Evening star., 1933-07-24

President RooseveIt's request for legis-
lation extending the Civil Service pro-
visions to postmasters Of the first, sec
ond and third classes is generally con-
ceded to be in the interest of good
government. The supplementary order
on the subject, to be applied immedi-
ately to such ofhces, is included in the
debate on the use Of competitive ex-
aminations as affecting patronage. It
is estimated that $4,000 positions are
affected. The attitude OF members Of
The plan," says the New Orleans
Times-Picayune. apparently will di-
minish the number Of political patron
age jobs by some thousands Should
it be followed by congressional enact
ment Of the Roosevelt
bill. placing all postmasters under Civil
Service, divorcement Of the Postal Serv-
ice from politics would be practically
complete. One Southern Senator pre-
diets the measures defeat. The fate
of that bill is of less pressing conse-
quence than the executive order pre-
scribing the method of appointments to
be made in the immediate future. 1t
should ease somewhat the tremendous
pressure exerted upon the administra-
ton by place seekers and their political
pose. And for every disappointed poll
tician that resents the implied personal
or tribal loss Of patronage we dare
say there will be not less than a hum
dred citizens. interested greatly in gov
ernmental efficiency and little or not
at all in political dictation or manipu-
lation Of appointments, who will quietly
but heartily approve of the President s
reported move to place all postmasters
under Civil Service"
Removal Of these places from poll
tical control" according to the Youngs-
town Vindicator. has been the goal
of friends of good government for fifty
years Some headway was made when
postmasters of the fourth class were
placed under Civil Service. Although
they are the most numerous-there are
32,367 of them-they are least i'm
portant President Roosevelt's order
now affects LIP postmasters of the
first class. 1926 OF the second class
and 10,4S5 of the third. These are
the postmasters Of the larger towns
and cities whose postal receipts amount
to 81 500 q year or more. Every one
who believes in the substitution Of the
merit system for the spoils system in
government will look upon the Presi-
dents order as a great piece Of good
fortune. The Nations opinion of Mr.
Roosevelt will rise accordingly, for he
has done what no President since
Grover Cleveland has dared to do. Be-
sides, he has given the best answer to
those who have been charging that
under Farley's direction the Govern
ment was being turned over to the
politicians
1.-The natural assumption" remarks
the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
would be that Democrats who could
make the grade would be preferred, but
the reasonable inference Of the order
is that the grade must be made and
that party service Is to be secondary
consideration. Postal service has been
a very considerable part Of the pot OF
political patronage in the past, but
there has been a steady trend toward
the ideal Of good business practice in
this branch Of the Federal service:
hungry persons throughout the coun-
try and comes with shocking sudden
ness. But 1t may be that the Presi-
dent, with major perplexities crowding
around him, has become wearied with
the opportunities for jobs, and in this
manner frees himself for more i'm
portant duties"
"The President" thinks the Lincoln
state Journal, "is apparently annoyed
by the bitter struggle that has been
going on over appointments and the
desperation with which his agents try
to make vacancies in order to I'LL them
with worthy partisans. The proposal
the President makes probably would be
the best thing that could happen in
this connection and II he makes . light