Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-02
REFORMERS WANT ALL
P0STMASTERS NAMED
UNDER CIVIL SERVICE
First Step of National League.
in Session Here, Will Be to
Boost Merit System"
for Officials
AIM FOR EFFICIENCY

The National Civil Service Reform
League will begin sweeping attack upon
the system prevailing in the United
States which makes the lawmakers of the
country the distributors of leading Offices
according to the council of that organiza-
tion, which made "A report today to more
than 1875 members of the league at its 3jth
annual meeting, now being held at the
Hotel Adelphia.
The merit system" the civil service
reform advocated by the organization,
will be pcrsistently advanced in every
paign TO reform the federal system of
making appointments to office, If the
ideas Of the council are carried out
1t is asserted today that 10000 superior
Officers in the federal service are outside
the scope of the civil service rules under
the present system, and that in Demo-
cratic States these patronage appointeos
are the political agents of their con-
gressional sponsors, while I'm Republican
states such appointces are the political
agents Of the Administration IN power.
PROMOTION ADVOCATED.
The report stated that, until these
higher administrative posts are with
drawn from the field of politics, the
service will never have the permanence
which Is essential to efficiency. The
merit system" of appointment following
competitive civil service examination,
with promotion based upon an official
record OF accomplishments and ability.
was asserted to be the only method w
which satisfactory reform may be OBJ
tained.
The present system, according to the
report fosters practice by which
great numbers of officials are from time
to time and more or less pcrslstently,
absent from their Offices. devoting their
energies not to the business of their
offices, but TO the control of local political
affairs
The phrase by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate" which APP
pears In the Constitution to regulate the
powers of appointment by the President
has been taken advantage of by Sena-
tors for the last so years. It is stated
with the result that virtually all appoint
mcnts have been made by them
The report continues:
"These Senate-conhrmed officer. with
the exception of a mere handful. have
nothing to do with the determination of
Government policy. 80 They COMPRISE,
with others, the army of postmastcrs. col
lectors of customs and internal revenue.
district attorneys and marshals who are
cncamped in every corner of the country.
and their use as political agents of the
party In power is a prostitution of the
civil service"
FOR ALL POSTMASTERS.
The first step which the National Civil
Service Reform League will take In the
fight for reform Will be an attcmpt to
obtain legislation providing for the COM
petitive classification of first second ana
third class postmasters. The Council of
the organization asserts that there is no
more reason that a Democratic post
master should be removed with a change
in administration than that clerk should
be removed for similar reasons.
Under the merit" system 1t Is said that
1t would be possible to fill many of the
postmasterships through promotion from
the clerical force in the postofices, and
the remainder by promotion of post
master from a smaller to n larger office
on basis of efficiency. 1t was pointed out
that If 1t were known that devotion to
public service would receive recognition
by promotion to the highest offices, many
young and able men would be induced to
enter the field who are now seeking other
occupations that offer better opportuni-
ties for a future.