New Britain herald., 1923-04-04
POST OFFICE PLUMS ID STAY WITH i. 0.P.
BerthS Held by Republicans May
 Be Made Permanent
pY GEORGE IT. MANNING


 Washington Bureau of New Britain Heraid)
 Washington, D. C., April 1. - Now that republicans of good party stand. Ing are holding about 90 per cent oi all the postmasterships it would mol surprise anyone in Washington in touch with political affairs should President Harding shortly amend the rules governing postmaster appoint ment in way that would practically perpetuate in office those now holding the jobs.
 To take this step would be only fol- lowing in the footsteps of Woodrow Wilson who, three years after he had become president and when m order which would, in effect. have kept them fin office until death. So firmly did President Wilson fix democratic postmasters in office that when the republican administration came in in 1921, the politicians found it necessary to have President Hard | ing cancel the Wilson order and issue another executive order governing postmasters appointments before they could get the democratic postmasters out to make way for republicans. The Wilson order, however, was a long step in the direction of taking postmasterships out of the "spoils" but thinly yelled plan to throw all the democratic postmasters out and make the offices the reward for poli- tical party work.
 The Wilson order would have been above criticism had it come few months after Mir. Wilson became president instead of after his party had had three years in which to fill all the postmasterships with demo- crats. That gave it the appearance of a poorly disguised effort to perpetuate the democrats in office in succeeding administrations
 When the republicans came into power in March, 1921, the political leaders at once pointed out to Presi- dent Harding that the Wilson order must be repealed in order to clear the way for republicans to oust the demo- cratic postmasters President Hard ing responded within 30 days by is- suing an order superseding the Will son order that satisfied even the most exacting politicians.
 Several minor incidents have oc- cured recently to indicate that Presi- dent Harding and his advisers have now that republicans are holding al- most all the post offces-discovered that the rules governing appointment are too lax. and are leaning towards a system that will keep competent" postmasters in indefinitely.
 The order of President Wilson, is- sued March 31, 1917 provided for the appointment as postmaster by the postmaster general of the person standing first on the civil service com missions eligible list. It provided only for the examination system in cases where vacancies occurred on account of death. resignation or re- moval of the incumbent.
 The Harding executive order, super ceding the Wilson order, makes the examination system apply to vacan- cies occurring from any cause what soever, including the cause of expira- ton of the four year term of office, and provides that the postmaster gen. eral can appoint any one of the three highest eligibles certified by the civil | service commission.
 This latter order opened the way for dismissal of every democratic I, postmaster when his four year term expired--as it must during the four years of Harding rule-and gave the republicans. though the echoice of one from, among the three first elig- ibles, three chances to get member of their party in the job.