The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1922-02-02
By EDWARD G. LOWRY
Copyright, Western Newspaper Union
XI.
HIRE GOVERNMENT HELP

The civil service commission hires
all employees in the classified service
Of the government. The only thing to
be said about the classified service, is
that it has not yet been classified.
But you shall hear what the civil serv-
ice commission has to say about hir-
ing help, without comment from me.
There is an utter lack of definitely
planned and well-organized employ
ment policy in the government serv-
ice.
There is need for a centralized en-
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 Is at present no central con-
troll over the executive service short
of the President. The President is a
busy man and cannot concern himself
with the details Of the executive de-
partments.
The lack Of efficiency in govern
ment offices has marked effect on
private business.
Definite information concerning the
number of federal civil employees in
different branches of the service and
the amount of the government pay
roll are not readily available. -
An official register, or blue book,
is issued every two years. 1t is cut
of date long before it is printed.
A provision Of the civil service rules
theoretically gives the civil service
commission authority to collect and
maintain complete personnel statis-
ties. The labor and expense involved,
however, practically prohibit the col
lection and compilation of reliable sta
tistical data.
In addition to the limits of the COM
missions authority is the absence Of
authority TO enforce its findings. The
commission can make recommends
tions to the departments and offices
and urge their observance, but 1t can
not enforce them.
Congress passed what is known as
the civil service law January 16, 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 r-year-tenure-of
Office act of 1920.
During the first 40 years after the
organization of our government, ad-
ministrative practice with regard to
the civil service seemed to conform
to the intention of the founders. The
Constitution fixed the term of no Of
ficer in the executive branch of the
government except those of the Pres
ident and vice president. 1t was the
established usage during these first
40 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 was
officially described as early as 1885,
was introduced and extended until it
permeated the entire civil service Of
the country.
The fundamental purpose Of the CIV
IL service law was to establish, in the.
parts of the service covered by its
provisions, merit system whereby
selection for appointment should be
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 classl-
fled service, the making Of appoint
ments from among those passing with
highest grades, an apportionm Of
appointments In the departments at
Washington among the states and ter
ritorles, a period of probation before
absolute appointment and the pro-
hibition of the use of official authority
to coerce the political action of any
| person or body.
In 1883, the year in which the civil
service law was enacted. 1924 posi-
tions In the civil service were made
subject to competition. The entire
/ nuflDer Ol pOSitiohs III tiic Aeocf a.
executive civil service on June 20,
1916, was 4s0,S27. At the height of
the war expansion there were approx
imately 100000 men AID 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, as
| nearly as can be estimated, had been
reduced to 691, JIG. Approximately
100000 Of these were subject to COM
petition, or, In other words, In the
classified service. The force Is still
slowly but steadily decreasing.
During the 10 months of our partici-
nation in the war the civil service
commission gave competitive exami-
nations under the civil service law and
rules TO slightly less than 900 per-
sons, and about 100000 persons with
tested qualifications were supplied by
the commission to the service. A nor
NAL years business Is about 100000
persons examined and about $4,000
annointed, -.