The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-14
PosrMAsTERs AND CIVIL SERVICE.

|
PosTMAsTERs AND CIVIL SERVICE.
! Taken at its face value, the announcement
that the president expects to extend the CIVIL
service rules to first, second and third class
jpostmasters by executive order promises noIn-
ing that is not in the public interest, Dul tnere
lis difference of opinion as to how the plan
will work in actual practice POSTMASTER uen
eral Burleson, who is said to have proposed
the scheme, is shrewd politician and ne Is not
credited with special devotion to civil service
reform principles
| President Taft, when near the end OF his
term brought all fourth class postmasters I'M
der the civil service His action displeased
| the democrats, and when the new admnlstra-
| ton came in an executive order requiring new
examination of all incumbents was issued LII
| has been stated that in the examinations tnat
followed democrats seeking postmastershlps
appeared to have an advantage over repuDn-
cans already in office, and that they were sue
cessful elf properly endorsed" There were
| intimations that Mr.. Burleson was building a
political machine. Some members OF congress
+ believe that the work of construction Will pc
4 advanced when the promised executive order
affecting first, second and third class post
masters becomes effective.
| The postoffce should be taken out OF poll
| tics and the country hopes that Mr. Burleson
was thinking of the great advantage OF tne
merit system, and not of political machinery,
when he proposed that the president put the
lpost1nasters into the classified service.
| Retter teaching in rural schools is concern
of the government department OF education
which has just issued bulletin containing
practical suggestions to local school authorities
and proposing series Of institutes and special
teachers pamphlets. 1t was inevitable that the
broadening and lettering OF rural schools
would at once demand an increase IN the num-
Der of trained teachers for these schools. More
over, the success of the attempt to make rurai
education adequate and countrywide must walt
upon the creation Of such teaching force.
Much of the teaching in rural schools has been
done by young men and young women VINO io'
only have no special preparation for this pro
,fession but no inclination to adopt it perma-
nently. Some excellent teaching has been done
| by such persons, but ultimate welfare to rural
schools will depend upon teaching torce as
we'll prepared and as professionally permanent
as that employed in city schools.
It NAV be true. as the health experts assert,
| that chopping wood is more healthful tnan
dancing but comparatively few persons are In
a position to buy wood merely to cut up Tor
exercise.
| The New York City woman who paid two
thousand dollars for dog to protect her
probably is one of the sort who doesn t believe
in lawyers.
Chicago club wants to expel member
who voted against armed neutrality Inc
charge, probably, is non payment of dues to
Germany.
| Men with the knack of getting rich are al
WAYS able to hire plenty of financial experts at
comparatively low salaries to help with the
"details.
! The cost of living is complicated by the tact
that some people value an article only In pro
portion to the price they have to pay to obtain
lit.
{ If buttons were horses soldiers and polce
} gentlemen might ride.