The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-02-13
ORDER
UPSETS PLANS MADE
HANDING OUT PIE
REPUBLICANS SEEM TO HAVE
EQUAL ROAD TO POLITICAL
PREFERMENT.
FIRST ON LIST OF ELIGIBLES
Will Be Named in Spite of Political
Sympathy Declares the Postmaster
General in an Order Issued to His
First Assistant.

Many of the politicians in this Sec
tiol are up in the air" to a certain
extent over the recent statement of
the Postmaster General to the effect
that in the selection of postmasters
from the eligible list of the civil SER
vice commission the person making
the highest grade should be appoint
ed This rule will be followed, it is
stated, unless good and valid rea-
sons are submitted to the depart
ment showing that this would not be
to the best interest of the service
In no case should the second or
third eligible be chosen unless the
appointment of one Of the higher
standing eligibles has been shown to
be inadvisable from the standpoint
of the greatest efficiency in the ser
vice"
There are seven post Offices in
Maury county, Culleoka, Carriers
Creek, Williamsport, Santa Fe, Ash
wood, Hampshire, that are subject to
the rule above enumerated. The
postmasters at these Offices will be
appointed from an eligible list to be
made up as the result of an examina-
ton to be held in Columbia ON Satur-
day of next week. When the orig
inai order applying civil service
rules to the appointment of that class
of postmasters embraced within the
order, was first promulgated it was
assumed that there would be three
eligibles, that is the first three per-
sons making the requisite grade,
would be placed on an eligible list
from which the appointment would
be made. 1t was also Understood that
it would be within the prerogative
Of the member of congress from the
district in which the appointment
was made to indicate one of the
three as his preference.
But the. assumption has been shown
to be unwarranted and has BEEN
Knocked into a cooked hat by the re-
Get order Of the Postmaster General !
dated Jan. 81. Under this order al |
republicans will stand just the same |
show for appointment as a democrat, !
and muah better one if he happens |
to be the first ON the eligible list. In
sther words if both democrats and
republicans take the examination for |
4 certain postoffice next Saturday
and the republican candidate should |
make ths highest grade, and mn
good and valid reasons" can be sub
mitted to the department that his
would not be to- the
best interest of the service, he would
90 appointed, even though his selee-
lion would deprive a faithful and
oval democrat of chance to- get to
he pie counter.
In fine from the order of the lost
master general it looks like politics
will be eschewed in the appointment
If the postma sters of the places
T here are of course
ones among the politicians
Did stagers who wink the other eye
md declare that the department will
1ot be SLOW to find good and valid
reasons why the appointment Of
republican postmaster when willing
ind hungry democrats want the job,
would mot be in the interest Of 1.-The
service" But there are others who
are taking the department. at ft~
word. In any event the recent order
las caused renewed interest in the
disposition of federal patronage al
ways one Of the chief considerations
when there has been a change of
presidents in this country. |