Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1922-02-17
u.
HIRE GOVERNMENT HELP
BY EDWARD G.LONRY
Copyright. Western

all employees IN ia, .'.......
OF the government II, u.I. ruu- goo
he said about the "'H.-.i ii.d -....,o -
THAI 1t has not .r t,ru ,.d-..I...I.
But yOlr shall hear hat lie ,.yji -.i...
ice commission h;> 20 >ak about lnt-
ing help, without comment IRON ne
There is an utter lack of definitely
planned and wcli-orEunilcd employ
ment policy in the government >crV.
Ice.
There is need for centralized ein-
ployment Office with Jurisdiction IN all
matters relating to employment.
The employment methods of the gov.
ernment should be such as to serve
for a model for private business
There Ia at present no central con-
tTol over the executive service short
a. the President. The President Is a
busy man and cannot concern himself
with the details OF the executive dc.
partments.
The lack Of efficiency in govern.
ment offices has q marked effect ON
private business.
Definite Information concerning the
nnmber Of federal civil employees in
different branches Of the service and
the amount Of the government pay
Foll are not readily available.
An official register, or blue book,
h issued every two years. II Is out
q date long before It 10 printed.
A provision Of the civil service rules
theoretically gives the civil service
ecVnmission authority to collect and
Raintain complete personnel Stats
tIts. The labor and expense involved,
Aowever. practically prohibit the col.
1ection and compilation Of reliable sta
stlatical data.
In addition to the limits of the com
missions authority Is the absence Of
euthority to enforce its findings. The
4eemmission can make recommends
dons to the departments and Offices
and urge their observance, but II can
not enforce them.
Congress passed what Is known as
the civil service law January 18. 1888.
This act created the United States
civil service commission. The law was
intended to cure In part the evils
traceable to the spOils system. which
grew out Of the four.year-tcnure.o Of
once act Of 1920
During the first 40 years after the
organization Of our government nd
ministratlve practice with regard TO
the civil service seemed to conform
to the intention Of the founders. The
Constitution fixed the term OF no Of
hcer In the executive branch Of the
government except those Of the Pres
ident and vice president. 1t was the
established usage during these first
20 years to permit executive officers.
except members Of the cabinet, to hold
office for an unlimited period during
good behavior. The practice was
changed In 1920 by the four-year-ten-
ure act. The spOils system, as 1t VAS
officially described as early as 1885,
was introduced and extended until 1t
permeated the entire civil service OF
the country.
The fundamental purpose Of the civ
II service law was 10 establish, in the
parts OF the service covered by its
provisions, II merit system whereby
made upon the basis of demonstrated
relative fitness, without regard To pO
litical, religious. or other such con-
sideratiOns,
The act requires that the rules shall
provide, among other things, for open
competitive examinations for testing
the fitness Of applicants for the classi-
al hn nf Ipf
ments from among those passing with
highest grades. an apportiOnment Of
appointments In the departments at
Washington among the states and ter
Fttories, a period Of probation before
absolute appointment and the pro-
hibition of the use OF official authority
70 cOerce the political action Of any
person or body.
In 1888, the year In which the civil
service law WAS enacted, 1924 posi-
lions in the civil service were made
subject to competition. The entire
number Of positions In the federal
executive civil service on June 20.
1915, was 4S0,S27. At the height Of
the war expansion there were approx
ixnately 100000 men and women en-
ployed in the federal executive civil
service, about 100000 Of whom held
positions subject to competition. On
July 81. 1920. the entire number Of
federal executive civil positions, AZ
nearly as can be estimated, had been
reduced to 691. .116. Approximately
10000 Of these were subject to COM
petition, or, In other words, In the
classified service. The force 10 gtill
slowly but steadily decreasing.
During the 10 months Of our partici-
patton in the war the civil service
commission gave competitive exami.
nations under the civil service law and
rules to slightly less than 100000 per-
sons, and about 100000 persons with
tested qualifications were supplied by
the commission to the service. nor.
imal years business is about 100000