Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-02-13
Friday Morning ....T sbruary Is, 1920
Merit System Bill Exempts Many
Places.


Governor Ritchie's bill to redeem the
merit system pledge Of the Democratic
party was introduced in the House on
Wednesday of last week. The Governor
handed the bill to Mr.. Coblentz, of Fred
erick county, the majority leader in the
House. to introduce. Shortly afterwards
Mr.. Coblentz presented the bill and Speaker
Tydines referred it to the Committee on
Civil Service Reform.
In his statement Governor Richie said
THE bill creates the Office of State
Employment Commissioner, with an an
nual salary of $4,000. The alternative
to this would be either paid or an I'M
paid board. 1t seems to me that it may
be difficult to secure men Of the required
caliber who could afford to devote all their
time to the work without compensation !;
and also that II would be better to CEN
tralize the responsibility in one well-paid
official rather than in any paid board.
THE act cannot take effect until Octo-
Der 1, 1920, because under the budget sys-
TEN the necessary money could not be
made available before that time. 1t will
then take at least three months to classify
the service The bill, therefore, provides
that the merit system shall 60 into effect
January 1, 1921, or as soon thereafter as
practicable.
THE bill provides that when the act
takes effect it applies to all State employ
ments, with certain exceptions These
exceptions fall under eight general head
ings:
1. Elective officers and officers and boards
appointed directly by the Governor or by
the Board OF Public Works. These are the
heads OF departments, and are never in
cluded under the merit system.
2. Officers and the employees Of the
General Assembly. 1t is not practicable
TO include these.
8. Officers and employees Of the various
circuit courts and Of the Baltimore city
courts. and assistants and employees OF
the several sheriffs, resistersof wills. clerks
Of courts. States Attorneys, election su-
pervisors and county supervisors OF assess
ments These positions are excepted be-
cause, although technically State positions.
they are in reality county and city posi-
tons. The character OF their work is such
that it can be best and most efficiently dis
charged by local appointees, and their
compensation is such that as practical
matter none but local appointees could be
secured. II would be entirely impractical
bic to fill these places from a list COM
posed of applicants from all over the State
regardless Of their residence.
4. The legal officers Of the State, who
are excepted because Of the professional
qualifications required of them.
S. The Baltimore city police force, who
are already under the merit system.
6. All secretaries, chief clerks and chief
administrative officers.
7. All State positions which the Com
missioner may determine, with the ap-
proval of the Governor, require medical.
engineering. scientific, educational or ex-
pert training qualifications.
3. All positions the annual salary Of
which does not exceed $3.50.
II think it quite clear that the first five
of the above classes should be excepted.
Whether the last three should be excepted
or not may admit Of differences Of opinion
THE reasons for excepting them from
the present bill are these
THE introduction of the merit system
will be a radical innovation in the govern :
ment of our State. We should aim to Sc
cure all the undoubted benefits of the sys
TEN for our people, and at the same time
avoid, as far as possible, its recognized
danger-that is. the tendency that the
security of ones position so often has tC
lessen ones incentive for hard work.
THE best way to secure both these re
suits is, think, not to be too sweeping II
the beginning in the positions to be in
cluded in the classified service, but rather
to include those which already ought tC
be included, and to exclude those as t
which a real doubt may exist. thinl
that the positions last mentioned fall within
this latter class.
AFTER the system gets in operation i
should not be difficult to deteJmine wha
new positions can and should be brough
within its benefits. and in order that ex
tensions Of this kind may be made tn,
bill expressly authorizes the Governor
from time to time, to add to the classified
service such Offices and positions as ar,
not included in the beginning.
81 think it much better and safer t
adopt this course than to include b!
legislative fat positions which actual ex
perience may show can be more satisfac
torily and efficiently filled from outsid
the service. In the latter case. il mis-
take were made it could only be rectife,
by legislative action. But by giving tn
Governor the power to add to the servic'
you afford, first. the opportunity Of learn
ing from practical observation what new
positions should be brought in, and. sec
ondly, you give the means for bringin
them in"