The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-11-26
RED TAPE CUT
BY UNCLE SAM
War Methods In Worlds Biggest
Labor Agency.
CIVILIAN WORKERS NEEEED

tie Z Case OF "shoot First and Ask
QusstIons Afterward" With Civil
Service Commission In Meeting Ex-
~traordInary Emergency Demands
Telephone and Telegraph Get Ap-
poIntees by First Train to Capital.
In the capital Of the United States
the largest employment agency In the
world has been running at top speed
since April Q, 1917, keeping the govern
ment supplied with civilian war work.
ers; over the entrance to the six-story
building Ia a small wooden sign read
Ing, United States Civil Service Com
mission"
The commission came into being In
1883 az a check on the "spoils SYSTEM"
through which government jobs had be-
come currency for paying political
debts. In the first year Of Its exist
ence 1924 employees Of the govern
ment were classified, or brought with
In the Jurisdiction of the civil service
law. Everyone who was working for
the government In a position coming
under the new law was covered into
the classified service without examina-
ton. To have forced an examination
on those already In the departments, 1t
would arst have been necessary to
slaughter congress almost to a man.
Legislators often fay 1t now. but nearly
always merely for effect on disappoint-
"a "home folks who have failed to
land In Uncle Sans official family.
Nine hundred different registers for
Ill sorts Of positions are maintained.
Take the case Of clerks as illustrative
Of the way appointments are made.
The applicant undergoes the prescribed
examination before the nearest local
board Of civil service examiners, of
which there are about 5000 scattered
throughout the country. Then his name
- entered on a register card" togeth-
Or with q general summary Of the infor-
nation contained In his application and
~ DISQUALIFICATION pdpcIs
Red Tape 10 Cut.
Now, suppose an official In charge of
Q bureau needs a number Of clerks. A
written request IL sent to the civil serv-
Ice commission setting forth the num-
Der and sex desired and salary to be
paid. This request goes to the certi-
0cation section, where a clerk selects
the names Of the highest eligibles. Ger
tincates are forwarded to the bureau
head, who sends a form letter to each
Of the persons named, offering appoint
ment. When the vacancies are filed,
back goes the certificate to the civil
service commission with a report indi-
eating those who accepted. those who
declined, and those who failed to re.
spond.
Since the outbreak Of war, however.
In cases Of emergency-and nearly all
II the thousands of war department
appointments come under the head of
emergency-this somewhat lengthy
process II cut short. It Is a case of
shoot frst and ask questions after
ward"
For instance, Captain Kidd Of the
Quartermaster's department may want
half . dozen typists. He takes up his
telephone, asks for Main 70, Civil
Sesvice) and gets a clerk in the certi-
0cation section. The clerk goes
through the same process as before in
selecting eligibles. and then sends tele-
grams ordering them to report at once.
The typists catch the first train to
Warrington and are employed. Here
II q government bureau where red
tape gets no chance to give aid and
comfort to the enemy In a crisis.
War Record 10 Good.
Some Of the requests for employees
dnce the country went to war are
large. 1t is not considered extraordi,
nary to get . single call from the wal
or treasury department for 1000 clerks
II o week not long ago the names
Of 400 clerks were furnished the wal
department.. That departments CHIEF
clerk called up n evening just be
fore closing time and asked for BOG
male stenographers as soon as posi-
bic. AT nine o'clock next morning 29(
male stenographers were lined up out
sl0e his door. with others arriving
oomething like q year ago. the bureau
of war risk insurance started with
troo people on its stan. Today It ha.
hilary list Of about $4,000 and prac
t1caIly al the employees were furnish
- 6om civil service lists.
here II considerable discussion re
mne1nG the prospects for taking pit,
- the war workers who have come
- Warrington, and covering them in
q to service as was done after thu
openl6h war. without requiring then
o poau m examination. But the fac
that those wal workers Of 1891
wore temporary appointees. not fur
ninhed ~ the civil war commission
= thiD war, with the exception Of tn
16o1 nn6 fuel administrations and tn