The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1939-03-02
ITO The Victor Belongs

M;u;ons If American citizens. disguised with the
ever Increasing number of bureaus created TO give out
more political Jobs to incompetents who perhaps DO hot
even need them, will be glad to know that the freslueht
has appointed a commission to study the subject OF a
Federal career service.
We have long followed the doctrines of those who
advocate government service being a real profession
with character, brains, basic training and education re-
CURED for those who would engage in 1t. TO attract TINS
type of person to government service is TO reVolutlohlZe
the entire system of government in Washington.
The Columbian Progress has this to say about Amer
lean Career Service:
bureaucracy, in the view of most political economists is
the imposing barrier that stands square and unmovhg in the
way of any movement to reform and improve the admnistra-
tive side Of government. Any bureaucracy is the direct result
of our longentrenched patronage system, whereby politicians
in power pay off their obligations and indirectly o directly
feather their own nests by appointing their friends and hackers
and their sisters and their cousins and their aunts, to federal
Jobs !. has been believed in Washington for some time that the
President has been thinking about ways and means Of dong
something about tearing down this barrier and establishing
a American career service patterned more o II less after the
justy-famed British civil service. The appointment of the com
mission seems to be a tangible start toward this end
Under the English plan, the real wor of the government
is done by men who hold their jobs all their working lives and
are then retired o n adequate pensions. They cannot be dis
charged, save for reasons of dishonesty o II Incompetence. A
change in the party Empower does not affect them at ALL and
so they can afford to be politically non-parhsan' Usually they
enterth the service as soon as they leave school or university, and
they are subjected to the most rigorous training in their respec-
tive fields. Promotions are based so far a S it is humanity pos
sble o ability and efficiency. They don't get the publicity
they do get the results.
In the United States W e have used the career system in but
one branch of government-state Department. A young man
wishing to enter the foreign service must have a tter-th
average education and background, and must go through a suf
training in the generaities of diplomacy. after ne is
given a stiff training in the particular diplomatic field he wishes
to enter-Far East, South America, Central Europe, etc. cThose
ae the men who have kept this government functioning abroad
and by and large, say those who know, they have done a splen-
did job. It's a n open secret that many a Ambassador has been
kept from making runious mistakes by the advice of some
secretary II councnorof embassy who knew the ropes and
pitfalls.
In the other departments of government, S everyone knows,
politics reigns supreme. A change in Administration results in
an immediate hegira of the supplanted, and al advance on
Washington by the victors desiring the spons. The inevitable
result is waste, ineffciency and duplication of effort, The most
brilliant department head. If his department is filled with incom-
petent II lazy political favorites, is obviously stymied.
If President Roosevelt's commission can conceive a
workable plan on government career service which can
be accepted and passed by Congress he will have made
the greatest single contribution toward good government
made by any President who has ever sat in the White
House.