The Cordova daily times., 1922-05-03
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1922
THE PEOPLE ARE NOT MERE BURDEN
 BEARERS FOR BUREAUCRACY

The efforts of the more conspicuous pro- fessional leaders of the so-called civil servlce reform movement have been dedicated en- tirely to the protection of the office holder. The protection of the tax-paying public against inefficiency and dlsloyalty III the bureaucracy has not been considered. No at tempt whatever has been made by those advo- eating the creation of permanent office hold ing class to promote efficiency or economy ln the government service.
 Just now the professional civil service re- formers are joining the outcry of certain Dem- ocratic politicians against the reorganization of the departmental service at Washington along the lines of efficiency and economy The cry is raised that any attempt to rid the gov ernment payroll of incompetents and super- numeraries is an assault on the "merit'' sys- tenn and return to the "spo1ls'- system. o
 President Wilson, a former President ol the National Civil Service Reform League, > bestowed more public positions on poliVical workers of his party persuasian than all ot ms nrodecessors combined in the past third or a ranturv. He carried the spells system even to inc noint of selecting Republicans who hao holted their party to most of the boards ana commissions where representation of partles other than his own was required by law EV- arpono knows that the postoffice of the first, sooont and third class, with half dozen spectacular exceptions made for obvious pur- noses, were filled with Democratic workers Few of the readers of this editorial need look further than their local postofflces +o know that this is true In Washington de- nartments were "loaded down with Wilson men'' in the same manner
 When Colonel Bryan became Secretary of State he overturned the whole diplomatic ser vice in providing for what he described as "deserving Democrats" :" While this was being done and while President Wilson was turning ont Renub]icans from office by the thousands and nutting Democratis in their ploces, there was no outcrv from the contingent that is now protesting against the elimination of some o1 tboso deserving Democrats from the pubic navroll and the appointment of competent nersons loyal to the administration Tn theI places
 If politicians and organizations masquer- adino under the cloak of civil service reform are really engaged in trying to fasten upon the country tax eating, efficiency destroy inc bureaucracy, the people of this country want to know it. Resistance to changes Ill the public service necessary to the relief of the people from the extravaganza and in- competency of the Wilson era can only lead to public demand for thorough overhaul ing of the governments payroll, without re- gard to catch phrases or hypocritical cant.
 The day President Harding's order reorgan- izing the government bureau of printing and engraving was issued, in one of the divisions of the bureau, three young women employees were asleep during office hours in the ladies' rest room. Their absence being complained of the woman at the head of the division sought to arouse them and get them back to work The demand that they go to work was re- fused. This is an incident typical of conditions in many of the bureaus of the government The day after President Harding's order was ~ issued everyone was at work in the bureau o1 printing and engraving