Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-21
SPOKANPS ORWARNS AGAINST
GUARDING WORCESTERSHIRE

term. and made a clean sweep of tn,
fourth class postmasters.
Dismissed Democrats.
His successor. President Harrison
however. postponed this extension o.
the civil service until he had dismiss
ed the most OF the Democrats in thai
!, service and replaced them with Re
lpnblicans. In fact, the most of the
Presidents, in extending the applica
ton OF the civil service laws, were
4 careful TO do so near the close of their
terms, when the positions were filled
4 With appointees OF their own politi
cal faith.
President Cleveland, during his
second term, extended the application
of the civil service laws TO cover So,
600 places out of 2O5,000 then in ex.
listence, and included the employees OF
the Presidents office.
president Mckinley took over TO-.
600 places out of the hands of the
Civil Service Commission.
"In the early application of civil
service reform the commission c0nfin.
ed its work to providing for appoint.
ments only, advising that removals
1 be left to the President. The law of
1889 made some specific rules, pro
viding for competitive examinations,
Excluding drunkards, forbidcing the
/ appointment of more than two from
any one family, giving preference 70
! honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors, and forbidding the collection
of political assessments. Not until
1889 was the rule made mat an official
under civil service should not be re-
moved without filing written charges
and giving the dismissed emtleye IN
opportunity of answering them
This brief historical review gives
us an understanding of the growth of
civil service reform in this country.
the reasons for it's existence and the
causes which have hindered its uni
versal application to the government
service. The same reasons and the
game causes have influenced its APP
lplication in the various municipalities
where civil service reform has been
attempted.
Vote Control Counted.
sThe evil sought to be remedied was
the appointment of men to public
place for the sole reason OF their abil-
ity to control the votes ON election
day; the end sought to be accomplish
ed was to fill the public service with
honest, intelligent and efficient en-
ployes. In order to keep 'heelers' out
of office, places were to be filled only
after competitive examination as to
fitness; 10 order to get and keep good
men, the conditions of their employ
ment as to salary. tenure of office and
conditions OF life in the employment
were to be made satisfactory TO the
class OF employees desired.
Another great advantage attained
by the civil service laws has been the
relief. to thesextent Of their appliea-
lion, given administration officials
from the opportunities of office5seek-
ers. How much time would a Presi-
dent have for constructive public bus
mess If he had personally to consider
the claims of the Millions Of appli-
cants for nearly 100000 jobs. If there
were three applicants for each tand
frequently there are 800, ne would be
Obliged to consider loo applicants al
L.,
term. And this condition prevails to
a smaller extent in our municipalities.
Aside from the interest and obvious
benefit to the public service and the
public employe, civil service laws
greatly conserve the time and strength
OF the men who are responsible for
the conduct of public business.
'If all public officials were of the
caliber oil our first President, this
latter benefit would be the chief one
to be gained by the civil service laws;
but, alasi there are and have been
less patriotic public servants, and at
this class, whose ideals Of service are
minus quantity. must our restrain.
ing legislation be aimed.
Laws on Wrong Basis.
Now, all restraining legislation
must be very carefully written. We
must not presume. as some Legislators
have in the past, that all officials are
dishonest and disreputable men, who
must be kept from doing all the dam
age they otherwise would do, by tying
them up with restraining laws. This
is too common attitude, and read
ing Of the laws now on the statute
books regarding public officials might |
lead cynic TO believe that no one but |
thief or a scoundrel would accept a
public office.
In our attempt to restrain dis
honest official, we must not unneces-
sarily hamper the honest man IN Of |
flee, remembering that we demand of
our officials that they conduct the |
business of the city. as they would /
manage their own private business,
and that this cannot be done if they
are too much hampered and restrain
ed by legislative hobbies.
"The old ward councilmanic form
of city government afforded opportu-
nifty for the evasion Of the RESPONSE
bilfty and the practise of corrupt meth
DDS which have been the shame of
our cities, and have brought upon AM
erican city government the merited !
criticism of the noted students of po-
litical economy in the world.
The new commission form, now in
force in 400 American cities is the