Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-02
Standing BY the Civil Service

J. RlENDS OF good government have n
right to feel alarmed over the future
OF the classified civil service when they find
Il national administration boldly proposing
I" break down many of those barriers which
have protected the system against the spois-
men in politics. And when a First Assistant
PostmastcrGencral who happens TO have
been chairman of the Civil Service Com
mission, speaking for that administration
outspokenly proposes the removal from the
classified service OF the more important
executives of the government there is rea-
son to feel that reforms achieved after
years Of hard labor may be in imminent
peril.
An unfortunate phase of the civil service
today is the fact that it does not promise
sufficient rewards for the men or women of
special training, high character and demon
Strated ability. Too often subordinate Off
Gals of that sort yield to the temptation OF
higher pay and quicker advancement i'll pri-
vate business and about the time their value
TO the government becomes established they
resign.
AS remedy for this evil the civil service.
which in its earlier days applied only to
tho lower grades of Federal or state en-
ployes. was extended TO apply rs we'll to Off
Gals whose salaries ranged from $500 a
year to $4,000 This extension has had
the effect OF keeping more and more highly
competent employees in the government SER
vice, that u.s. employees who naturally would
prefer public TO private employment all
else being equal
The good which has proceeded from the
expansion Of the classified service. however,
would be lost if the policy of the present
administration. as outlined by First AS
sistant Postmaster General Bartlett should
Mr. IlD Int, Ia,
the higher appointments in the civil SER
vice should be put upon personal or poll
t!caI basis III order that each incoming adj
ministration might surround itself with
stan OF executives in sympathy with the
new policies, a staff that could not only be
depended upon 10 be loyal 10 the President
but would contribute to the effectiveness of
the change in policy.
!, is easy to understand that II the Presi-
dent should remove frcm civil service pro-
lection all OF the higher executive officials
o. the government, which would include the
heads Of bureaus and the chiefs OF divisions
no such official could be sure OF the perma-
nency of his position and would be inclined
to consider private employment whenever il
should be offered
Mr.. Bartletts argument does not find
support in the direction OF practical oxpcri-
ence. Administrations have changed again
ana again since the high-grade men and
women have been given a civil service status
and the discovery of dsloyalty 10 any new
regime on the part OF hod-over executive
has been rare. Moreover. every admins
tration has an opportunity 10 deal indi-
vidua!ly with such cases and to dsplace
any executive who may prove unfaithful to
ali announced administration policy.
1t should not be necessary to remove
every efficient bureau head with the Undue
ton into office OF a new President in order
that the occasional follower OF an admins
tration that has passed should be put upon
the block