First Aid to the Government Pennsylvania Association's Part in Recruiting Employes for the Ordnance Department THE By CHARLES Z TRYON [Mr. Tryon is head of the Edward K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia, one of the largest sporting goods houses in the world. A member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Executive Committee of the Civil Service Reform Association of Pennsylvania, and now a Special Representative of the Ordnance Department, he is a patriot and philanthropist whose judgment and public spirit his own community greatly respects.] HE Philadelphia Representative of the Ordnance Department in the selection of civilian personnel is occupying an office. office furnished, rent free, by the Civil Service Reform Association of Pennsylvania. The co-operation of their Counsel and Secretary and other members of their official staff has been invaluable. This direct co-operation in the work of the United States Government is a most interesting instance of the broadening functions of an active Civil Service Reform Association. Through their intimacy with the technique of the civil service, gained through long experience, they have been enabled to aid the Government very materially these days of war time stress in securing quick and efficient expansion of its civilian personnel. space permitted, attention might be called to the many instances in which officers and members of this Association have been able to render important service in Government positions because of training in civil service methods gained through years of activity in this movement. in The Ordnance Department of the United States Army purchases everything which the Army requires from a tin cup to a cannon, with the exception of food and clothing, which commodities are purchased by the Quartermaster's Department. With the enormous increase of the Army during the past twelve months the number of civilians in the Ordnance Department were necessarily increased to such proportions that percentages can hardly figure the increase. One office that in peace time required about fifty clerks now requires 4,000. Constituted as it was, the Civil Service Commission at Washington had no eligible lists of applicants for these positions which could in the slightest degree fulfill the demands, nor was it possible with their present organization to start recruiting offices to obtain these civilians. The Government then faced the question whether "civil service" in the Ordnance Department should be abandoned during the period of the war. Experience had taught them that when civil service was abandoned during the Spanish War all offices instantly became filled with incompetents, and the decision was therefore made that, notwithstanding the delay occurring, civil service tests in some form should be required for every position. The Ordnance Department therefore opened and organized a large civilian personnel office in Washington for the purpose of recruiting men and women for civilian positions. It must be remembered that the positions must be filled for clerks, stenographers, typists, bookkeepers, statistical clerks, cost accountants, draftsmen, chemists, machinists, tool makers, instrument makers, inspectors of forgings, castings and steel mill products, powder experts, small arms parts inspectors, gun carriage parts inspectors, small ammunition experts, shrapnel experts, etc. Irrespective of the arsenal, this section has appointed approximately 75 employees a day, nearly all recruits from the field branches. Upon the adoption of this program it became instantly necessary for the Ordnance Department to open its own recruiting offices throughout the United States, which offices, while representing directly the Civilian Personnel headquarters in Washington, should co-operate with the local representatives of the Civil Service Commission. The first field office was opened in New York about October 1st; one was added in Philadelphia January 1st, Boston about February 1st, and approximately thirty other offices have been established throughout the country since that time. The Manager of each such office bears the title of Special Repre sentative of the Civilian Personnel Section of the Ordnance Department of the United States Army and the services are entirely voluntary, as such a representative becomes a "dollar a year man" in the service of the Government. The selection of these special representatives was made by several officers in Washington after considering various representative men in each city, the list having been usually suggested by the local chambers of commerce. Each Special Representative opens an office which has been in almost every case furnished rent free to the Government by some associate in the community, and each man there establishes himself with the necessary clerks and stenographic help and immediately enlists a corps of volunteer assistants, men who desire to serve the Government in some capacity but who are able to give only a portion of their time to this service. These volunteers are usually formed into groups or committees composed of men in certain professions or business which would qualify them to suggest and select men for certain Civilian Ordnance Government Work. The Philadelphia office, being located close to the Frankford Arsenal, has perfected a direct working arrangement with the Civil Service Bureau attached to the Arsenal, and applicants for positions at this great Government factory are interviewed by the Special Representative. Those who in his judgment are capable of filling positions in the arsenal are handed the necessary papers, advised as to housing and boarding accommodations near the arsenal, etc., and are sent to the commanding officers, saving much time and waste of energy on the part of the arsenal officers. The Special Representatives in all the various cities interchange informa She was examined and engaged, left at night for Washington and wa on the job at 9 o'clock next morning. tion and refer correspondents in Thanks Pennsylvania Ass'n given localities to their nearest Ordnance Special Representative, thus obtaining in many instances a personal interview for the applicant, which is far more satisfactory than correspondence. A conservative estimate would indicate that in three months the Philadelphia office has interviewed at least 1,500 people. It is the duty of this office to cull from these applicants only those who, in the opinion of the Special Representative and his assistants, possess qualifications which would indicate that they have a fair chance of appointment. This saves the office at Washington the details and trouble incident to the examination of a great number of papers from those manifestly incompetent to fill the positions. On a special three days' drive for toolmakers and designers for Frankford Arsenal the officer in charge reported that 80 per cent of those sent were engaged. One or two instances where quick action was necessary might be mentioned. One day at 5 p. m. a telephone message from Washington was received by the Philadelphia office for a Pyrotechnic Expert, and before 6 p. m. this office had communicated with all the large manu facturers and dealers in fireworks. Within twelve hours Washington was advised of all the places in the United States where such an expert could be obtained. Again, there was a call for a proofreader. By 11 o'clock next day an applicant was in this office. N connection with the article by Charles Z. Tryon, printed in this number, it will be interesting to read the following letter from Mr. Tryon to Albert Smith Faught, Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Association: After a period of two months' experience in the position of special representative of the Ordnance Department, I wish to take this opportunity to express to your Association my appreciation of the courtesy extended to me personally, and to further emphasize to you and your Association the great service which you have rendered the Government, through the Ordnance Department, in permitting me to occupy your office and reception room for the work of the Ordnance Department. The saving of rent, while quite an item, has been only incidental; the great service has been the co-operation which you, personally, have rendered and a number of your colleagues who are interested in the civil service and in aiding the Government during this time of stress. Also the services of your office staff, including a notary, have aided in this work to a tremendous degree. May I add further that your cooperation, and that of your staff, have enabled me from time to time to take on some special work for the Fuel Administration in Washington, which I believe we have been able to complete with a promptness and thor. oughness which has been invaluable to this department of the Government service. Any expenses which your Association has incurred should properly be considered a direct contribution to war work. How They Do it in Los Angeles It is Possible to Appoint the Ninth Men on the List, if you know the Method U NDER the caption "Civil Service is a Failure-if Administered in this Way," the Municipal League Bulletin of Los Angeles reports the following: What inducement remains for a qualified expert to apply for a city position if the method pursued by the Civil Service Commission and the Mayor, in the case of James P. Britt, Acting Superintendent of Markets, are repeated? A former Superintendent of Markets was dismissed in January, 1917, on charges of dishonesty. On January 13th James P. Britt, a newspaper man of attractive personality and good reputation, but practically no experience in market work, was appointed by the Mayor as emergency superintendent, there being no eligible list in the Department of Civil Service. Temporary Position The city charter forbids the holding of a temporary position more than two months. Mr. Britt today (December 15), nine months after his appointment, is still holding the position, but he will soon be there with proper qualifications. Just watch the method! In leisurely fashion, March 7, 1917, an examination was held by the Civil Service Commission to provide an eligible list. An experienced commission man assisted in preparing the questions, and the examination was conducted by the Chief Examiner in the usual way, the results being checked and corrected by two com petent market experts. Upon this test Mr. Britt, who took the examination, was rated ninth, being excelled by a number of men experienced in market and produce work. The Mayor, on May 8, 1917, was informed that a list was available, but he took no action. Re-rating of Papers On May 18 Mr. Britt demanded a re-reading of his papers, with particular reference to his experience, claiming that his four months in the city's service should be counted (of course, any one could obtain experience if illegally maintained in the desired position for a long enough time). The Commission, however, consented to review the marks and, upon the report of a special committee consisting of the two most recently appointed members of the Commission, who had been named by Mayor Woodman, raised the rating of Mr. Britt so that he occupied fifth place on the eligible list.. Mr. Britt, however, again protested his rating, his letter bearing a most peremptory tone. This request was denied. Still no action by the Mayor to fill the position, as required by the city charter. On October 17, five months after the eligible list was available, the Mayor sent to the Commission asking for the certification of names for the position, and, on the following day, the two highest upon the list were certified to him. No appointment was made, however. Mr. Britt was now number 5 on the list, too low for appointment. But at this point two of the eligibles above him withdrew from the contest, thus placing him number 3. On October 23 the Civil Service Commission, by a 3 to 2 vote, the three Commissioners appointed by the Mayor voting for the change, passed a change in the rules by which, instead of certifying two names for a position, three names were in future to be certified. This rule is now in effect. Consequently Mr. Britt, now being third on the list, is eligible to appointment. He is illegally drawing his salary now, so the Mayor should hurry up and name him so as to prevent the Auditor from incurring any more personal liabilities. The Principles of Retirement Lewis Meriam's New Book, "Principles Governing the Retirement of Government Employes" M By GEORGE T. KEYES OST of us are familiar with the occasional American revolution which places in charge of a great social public agency that rare citizen a liberal who is an administrator. His appointment means, so we think, the development of a progressive administrative program. A few months pass-let us assume, in the Department of Prisons -under the new dispensation, with little achieved beyond the re-education of the American public, due largely to inefficient personnel, not only in the lower subordinate places, but particularly in the high er administrative offices. Where the spoils system has flourished or an ineffective civil service law makes it easy for persons to enter the service through privilege, i. e., the back door to the house of the Government, the personnel invariably represents mediocrity, if not corruption, due to several causes, but especially to the immediate evil of superannuation. Incapacitated prison guards hobble through their duties, "the old time principal keeper" furnishes the course of action and code of conduct in the treatment of the problems of this particular penitentiary. In the absence of a scientific retirement system our "liberal" demonstrates that he is not free to act. He loses his detached "He-Man" attitude and maintains the personnel of the prison unchanged. That is why every person interested in social service work or the competent exercise of such functions by governmental agencies, should be grateful to the Institute of Government Research and Mr. Lewis Meriam for the present vol ume. Reveals Dangers of As the result of an exhaustive study of the literature of the subject, the author points out the danger to the government, to the employe and to the public, of retirement systems not based upon investigation of social and actuarial problems of paramount importance. The book does more than this. It |