Evening star., 1922-04-22
BARTLETT DENIES
HE IS UNFR|END[Y
TO CIVIL SERVICE
Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral Wants Chance to Refute
i. Charges Of League.
SAYS HIS DESIRE is ONLY
TO HELP ORGANIZATION
Bitterly Attacked for Advocating
Restrictions of Merit
: System"

First Assistant Postmaster General
Bartlett today threw down the gaunt-
Jet to the National Civil Service Re-
form League, which has called a
: meeting here for April 81. by asking
Secretary H. W. Marsh for the right
to speak at the gathering, which is
called to consider the question of the
merit system in civil service.
:. Mr.. Bartlett believes that those
who have called the meeting have
''merely set up a straw man to shoot
at" as he expressed it, and resents
the implication by the league that he
is one of the "enemies of the civil
service"
II notice that you are to have a
meeting in this city and 1 think your
Invitation is broad enough to include
myself" Mr.. Bartlett stated in let
ter sent today to Secretary Marsh in
New York city.
II notice that one of the items upon
which you predicate the call of the
meeting is a statement of my posi-
ton with reference to civil service,
Mr.. Bartlett continued, referring TO
a document now in the possession of
sent out by the league, charging that
there appears to be dangerous or
ganized effort on the part of various
members of Congress and others high
in government places to weaken.
cripple and perhaps finally destroy
the present competitive system in the
civil service of our country.
The first assistant postmaster gen
oral. who intends to be in the audi
.nce at the meeting here April 81, if
4, included in the list off
speakers, continued his letter as fol-
lows:
Any one who thus reads your call
would have right to assume that
my position was one of the things
which is creating the alarm. If you
have read my recent interview on
civil service you will see upon re-
Election that you have misstated my
position.
To BE at Meeting.
Il shall make every effort to be
present at tho meeting. and 1 would
esteem it favor, in view of the mis-
representation of my position in your
call for the meeting. If you would
give be few minutes to correct the
erroneous impression which your
notice gives.
You should know that I am not
only friendly to civil service, but
that / am determined to do some
thing to build 1t up and perfect it as
one of the great government agen-
cies."
Mr.. Bartletts views on civil serv-
ice. as recently set forth by him in
a public statement. are severely
criticized in the general statement
from the National Civil Service Re
form League, in the, hands of the OFF,
Cials.
The statement is signed by Will
liam Dudley Foulke. acting presi-
dent. Following the charge of dan
gerous organized effort to weaken
and cripple the civil service" as
given above. the document gives the
following. which has aroused the fre
of First Assistant Postmaster General
Bartlett:
"Mr. John Fl. Bartlett. who for
short time was civil service COM
missioner, appointed by President
Harding, has made public state
ment. distributed as part of the Post
Office Departments publicity, advo-
eating a restriction of the merit sys-
tenn to the lower places of the service
only, thus excluding those places pro-
motion to which is the great incen-
tive to efficiency among countless
employees of the government" Secre-
tary Davis of the Labor Department,
Attorney General Daugherty, Post
master 1cHSTdl NCTk, Elmer lover,
assistant secretary of the Treasury,
and others are censured in the state-
ment for activities in connection with
recent happenings in the civil service.
system Undermined.
These things seem to be the begin
ming of widespread changes, which
call for an earnest protest from those
who believe in the competitive sys-
tem," the statement by Mr.. Foulke
continued. IF they are allowed to
continue. that system will be under
mined and uprooted, and we shall re-
turn to the deplorable spoils system
of the past"
Mr.. Bartlett indicated that the
above Interpretation OF his beliefs in
regard to OWL service, as stated by
Mr.. Foulke. is entirely erroneous. and
that he resents particularly any one
attempting to make him out as an
enemy of civil service.
II believe that the President should
lave the power to choose his immedi-
ate lieutenants. and that only by SO
of the people who elected him." Mr..
Bartlett said.
Placing certain administrative posi-
tions under executive control in no
way would affect incentive to rise in
the service. as 1t would be possible
for the President, under such a plan
as I have proposed, to reach into the
service and place in high positions
men whom he can trust to carry out
his policies.
"If change of administration
should come, and the new President
not desire to keep the men In their
new positions. they could be returned
10 their old positions, Provision
.entive for a clerk in government
service to forge ahead would be