Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-04-29
CIVIL SERVICE MEETING
THE National Civil Service Re

THE National Civil Service Re.
! form league has called a meet
ing at the national capital which ID
now in session ITO consider various
questions involved in the admins
tration Of the civil service laws
which have recently COM. to public
attention" Civil service reform
ers have become alarmed at the
evident purpose of this administra-
ton to violate the letter and spirit
of civil service reform.
The most important question
which can come before that confer
ence, Of course, will be President
Harding's wholesale dismissal of
officials Of the bureau of printing
and engraving. This violation of
the principle and policy of the civil
service has become a national scan-
dial. No charges were filed against
the dismissed employees. When they
sought an explanation through their
organized body they were told that
the president had no explanation to
make. They were subjected to all
sorts of suspicious and inferential
charges, even to the commission OF
crime.
All sorts of Irregularities and
Encouragement were limited at in
order to furnish sone sort of justi-
fication for the presidents sum-
mary and cruel act Of dismissal
Among other things it was charged
by the attorney Of the man Presi-
dent Harding appointed to succeed
the dismissed head Of the bureau
that former Director Wilmeth had
unfairly dismissed a number of en-
ployes last summer. Upon inves-
tigation il was shown that these
charges were false and that the bu-
reau was 100 per cent efficient.
The latest attempt to justify the
heartless dismissal of these Off
cials, mostly aged men and women
who had won their positions
through and efficiency was through
a publication known as the plate
Printer" official organ of the plate
printers union, in which it was al
legged that by reason of the poor
quality of the money and securities
turned out the country was flooded
with millions Of counterfeit federal
reserve notes. United States notes,
federal currency. national bank
notes, silver certificates. was saw
ings stamps. postage stamps, in
ternal revenue stamps and all issues
of war bonds.
These charges were denied alb
solutely by Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon who says that no in
formation of the kind has ever
come to the knowledge of the
treasury department, and he has
asked the editor Of the Plate
Printer to furnish him with any
evidence he may have upon which
he based his publication.
In this latest attempt to justify
the presidents action a bad matter
has been made worse by casting
suspicion upon the various issues
of currency, notes, stamps and
bonds now in circulation. AS Sec
rotary Mellon points out, state
ments of this sort rejecting as they
do upon government bonds in the
hands of investors are calculated to
cause widespread uneasiness upon
the part of such holders and at the
same time if uncontradicted might
tend to injure the credit and stand
ing with the public of securities of
the government"
Before the enactment OF the FED
eral reserve bank act such a state
ment would likely have depleted
the treasury of its gold reserve.
The National Civil Service Re-
form league conference is also ex-
pected to consider the present
method of appointing postmasters,
upon the recommendations of con.
gressmen, national committeeman,
and political referes, instead of I'M
der q proper Interpretation of the
civil service law. This method has
also resulted in most unfair dis
ordinations against ex-service
men and against applicants in both
parties with the highest rating.
It is expected also that the con-
ference may inquire into the pres
emit organization of the civil service
commission, which Is composed en-
tirely of republicans, although the
civil service law provides for mi
norisy representation. The manner
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