The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-16

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that the. municipality for whic
physical condition.
Congress has made it pos,
sible for a veteran who has ar
arrested case of tuberculosis
to be preferred for a civil
service job over one who has
not-this despite the fact that
the first man may get 60 pei
cent on his competitive exam.
ination and the second 95 pei
cent.
Civil service was established after
long battle back in the eighties
The idea was TO remove party
politics from the appointment of the
rank and file charged with carrying
on the governments business. There
is general agreement that it has
heightened efficiency.
Under the system of competitive
examinations, the person receiving a
civil service appointment is
supposed to be we'll qualified for his
job,
Given Civil Service Preference
In 1919 when the army was dis
banded, there we're many COM
plants from ex-soldiers that their
jobs had been filled by stay-at-
homes. There was considerable
justice In the complaint, and con-
gress passed law giving civil serv-
ice preference for federal jobs to
veterans.
1t left it up to the President how
this law was to be enforced. Pres
ident Harding ordered the civil
service commission to add five
points to the marks Of all veterans
on competitive examinations for
jobs, and if the veteran were dis
abled he was to receive 10 points.
This not only had the effect of
giving the men higher rating than
their knowledge warranted, but it
also qualified many veterans who
would have failed to pass their tests
at all. Passing mark is 10 per cent,
but a disabled veteran passed at go
and an ex-soldier suffering no dis
ability at IS.
Order Is Criticised
There was much criticism of Hard
ing's order and its results. Many
ex-soldiers joined in the protest.
General John F. Organ, who COM
manded the Twenty-Seventh divi-
sion in France, said:
THE state should secure the very
best capacity obtainable for public
service. all qualified according to
the necessary standards. Public
sentiment supports the proposal that
among those so qualified some form
of preference should be given the
men who served the country with
honor and efficiency during the war.
obviously, the fair thing would
seem to provide for degrees OF pref
erence."
In 1928 congress enacted a law
giving absolute preference to all
veterans for civil service positions,
President Coolidge vetoed it, but
modified the former Harding order
by directing that disabled veterans
be put at the top of civil service
lists.
The disability could have come
from a German bullet or from sinus
trouble contracted in a canton
ment. No distinctions were drawn.
The result was appalling to de-
tenders of civil service integrity.
The merit system of appointment
went overheard every time dis
abled veteran appeared on list OF
candidates for office.
Not Qualified, But Tops Lists
In 1880 the National Civic serv-
ice League reported:
That out Of sixty lists of persons
eligible for civil service appoint
ments, $40. disabled veterans pre-
coded applicants who had qualified
at higher marks.
i lldl Ol AOc 0AoChAFO W.
Grams had failed to earn the nor
NAL passing grade on their eXami-
nations, yet they had been placed
on the civil service lists ahead OF
$4,000 better qualified applicants.
That to receive preference vet
eran need not have been actually
disabled in military service. Con-
gress had passed a law which al
lowed a veteran disabled in civil
life to go on the pension rolls along
with the man hurt in battle.
That veterans at any time dis
abled, although cured, may secure
the disabled veteran civil service
preference.
That qualified candidates with no
military record were being discour-
aged from even trying to enter fed
eral employ with consequent de-
moralization of the whole service.
System at Fault
Examples Of the inequalities this
practice has worked are legion.
Take the job of a postoffice clerk
in Washington. There were twenty
seven disabled veterans on the list.
The best rating obtained by such a
disabled veteran who tried for this
position was 258th on the eligible
list.
Six of them did not even receive
passing grade, yet all got the
right TO the appointment.
For instance, one of the veterans
who earned a rating of SIS per cent
five below passing-was entitled
TO appointment before non-serviee
man who got SO per cent.
Another important technical OK
mination was iog lie - c. junior