The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-11
FIRING In
u. S. BUREAU
NO MISTAKE
Engraving Shake-Up VIII
Will Be Justified, Re
pubs Declare.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

lSOpyTlSul, 1SEL, ny Inc Ai6uo-l
Washington, D. c., April IL.
The Harding administration is
thoroughly aware of the criticism
that has been sweeping the country
with reference to its comments en-
the civil service system and the
summary removal of score OF
division chiefs and employees in the
bureau of printing and engraving.
And the word is being passed back
to the friends of the administration
who have been afraid a mistake has
been made that they need not
worry-the investigation in pro-
gress will fully justify the step
that has been taken.
In other words, the statement Of
President Harding and Secretary
Mellon that no charges had been
filed against the dismissed en-
ployes and that nothing had been
discovered to impugn the honesty
or integrity of the employees is to
be taken literally but the charges
of gross inefficiency will not De
withdrawn. Indeed the closing
down of a large part of the bureau
and the taking of inventory is ex-
pected to reveal sufficient evidence
of inefficiency to answer am criti-
cism that now is being made.
Scandal Rumors Fly.
Also all sorts of rumors have
been current that President Hard
ing was misled to believe that a
great scandal would be unearthed
at the bureau and that he would find
all the evidence he needed as soon
as the men in charge in the investi-
cation made their report. The
friends of the dismissed employees
insist that the investigation will
disclose no more evidence of in
efficiency in the bureau than in any
other government department.
Meanwhile, the letters being re-
ceived from all parts of the couu-
try indicate a widespread interest
in what is being done with respect
to the civil service system. Mr..
Harding's declaration that he was
not starting a deliberate drive on
the civil service but was merely
trying to improve it was made IN
an effort to stem the tide of re-
proach for what to all appeared to
be a return to the spoils system.
Party workers far and wide, how
ever have welcomed the presi-
dents action as a splendid idea and
they have in the main reacted en-
Enthusiastically on the principle that
ito the victor belongs the spoils."
1t is admitted even by administra-
ton officials that many of these
letters come from politically-mind
ed folk who believe in government
by the removal of any restrictions
of that system.
f-e-ni9, ,ORs inN-f mfwyp mfwypp
Demos "Watchfully Wait"
The Democrats are watching de-
velopments carefully in the belief
that the episode will be of value
on the stump during the next cam
paign. Curiously enough one of
the first issues made by Charles
Evans Hughes in his presiden
campaign of 1916 was on the al
legged indifference Of the Wilson ad-
ministration to the civil service in
making certain appointments.
Party platforms of both sides have
endorsed the civil service idea for
many years.
President Harding, however, be-
lieves that the incident will be a
tonic to the whole government SER
vice, that it will stimulate effici-
ency and show government EN-
ployes that they cannot expect to
be protected from removal if their
work is unsatisfactory. Already
there has been precipitated a dis
cussion as to how far the civil ser
vice rules should cover positions
of Importance in the government.
The tendency for years has been
to enlarge the scope of the civil
service system SO that permanent
force OF workers might be mar
shalled This has been advocated
on the ground that in changing ad
ministrations there is much loss OF
time and money because new chiefs
and administrative officers have to
be trained. 1t had been hoped that
the civil service some day might
encompass even the diplomatic
service but the attitude of the Ha--
ding administration is that greater
efficiency is possible by a con-
stantly changing personnel than by
permanent group of administrat-
i've officials Time alone can tell
which is the better and the diff
Guilty is that there is no board or
commission absolutely divorced
from party politics which can in
terpret the word "efffficniecy"