Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-04
Necessity for Same Strongly
Emphasized Since New
Board Assumed Office.
JOB-HUNTING CALLERS
ENGAGE COMMISSIONERS
Applications for Places Pour in
Upon Officials Despite Their First
Official Utterances.

The urgent necessity for some sort OF
civil service law for the District of Co.
lumbia has been strongly emphasized
since the new board of Commissioners
assumed Office. and it is believed that a
bill providing such a system for the Dis
trict government will be introduced at the
next regular session of Congress.
Members of both houses Of Congress,
in large numbers. have been regular CALL
ers on the new Commissioners since the
board was installed.
Besides the representatives and sena-
tors who have made job-hunting pill
grinages to the District building three
members Of President Wilson's cabinet
have wendell their way to the big marble
pile at 14th street and the Avenue. seek
ing some sort Of job under the municipal
government for proteges.
These callers are aware OF the fact that
between 1900 and 1900 men and women
are on the District pay rolls in one capac-
ity or another.
The general impression seems to have
been created-for what reason nobody
on earth can tell-lnat these employees
of the District are to be summarily pried
loose from their jobs. SO that democrats
may be put in their places. The fact
that the country has a democratic admin
istration and that democrats control both
houses of Congress as well as tho knowl-
edge that the District government has
only the merest shadow Of q civil-service
system. has given rise to the belief
among senator's, representatives and cab
met officers that the new board Of Com
missioners purposes to convert itself in
to q huge human vacuum cleaner to re-
move from the jobs they now occupy any
and all persons whose political beliefs
may not be in accord with those Of the
dominant party.
Slender Grounds for Hopes.
The extremely slender grounds on
which this belief has been built can
be realized at glance when 1t is re-
called that the new Commissioners.
among their first official utterances.
stated that efficiency was to be the
sole test of q District employees 1T
ness to remain glued to the Job he or
she holds at present. There would pc
no wholesale removals, neither would
there be any such thing as going delib-
erately about creating vacancies, to be
filled by good democrats"
This announcement was made by the
new Commissioners on the very day they
were installed in office. and 1t has been
repeated more than once since that time.
Members Of Congress. however, do not
appear to have come to realisation that
the Commissioners meant exactly what
they said, and the flood of applications
and appeals, In person and In writing.
continues to litter the desks Of Commits
sioners Newman and Siddons.
1t is the announced policy Of the new
board to secure the utmost efficiency in
every department Of the District govern
ment, and to give the fullest cOnsidera-
ton to every detail that may appear to
make for added efficiency and the best
and "squarest" administration of Dis
trict affairs that Is possible within human
limitations.
Work With No Regard for Hours.
That tho new Commissioners are
about the hardest working men in the
employ Of the District is q fact that il
realized by every one who has called
on them Both Commissioners siddons
and Newman work without regard to
q newspaper man standing him in good
stead in this feature Of his new posi-
ton. and 1t Is rare that either OF them
leaves his work until after O'clock
In the evening.
The AFFAIRS Of the Distrt,t and these
alone. are being considered during the
whole of this long working day: how this
thing may best be done, and how that
may be done with as close an approx
nation to absolute fairness and equal
justice as is humanity possible-in short.
how to give the District the very best
administration that il possible through
human minds and methods. To be in
terrupted dozen times a day by Con-
gressmen and others who are thinking
only Of pryng some fellow out Of q JOB
which he is handling in good shape. so
that some other fellow who knows moth
ing at all Of the Job may be put in his
place, is only one OF the trials of the
new Commissioners.