Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-14
Girl Service Danger
Compulsory Appointmsn, May Be
Bad or Worse Than Spoils System.


A committee OF the National Civil Service
Reform league has again brought forward .
proposal which periodically, for many years. has
beea much discussed by both the Unofficial sdyo-
Gates and the official administrators OF the merit
system, and which is one OF the most difficult TO
dispose OF among all that have ever been raised
in connection with the civil service. The com.
mittee Is that on the appointment OF presidential
postmasters, OF which Hon. William Dudley
foulke, acting president OF the league, is chair
man. and i,s proposal Is that the appointment Of
the person standing highest on an eligible lis.
shall eompulsorily be appointed, instead OF the
appointment being made from among the high
est three. At the option OF the appointing officer
IL is urged In behalf OF this proposal that
II competitive examinations show the compare
tive fitness of candidates. then the one who stands
highest must he the htiest, and should therefore
be appointed tina, TO permit the selection 10 be
made from among the three is TO permit the ele-
ment OF political preference to enters and that
!, the choice is made from the first three. the
candidate AT the head OF the list may never be
appointed, since every time he and two Others
are certified 10 the appointing officer. one OF those
below him may be selected. and he be left.
On the other hand II is urged that a certain
discretion ought TO be left 10 the appointing Of
heer. because there are often certain personal
qualifications which can not be determined or ex-
pressed in the results OF a competitive examina-
ton, which might make the second or third man
really more ft for the place than the one who
had the highest technical marks Men who have
performed the duties OF civil service commission
ers. for the nation for the state or city. know
this 10 be the case and for that reason have gen.
orally been inclined toward retention OF the pres
ent system Of choice from three.
The present proposal would seem to require.
then. that congress shall by law vest the ap-
pointment OF inferior officers in the civil service
commission But then the question arises
whether that would be constitutional. The con-
stitution gives congress the power thus to vest
appointments in the courts OF law or the heads
OF departments" But the civil service commits
sion is neither a court of law nor head of
department OF government. II is thus quite con-
ccivable that another amendment TO the consti-
tuition would be necessary for the carrying out
OF the proposal. And with all possible sympathy
with and faith in the merit system and the sys-
tenn of competitive examinations, il may we'll be
doubted whether so radical a change of our
scheme OF government would be desirable. To
invest the civil service commission with the power
Of appointment Of all inferior officers would be
TO make Of il an extraordinary and most por-
tentous administrative hierarchy, the powers Of
which would be in danger of grave abuse. At
present candidates for appointment have to pass
the scrutiny Of both the civil service commission
and an entirely separate and independent ap-
pointing officer, who will be responsible and
authoritative head under whom they will work
Under the proposed system there would be no
such dual scrutiny, with its wholesome checks
and balances, but there would be left one sole
appointing power and it would have nothing
whatever to do with the work Of its appointees
after they were commissioned
The best friends of the civil service system
will give the matter very careful consideration
before they commit themselves to so radical
change.