Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-24
WOULD EXTEND
/ CIVIL SERVICE TO
ALL OFFICIALS
Former Governor Stokes Urges
Radical Changes Before Re-
form Association.

Former Governor Edward Caspar
Stokes, speaking before the members
of the New Jersey State Civil Serv-
ice Reform Association, announced
that he was more progressive than
his hearers believed him to be. Then
he proceeded to prove his assertion.
He made his hearers sit up. One of
the speakers who followed him spoke
rather disparagingly Of the Govern
or's plans, calling them Stokes
dreams"
There were sixteen men and two
women present at the meeting, which
was held in the Washington restau-
rant. Among these were Everett
Colby, Progressive candidate LOT
governor at the last election; State
Senator Charles O'Connor Hennessy
and former Judge Robert carey, OF
Jersey CITY. Robert W. Belcher, sec
retarv of the New York Civil Serv-
ice Commission, also spoke.
Saving that maybe it would be too
much TO place the Office of President
of the United States in the same cate
CORY, the former governor asserted
that he believed that every other Of
fee now in the gift of the people
should be governed by civil service
rules. He suggested that no man be
permitted to be candidate for the
LEGISLATURE, for the House of Repre-
sentatives, for mayor or for gov
ernor unless he first passed qualify
ing examination
He began by declaring that there
was a tendency, both at Washington
and Trenton. to break down the bull
warks of civil service reform. 1T is
well known" he said, that the ten
deney of late has been for executives
to use their official power to secure
the enactment of their policies.
know there are those who justify
this method of legislative coercion
To me it is abhorrent.
Punish Briber.
ave severely punish the man who
brides voter with his own money
Why should we permit the public
official to practically bride a Legisla-
ture or a Congress with the use OF
patronage? The usual ribe-giver
uses his own personal funds. The
public official is using not his own
funds. but the patronage that belongs
to you and me and all the people. |
would extend civil service propaganda
to include a prohibition against the
use of patronage to influence legisla-
81 would go still further. In every
activity of life we demand efficiency
and qualification before we trust the
applicant or give him employment.
Why shouldn't the same principle
apply to members of the Legislature
and Congress and your Mayors and
Governors and Presidents? I would
extend the civil service propaganda
to the enactment of a law requiring
candidates for these respective Of
fees within proper reasonable reSu-
lations to pass an examination. A
vast deal of litigation, involving
enormous expense, burdening our
courts, unjustly hindering the ends of
justice, is due to the inefficient action
of Legislatures and of Congress. They
pass acts because the title of the bill
indicates a good purpose or purpose
that suits them, without capacity to
formulate properly the provisions of
the law necessary to wise practise or
accomplishment. 1t is not fair to our
citizens that they should be governed
by incompetents. | grant this sug-
gestion, that applicants for elective
positions should be required, in order
TO be eligible, to show their fitness
and ability to perform the duties of
their ambition, is novel, perhaps
founded upon the highest principles
of good government and patriotism.
"Our government and state service
under present conditions involves life
service for many of the employees.
This in time will create a tremendous
army of pensioners and dependents.
Nothing so weakens a mans courage
and initiative as continuous routine
service in a government office. 1t is
kind of work that is in marked
contrast with that of the pioneer who
battles with new conditions and who
triumphs by overcoming obstacles.
Our present employees should, of
course, not be disturbed so long as
they are meritorious. Experts and
heads of departments are necessary
TO governmental service and they
cannot well be dispensed with These
must necessarily constitute a per
manent class of employees, but there
are many in the government service
whose duties could be performed by
successors. These, of course, should
not under present conditions be dis
turbed.
"For the future l would treat gov
eminent and State service as school
or college ! would have it under
stood that young men who entered
=
wears and then go out and take part
in the active affairs of life, just as
they leave their school or their col
lege. In this way these men would
have a knowledge Of governmental
affairs, a training in the treasury
department or revenue department
or accounting department or in the
courts, which would be of value to
them in their active work in life We
would then have scattered through
out the nation a number OF those who
were acquainted with government
affairs and would be valuable in
creating a correct public opinion on
governmental affairs We would thus
avoid the creation of an official de-
pendent class and a long roll of PEN
sioners would use our government
State or national-as training school
for educated and efficient citizens.
Mr.. Belcher advocated that civil
service should be extended to enable
II to check up its own work. 1t
should be empowered to exercise a
certain supervisory function to fol-
low the career of the employee and see
that the standard of efficiency is
maintained. In spite of precaution
it sometimes turned out that COM
mission erred, which errors of judy
ment did not become manifest unit
after the appointment.
Civil Service Reform.
Senator Hennessy talked of civil
service reform as applied to taxation
and cited as an example a situation
which he said existed in this city.
lfVo No. -