-
tions then existing as a result of the
former system as well as to accom-
plsh the desired results in the fu-
ture.
political considerations in the past
very sargely have controlled the se-
lection of fourth class postmasters,
and under this order democrats must
be held responsible for the wise ana
safe administration Of the offices.
Under the circumstances, the TAFT
order violated at least the fundament-
al purpose Of the civil service law be-
cause it placed permanently in office
without examination or other test as
to merit or efficiency, a great horde
Of persons. II left in this condition
and permitted to operate without
proper examination into its workings
the order would make honest elVil
service a farce and prove setback
to its proper administration and iu-
ture progress. My effort is to correct
The evil and save the merit Of the or
der and duly safeguard civil service
and efficiency"