Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1923-01-02

Modern employment methods should
be introduced throughout governmental
deparffnents. the league declares, and %
this end adequate appropriation should
be made for the work Of the Federal,
State and local civil service cofnmissiOns.
The league calls upon COnues q
enact legislation which will require The
appoinfment Of the 10000 presidential
postmastcrs on n snct merit Dsss.
Under President Hsrding's executive
order Of May 10, 1921, applicants ior
postmastersbips are required 70 un1'r-
20 examinations. but the POsimas'er
General II permitted 10 select any one
Of the three standing highest in the &c
animation, instead Of the man a. he
head Of the list. This system almost IN
variably results, according 20 o;hcers ~
the league, in political selections. The
/ Postmaster General IL quoted, IN fart n.
having said that other things beng
equal, OF nearly equal he would always
/ appoint a Republican, II there was one
among the first three
Congress IS urged also 70 pace iegjsla-
/ ton placing under the eIvh service
/ law Assistant Secretaries Of the depart
ments. Collectors and Deputy Collector
Of Internal Revenue, United Stafes
/ Marshals and their deputies, the en-
/ ployes OF the Tariff Commission, ship
ping Board. Veterans Bureau, Federal
| Reserve Board, Federal Trade Commis-
| SION, Federal Farm Loan Board and also
| legislative employee
Prohibition Enforce nent Question.
The question that received the great
/ est attention during the recent eonven-
/ ton % the league Vas that q prohihi-
ton enforcement. The report submitted
by the council Of the league DECLARED
that many Of the scandals in thu pro
hjbition enforcement service are directly
trsceable 70 the fact that enforcement
agents are appointed under the spolls
system. When the Volstead Act was
paseed the requirements Of The cIvl
service law AZ affecting enforcement
agents were waived The result has
been, according 20 officials Of the league,
that p0litical workers, men who IN many
cases lack any sympathy with the p'r-
pose Of the Eighteenth Amendment,
have been appointed.
The first essential 70 adequate enforce
ment Of prohibition. according % me
report % the council Of the league a.
the enactment % legislation providing
that an enforcement officials 30 ap-
, pointed directly on merit, as shown IN
. competitive examinations.
/ The senate Civil Service Committee
reported a bill 20 this end while the
leagues convention was IN progress
, but the league refused 20 endorse the
! proposed legislation for the reason that 10
, would cover in the entire present force
: without examination. and the league
q contends that the force - made Up en-
o tirelv Of spOils appOiniees. Until these
n spOils appOintees have been eliminated,
y the league declared, scandals IN the
|. prohibition enforcement unIt viii con-
n tinue 10 multiply.
Q Another problem attacked bv tho
i league IL that created by the VARIOUS
. veteran preference laws. These avs
}, require the appointment OF veterans ~
d the World War after any examination
in which a veteran secures a mark Of
n o. The lowest passing mark for non
p veterans - 20 Forty-hve thousand
Is veterans Of the World War have beer
= appointed 20 places in the Federal ser
n vice since the first preference provision
= was enacted as a rider 70 an appro
II priation bill in 1919 Unless the vet
eran preference laws are repealed, thi
II league contends, II VIII be only a matte
Al OF time until the entire Federal service u
D. filed with veterans, large proportion
a of them Of inferior capacity 70 the non
d. veterans VINO might otherwise ne sp
p pointed. The League WIS Instruments
D. in securing the defeat OF a preference lzr
III in New York. but It's officials are no
very hopeful Of early action bv Congress