Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-18
Pe1emptory Dismissal.

Quite apart from the merits of the
Moore case. the action taken against the
late chief of the weather bureau raises
serious question as to the attitude OF
the administration toward officials n the
subordinate ranks. Secretary Houston in
reply to a Star reporters question yester-
day, said that ii was unnecessary to
give Mr.. Moore an opportunity to reply
to charges against him inasmuch as the
position was an administrative one, not
under the. CYL service, and that the in
cumbent had. been found to have acted
in such manner to make it neces-
sary to separate him from the service
The Secretary added
The charges or representations were
not necessary to be replied to by him.
There was ample verincation Of them
found in the records of the weather
bureau.
In other words, any, persons not under
the civil service may be instantly dis
missed without a hearing. Furthermore,
If what appears to be a pSlma facie case
is found against him it is needless to go
through the forms of conformation. This
opens a dangerous line of possibilities
which should be taken seriously into &C
count by higher federal officials at this
stage of the new. administration. If this
rule is followed there is wide oppor
tunity for the wreaking of vengeance
against superior officers on the. part of
underiings. An irresponsible accusation.
dropped into the mall may turn official
attention to a chief who is just above the
line of civil service protection and
faxed records may be planted for the
scrutiny of secret Investigators. This is
not to suggest that this has been the
procedure in Mr.. Moore's case, but mere
ly to state the possibility is to show the
danger that gross injustice may result
from the peremptory dismissal of an Off
cial following star chamber inquiry.
No man should ever be discharged from
a position of trust without being given
a chance to deny accusations brought
against him. This rule obtains through
out the business world, and It should OBJ
tain especially with the government
which is supposedly the epitome of the
highest principles of equity. During the
administration of Mr.. Roosevelt, a
result of an encounter between his own
vehicle and the motor wagon of one of
the government departments, the chauf-
feur of the latter was summarily dismiss
ed without a hearing and the President
afterward directed all cabinet officers to
discharge, summary, all persons whom
they individually noted in any acts Of
INSTRUMENTATION or misbehavior Against
this order a loud outcry Immediately
arose. and so keen was public indignation
at this defiance of the rule of fair play
that the order was never carried into
execution.
1t is to be doubted whether the Presi-
dent or any of his cabinet officers will
upon due reflection regard it to be a safe
rule of conduct to consider it in any case
unnecessary to hear an accused person
in his own defense, or after an investi-
CATION which plainly shows guilt or mis-
conduct in Office to refuse to him the
opportunity to place his formal denials
on record and to scrutiniZe or hear the
proof of his malfeasance. Strict observ-
ance of the rules of justice will make
for far less trouble than the pursuit of
the principle outlined yesterday by Sec
rotary Houston. while summary dismiss
sails without hearing will inevitably make
for friction and suspicion and jealousy
and tend to the decentralization of the
public service.