Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-28

tice of the Court Of Appeals in which
the vacancy occurs, and the Attorney
General. The qualifications of the
candidates must be published through
out the state. At the next regular
election the successful appointee
whose appointment has now been con-
frmed by the Senate, comes before
the people of the state. They do not
vote on whether he shall be elected
to office but on whether his appoint
ment shall be made permanent. If
they vote in the affirmative. then he
never has to attend another barbecue
nor kiss another baby. In this plan
it will be observed that the Governor,
the Legislature as represented by the
Senate, and the people, each has a
voice in passing upon the personnel
of the courts
I recite the California experience
merely to show what an aroused pub
lie opinion can accomplish, once it
starts.
Need of Career Service.
In this discussion thus far l have
shown, briefly to be sure, that the
spoils system stands in the way Of
careers in public service. and yet the
need of providing for career service
on every level and for every type Of
office, except elective offices, is be-
coming more imperative every day.
Government jobs are not jobs created
for those who need them nor are they
pawns with which to pay for party
service. One of the reasons why we
don't provide for better government
service is that we like to compromise
with the future. So long as greed and
selfishness of the spoils system on the
one hand and emotional substitutes for
intelligent action on the other, COM
bine to control government, ineffci-
ency, extravaganza, and waste Will
characterize it. How tragic it is that
the American people still think that
they can dispose of important public
questions by the counting of votes or
by following a policy of delay! OF
course, government does try things,
many of them of an eXpedient nature,
while it waits for time and a fortuit-
Gus combination of circumstances to
solve its main problems. The world
is always full of fairy tales that never
come true. Even at this moment we
are conjuring up new ones out of the
dreams of tomorrow while recovery
is proceeding largely without regard
to government action.
There is one other point which I
wish to make as background for the
conclusion that the growth of govern
ment functions and the transfer of
responsibilities from local cOmmun-
tiles to the state, and from the states
to the federal government, emphasize
still further the necessity of engag-
ing the services Of men and women
of the widest training and outlook.
The growth of government functions
and the transfer of responsibilities
are fundamental and necessary-some
functions may lapse in the future
but many of them will and must re-
main permanent. The movement to
enlarge the scope of the government
activities started before the war; eff
forts at postwar readjustments have
accentuated it. When the emergency
recovery program has fulfilled it's
ton period which will abound with
intricate and troublesome issues. We
face in the days ahead the creation
of city states, the disposition of prob
lens of metropolitan communities,
the regulation of cooperative services.
the formulation of interstate agree
ments, revision of local govern
ments. These and a multitude of 9TH
er problems, vast in scope and fun
damental in importance, await con-
sideration and solution. In dealing
with them, shall we continue to hold
to the traditional American view that
government is job for amateurs and
that one man is as capable as another
| in performing any kind of public
service? If the citizen is omni-com-
| petent, as many assume. why should
not the successful candidate carry all
of his friends into office with him
But if government calls for wide
training. a sound and comprehensive
philosophy of political thought and
demonstrated skill in dealing with
public matters; in other words, if gov
eminent can be performed best by
experts, then this old notion falls to
the ground. II must be clear that the
citizen has much to learn about gov
eminent. Science has made its i'm
pact upon the public services them
selves, but much less upon the voter
Many persons are afraid of the expert
That is the reason why we speak dis
respectfully Of the brain trust"
Must be Competent.
These brain trust" positions should
develop into career positions. Indeed
every position ON the administrative,
professional. clerical. skilled. and un.
skilled labor levels, should become a
career position. Each level and type
Of service should be closely tied in
with the educational system of the
country. In other words. the amount
and kind of training should be closely
related to the responsibilities of the
office. Great Britain long ago recog-
nized the importance of this relation
ship. Perhaps her most conspicuous