The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-04-20

FOR REFORM
CARTER AND FERRIS BELIEVE
THAT TO THE ViCTORS BELONG
THE SPOlLS.

Washington, April LIT now is
clear there is going to be no resi-
for the thousands of federal employees
who were placed under the protection
of civil service rules by executive
orders of Presidents Roosevelt and
Taft. Both Representatives carter
and Ferris of Oklahoma now are
actively engaged in knocking the
props from under these persons and
it is reasonably certain that they
wil achieve some success before
they have finished their fight. There
are many members of congress who
are of the opinion also that the civil
stryice has been honeycombed Dy
the protection these orders afford
to incompetents. Not only will the
fight extend to the various Classified
branches of the government in Wash
ington, but possibly will strike the
thousands of fourth class postmasteIs
over the country who gained heir
positions without competitive c'Yil
service examination.
Representative Carter has just in
troduced bill in the house which
provides for the appointment of
commission to investigate the civil
service in a thorough manner. THIS
commission by the terms of the bill
will have the widest latitude.
Letters Hint Rottenness.
Representative Carter who is rank
ing member of the committee on
reforms in the civil service, has had
many conferences with the heads OF
government departments in Washing
ton recently and has received hun
dreds of letters from all parts of the
country, all tend 'ng to show wide
spread rottenness in the present civil
service system. In discussing the sit
uation. Mr.. Carter said:
1T is a significant fact that 959
out of every 1000 employees protect
ed by civil service rules are rephb-
Leans. though the service is sup
posed to be non-political in its char
acter. This ratio is so ridiculous
that it furnishes conclusive evidence
that the rankest kind of partisanship
has existed on the part of those hav-
ing charge of the service in the past
Il am not going to rest satisfied
until we have gone to the bottom of
the proposition and laid the founda-
tion for a real sure enough merit
system.
oklahoma is the greatest sufferer
in the union because of the blanket
orders of republican presidents. Not
only have all fourth-class postmasters
been covered into the service. but
about 600 employees in the Indian
houo hnn,, lilynwica -
Loophole in Order.
representative Scott Ferris believ-
es he has found a way by which all
those now protected by civil service
rules. but who never took eXamina-
tions. may be unceremonious' Y ousted.
And the loophole which may cause
the custer of thousands of these EN-
ployes lies in the Roosevelt and Taft
executive orders themselves.
In President ROosevelts order Of
October 8, 1908. he saws: IF the civil
service commission finds any of these
PAGES cannot be satisfactorily sub
jected TO compel titive tests they may
be treated as excepted from eXami-
nation and then the occupants shall
not acquire competitive status" This
orde rwas the enc which placed so
many of the employees of the Union
agency at Muskogee and those in
the office of the commissioner of the
five civilized tribes under the evil
service without examination.
Can Be Ousted Any Tine.
Mr.. Ferris believes that since -
Roosevelt order or that of Taft, gives
tn Sc employees who entered the SER
vice without examination full con.
Hatitive status. such as held by
those who properly met al provisions
a the civil service law, then they
may he ousted al any time.
Mr. Ferris plans TO work along this
line and will ask the O-opsration
Cf the entire Oklahoma delegation
in congress in removing many of the
employees in the Indian service II
is estimated that there are 200 EN-
ployes in the Indian service on the
eastern side of the state who have
never taken the civil service exam
nations. While there are at least 100
on the west side. If Mr.. Ferris wins
his point all will lose their jobs and
persons passing examinations WI
take their places.