Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-21
The NeW Postal Order
From the Boston Transcript. }

The theory that four years of
Harding is o/be only four years
more of Wilson, received today a
rude jolt. when the Wilson order
which placed postmasters of the
first. second and third class perma-
nently under the civil service, with
out the formality of a competitive
examination. was rescinded. In its
place President Harding has issued
an order the effect of which will be
two-fold: (D. TO pave the way for
an act of congress that will provide
in legal and effective terms for the
transfer of the postal service to the
protection of the civil service law,
and CD will apply by executive or
der civil service procedure as far as
is possible to the filing of vacancies
as they arise; in advance of the
necessary legislation which congress
will be called upon to enact.
The resembling of the order of
March31. 1917, and the terms of the
new order, realize the hope we ex-
pressed in our issue of March Is
that the postmaster general would
take soundings before recommend
ing a course of action to the presi-
dent. The more Mr.. Hays investi-
A1ted. the more he became con-
yinced that the circumstances under
which the old order was drawn up
were not such as would inspire con-
fidence in its efficacy. The republi-
can member of the commission was
excluded from the conference which
the former postmaster general held
with the democratic members of
the commission, after one of the lat
ter, Mr.. Charles M. Galloway, had
entered a vigorous protest against
the exclusion. His protest was ig-
nored, and the order as formulated
in partisan conference has stood un-
til today. The first examinations un-
der it were not held until eight
months after it's issuance, and these
were only to fill a few vacancies in
Offices of the third class. 1t was not
until 1918 that any examinations
were held for the higher grade ofE
fees, and when the lists We're sub
nitted to Mr.. Burleson he held up
the nominations in some instances
for another year or longer. When it
was discovered that the first 67
nominations for offices paying above
$4,000 in salary contained the names
of only eight republicans, it began
to dawn upon the country that in
stead of introducing civil service re-
form into the postal service, the old
order had only introduced Burleson-
ism into the civil service.
Our appeal to the new adninistra-
ton last March was "if postmasters
of the first, second and third classes
are to be covered into the competi-
tive classified civil service, let it be
done legally and in good faith" A
long step in this direction has been
taken by the issuance of the new
order. President Harding and Post
master Hays have not only advanced /
the cause of postal reform but they
have lifted from the cause of civil
service reform the curse of political
hypocrisy placed upon it by the or
der they have revoked. 1t now re-
mains for all citizens interested in
civil service reform and postal re-
form to join hands and support the |
administration in its efforts to OBJ
tain from congress the legislation !
necessary to take the postal estab
iishment completely out OF the field !
OF partisan politics and place it per-
manently under the classified civil I
service. The executive has gone as
far as he can in this direction; the I,
Legislative branch must bridge the |
remaining distance,