Evening star., 1923-04-27
ASKS CIVIL SERVICE
FOR DRY OFFICERS
Senator Sterling to Intro
duce New Bill at Next
Session of Congress.

The fight to have agents and inspec-
tors of the prohibition field service
placed under civil service will be re-
newed when Congress meets again,
Senator Sterling. South Dakota, chair
man of the Senate civil, service COM
mittee, announces. He had a bill for
this purpose before the Senate al the
last session, but it was not finally
acted upon.
Under the present law" said Sena-
tor Sterling, none OF the officials hav-
ing immediate direction of the en-
| forcement of the prohibition act, none
of the persons authorized to issue
, permits and none of the agents or in
spectors in the field service are re-
quired to take the open competitive
whatever under the civil service act
and the rules and regulations pre-
i, scribed by that act.
Pending the final passage of the
prohibition act there was considerable
discussion as to whether there should
! be any exemption of any OF the otli-
cialS or employees from the require
! ments of|the civil service act relating
to examinations as test of fitness
for the performance of their duties
oHueT the act. Inc opinion prevailed.
however. or at least it was the basis
OF compromise, to the effect that the
! duties to be performed by the cX-
cepted classes in the enforcement of
prohibition required qualificat ions
: that could not well be the subject of
/ test or ascertainment under a civil
service examination. and hence the
exceptions named were written in
the law.
Qualities Needed.
This action was contrary to the
view of many who believed that other
! qualifications than mere physical
courage were required for the faith
! full and intelligent performance of
| their duties on the part of enforce
| nent officials, agents and inspectors.
! Time and experience have, l think,
demonstrated that the Protestants
perhaps the exception of a few ex-
| ecutive officers here in Washington
and in, the several prohibition en-
forcement districts in the United
| States, the prohibition employees
should be required to stand the test
of an open competitive civil service
| examination the same as other fed
eral employees in the classified service.
In the absence of such test and just
as it was under the old spoilS system,
the temptation always exists to rec
ommend for appointment the man who
it is believed has rendered or may be
able to render some personal or party
political service. This inevitably leads
to appointments without regard to
the question of the fitness for a serv-
ice both difficult and highly important.
Courage Essential.
"Of course. physical courage is a
! requisite-its possession is essential
to the ordinary or average field agent
or inspector: but with courage must
go fair degree of learning, moral
stamina and fitness for the peculiar
service and these cannot be sufficient
ly tested except by a civil service
examination.
1T is believed that under such tests
and the admission to the service
through them, the quality of the serv-
ice will be vastly improved; that a
class of men will be obtained who can
determine quickly whether the cir
cumstances Justify an arrest or seiz-
ure. az well as the nature and amount
of evidence required to make a case,
thus saving to the government the
unnecessary expense arising out of
indi&Creet or hasty action, and at the