The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-06
SHAKEUP IN
us. BUREAU
NO MYSTERY
q. O. p. Merely Reward
ing Faithful, Law
renee Says.
BIT DAVID LAWRENCE.
copyright, 1922, by The Argus


Washington, D. c., April g.
There's no longer any secret about
the reason for the abrupt dismis-
sal of a score of bureau chiefs and
employees of the bureau of printing
and engraving despite their status
under the civil service.
One influential member of the
cabinet when asked what brought
about the upheaval has just told
inquirers that If they would ex-
anime carefully the vote in the last
presidential election they would
discover the answer. As for the
impression that irregularity occur
red in the bureau so serious as to
require summary removal of a
number of trusted employees, the
record now has been cleared by a
statement from President Harding
himself to the effect that no
charges were on file against the
dismissed employees.
The administration, according to
its leading spokesman, was COM
manded BY the last election to
"clean house" 1t has been too
busy getting acquainted with larg-
er problems of government to at
tend personnel before this. One
wear has gone by and the faithful
in the party ranks are reminding
the administration through rem
bers of congress that the personnel
question must not be neglected any
longer.
Demos Did Same.
Cabinet officers justify their ac-
ton in removing even those cover
ed under civil service by the argu-
ment that Democrats have done the
same thing in the past. Since
when have the Democrats become
so virtuous?" is the retort of the
Republican administration
The danger in the situation, how
ever, is that the Republicans are
taking some isolated cases, of the
previous administration as prece-
dent and that the next time DEM
ocratic administration comes into
power it probably will take the
present bureau of printing and en-
craving episode as absolute justifi-
cation for even more extensive
changes.
Some day the Democrats will
turn US all out-and we won't
whimper," said a high administra-
ton official today.
Politically speaking, the Demo-
Gratis privately are not perturbed
about the Republican house clean
ing, though they will of course
make as much capital out of it as
they can. They realize that politi-
cal parties thrive on the opportun-
tiles offered to job seekers and
that stimulus is given to party
workers by the prospect of getting
government positions if their party
is triumphant at the polls.
The political class which is BIZ
partisan, of course, has been at
the merit system and to make as
many jobs as possible free from
civil service restrictions.
SEfieiencys Excuse Bunk.
The excuse for removals Is al
ways greater efficiency" but the
government has no commission or
board which can establish definite
iy whether a worker is efficient or
not. Usually the recommendations
OF political Investigators are ac-
eepted as final. The Republican
policy of efficiency" is not very
different from that of the Demo
Gratis Such phrases as lin the. in
terest oS the service" are banded
about by both Democrats and Re-
pubhcans when they really mean
efficient Republicans and efficient
Democrats.
Efforts of the Democratic MEM
oers OF congress to start an inves-
ugation have failed. The Repub-
hcan majority will prevent it. So
would the Democrats if the tables
we're reversed. Between the up
Continued on Page Fifteen-)