Arizona republican., 1922-04-28
Postal Official Says
President Can Change
Any Department Head

WASHINGTON, April 27.-Opera-
tion of the government would be
clogged without a rational civil SER
vice law and a civil service commits
sion, but some of the present em-
ployes of the government "are SO
partisan and so friendly to the last
administration that they do not
want this addition to be a success.
Assistant Postmaster General Bart
lett declared tonight before a mass
meeting of the National Civil Ser
vice Reform League.
The meeting was called for the de-
clared purpose Of Checking the act
ivities OF members of congress and
high government officials who seek
the destruction of the merit system
of the civil service" and was attend
ed by leaders in civil service reform
movements from various sections OF
the country. Samuel Gompers, pres
ident of the American Federation OF
Labor: Moorfield Storey, of Boston,
and Mr.. Bartlett, who formerly was
president OF the civil service commits
sion. were the principal speakers.
There is absolutely no cause for
alarm, on the part OF the great body
of civil service workers who do their
work well, Mr.. Bartlett said, adding
that this present alarm is an appa-
rition, phantom. a scare put up in
order that few now under civil SER
vice who ought TO be put out, may
hide behind it,"
He declared that the president has
the legal right, 'as he did in the
case of the removal of department
heads of the bureau of engraving and
printing, to remove offices and Of
ficers from civil service when he
deems it for the public good"
"He is not obliged" the speaker
added, ito give notice to discharged
employees required of all other re-
moving officers, because he is given
the right under the fundamental civil
service law to make any exceptions
to that law which he sees fit.
when the people vote a change in
the administration, he added. they
mean a change in administration, not
simply a change in the president. The
extreme civil service view would not
permit a president to bring to Wash
ington any new blood" The differ
ence between his views and those Of
the civil service extremists, was, the
former head OF the civil service COM
mission declared, that the eStrem-
lists claim that the only officials who
should be called administrative Of
ficers' and who should not be under
civil service, are cabinet officers, and
perhaps one or two assistants, and
some of the extremists do not even
concede this; while I believe that
these are not enough. as our govern
ment has at length grown and de-
veloped, to make certain that the
presidents policies are carried out
and to discipline and reform the great
body of civil service employees under
him | believe it can be shown that
there are many civil service employees.
through themselves or their friends,
who are adding fuel to this fire now
caulculated. to attack this admins
tration."
The president, he said, supported
the commission in its policy to rate
applicants concerning character and
fitness for government work, and in
terested himself in a study Of the
personnel problem of the government
looking to personnel board. and a
better personal management
Mentioning the attorney general,
Secretary Davis, Postmaster General
Work, Senator Moses of New Hamp-
shire, and Senator New of Indiana,
Mr.. Bartlett said:
Il know positively that none of
them is correctly represented by the
league notice calling 10: the mass
meeting and that no one of them has
any idea of disturbing the fundamen-
tai principles OF civil service