The Washington times., 1915-06-18
PUSH BILL TO
ABOLISH JOB TRADING
Sims Would Authorize Postmas-
ter General to Appoint All
Postmasters.

| Congressman Sims OF Tennessee, one
OF the Democratic leaders of the House
Will urge at the next session bill to
| give the Postmaster General authority
to appoint all postmasters.
judge Sims introduced bill of this
| kind at the close Of the recent session.
and will reintroduce 1t.
Il intend to make the best fight
| know how for the BILL" said Judge Sims
| today. II believe It is important and
that Congress ought to pass It,"
The bill seems to raise merely a .ques-
tion whether the Postmaster General
should be given such authority as IA
| proposed, but there Is much more in
volved than this. 1t Is the purpose OF
Judge Sims to. reduce to a minimum
what he regards as the present great
evil Of trafficking In patronage by Sen
ators and members Of the House Per-
| sons who have not studied the situation
intimately are said not to understand
the proportions of this evil 4"
Judge Sims has seen the workings OF
the system at close hand over period
of many years, and he wants to end It.
He realizes II Is said. that It would not
be ended entirely by his bill, but holds
1t would help materially.
Haunt the White House.
There are said to be many Senators
and Congr essmen who do little else
while in Washington but haunt the
White House and the departments
looking for Jobs for their politicaI
friends. The Postoffice Department,
having great number of jobs in the
form of postmasterships to dispense,
Is Mecca for the Job hunters.
The Postmaster General Is not left
free to pick postmasters as he wants
to, but the patronage hunters In Con-
gress exert all manner OF political
pressure. They carry their cases to the
President and they go to the point in
some instances of refusing to support
Administration legislation unless they
get the Jobs they demand.
1t is declared to be a case on tho one
hand OF too many men in Congress SELL
ing their votes. not for pay, but In
return for Jobs for their heelers. nnn
on the other hand of the AdminIstra-
tion nnying votes IN Senate and House
The situation Is not peculiar to the
present Administration. 1t Is system
which has been .practiced since the
early DAYS of the republic.
Judge Sims holds that II the system
were abolished under which postmasters
are named by the President on recon-
mendation of. members of Congress- II
would virtually pnt the postoffices out
OF politics. and that the postoffices
would soon cease to be used for barter,
political and legislative, by Senators and
Congressman.
Many DESTROYS of Change.
The Postmaster General now appoints
fourth cvlass postmasters, who are un-
der civil service. at least In theory.
Judge Sims points out that there are
about S.hW other postmastors in Presi-
Dental offices Of the first, second, and
third class, and that there is no reason
why the Postmaster General should not
name them.
II his bill should pass, he thinks It
would be but little while before the
civil service system would apply to all
This, it.ts claimed. would remove a
great burden from the White House and
also from a large number of members
Of Congress. who would be glad to be
relieved Of the task Of making post
office recommendations. While there
arc plenty Of men In the Senate and the
House who continually poster the Ad-
mihistration for appointments. It Is said
to be true also that there is a large
number of Senators and House members
who would abolish q system that pre-
vents them from giving their best ef-
forts purely to legislation.