Evening star., 1934-05-28
CHARGES REVIVAL
OF FSPO|LSSYSTEM
Civil Service Reform Group
ASsaiIs Postmaster
Examinations.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, May 28.-The sys-
tenn of examinations for postmasters.
instituted last year by an executive
order of President Roosevelt, was de-
nounced in the annual report of the
National Civil Service Reform League,
made public yesterday, as a decided
step backward and "a sham and a
mere cloak for the SpoilS system" !"
The league also found that generally
the spoilS system has been gaining
headWay under the guise of economy
and recovery" although the President
was seen as having the merit system
at heart"
Describing the new postal examina-
tions as "a disgrace to the Roosevelt
administration and a serious liability
to the United States Civil Service
Commission" the report suggested
that the President should either mod
ify his order SO that examinations are
free and open or else frankly return
to selecting poStmaSterS on an undiS-
guiSed spoils basis, thus relieving the
Civil Service Commission of the odi-
GUS and useless task that has been
put upon it" The new system has
tended to stif1e competition from out
side, the report added, and instead of
being a step forward as originally
thought, actually offers wide oppor-
tunltles for partisan activities.
Farley Is Attacked.
''The Postmaster General (James A.
Farley is said to be a man with two
great interests-the success of the
Democratic party and the efficiency of
the Post Office Department, the re-
port continued. 1T is perhaps only
to be expected that the latter should
become ineXtricably entangled with
the former. 1t is, of course, the rule
rather than the exception for a Post
master General TO believe that loyaly
to all the policies of the dominant
party are prerequisite to proper super
vision OF the local mail services, but
1t seems strange that Mr.. Farley has
not been struck by the possible con-
nectlon between the annual deficit
which gives him SO much concern
and the use of 5000 first and second
class postmasterSnips carrying salaries
of from s2,400 to $4,000 as political
rewards"
Inc report goes on to explain that
although the President asked Mr.. Far
ley to foster legislation which would
place all first, second and third class
poStmaStershlpS in the civil service
Classification, the Postmaster General
has apparently done nothing to carry
out these wishes.
Concerning the return of the spoils
system under the Roosevelt admins
tration, the report explained that the
Democratic party took Office in 1888
pledged to 25 per cent budget re-
duction. which it was believed would
be effected through reductions in the
staff OF various departments. Presi-
dent Roosevelt at the same time, the
league said, found it necessary to
appease the hunger of party members
who for IL years had been without
the luscious plums of Federal pat
ronage."
Morale at Low Ebb,
Conflict of these two incompat-
ibles has done serious damage to the
merit system in the civil service"
said the report. Ordinary Govern
ment services have been cut and en-
ployes in the departments furloughed,
laid off or dismissed. Spoils raids have
been made in the guise of economy,
and pay cuts, payless furloughs, lay
offs and the loss of the security once
believed to be the prerequisite of pub
lie employment have left the morale
of the rank and file OF louy ahh Vot
at the same time a score of new
agencies have been created and have
employed, without regard to the civil
service law, nearly $4,000 persons at
an annual cost of s75, 900, 1000"
From March. 1888, to March last,
the league explained. the number of