councilors. In some localities the employes' organizations have fallen into the hands of men of the walking-delegate type, without social instincts, without intelligent appreciation of the true interests of their memberships, and in every way wholly unrepresentative. It is certain that men of this type, if not already prominent in Cleveland's employes' organizations, would be boosted to the front by the old-line politicians of all parties. Instead ciency, especially toward popularity with the "unseen forces" in his party. It is a fact demonstrated by ample experience that efficient commissions are not popular commissions, and particularly not popular with the crowd in the back room. On the whole, if Cleveland wants the worst possible method of selecting a civil service commission, it will do well to adopt the proposed amendment.-W. A. B. CONGRESSMAN'S first duty of representing the employes, it is The Double Cross in Washington only too likely that the "employes' representative" on the commission would represent everything that is worst in pan-partisan spoils seeking. There appear to be two sound ways of selecting civil service commissions either by appointment of the elected chief officials of the municipality, as is generally done, making the commission reflect accurately the principles of the party in power, and making the party responsible for the acts of the commission; or by competition, making the commission a board of nonpolitical experts. Which of these plans is best for any locality depends largely on the powers that the commission has under the law -whether its functions are discretionary or purely administrative. In any case, responsibility in such a commission as the Cleveland amendment proposes would be completely in the air. The Council, with its power to raise salaries and determine working conditions, could doubtless control the commissioner selected by the employes. The elected commissioner would have his eye on the next electionhis effort would necessarily be toward popularity, rather than effi Ai is to be polite to his constituents, and to endeavor to persuade them that he is doing his utmost to gratify their most unreasonable requests. If you go to Washington and tell your congressman you want a Federal job, the least he will do is write a letter to Mr. Hoover or some other executive who is "free from the hampering restrictions" of the civil service law. Of course, your congressman, if he is honest (as most of them are), does not want you to get the job, unless he knows you deserve it. Of twenty such letters he writes, at least fifteen are meant solely to please the bearers. So it frequently happens that the letter your congressman gives you is written in code. It seems to recommend you highly for almost any kind of position requiring the fiftyseven cardinal virtues. Actually it says very plainly to Mr. Whoever that he may consider himself free to (politely) kick you downstairs. One prolific writer of letters of recommendation uses "it occurs to me" as a code signal for "throw him out." "It occurs to me (i. e., it will not occur to you) that there may be a place for Mr. Jobhunter in your organization." Another begins such letters with a Wilsonian phrase: "May I not take the liberty of recommending -?" Look out for that "not." It signifies "thumbs down." Many people in Washington today are wondering why, with their influential political backing, they are still out in the cold. Some of them, doubtless, will decide in the end to go through the front doorthe door of the Civil Service Commission. McKellar Favors Half-&-Half W ASHINGTON reports say Senator McKellar of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate committee on civil service and retrenchment, has agreed to fight for a "fifty-fifty" retirement bill at this session of Congress. This means that the employes will contribute only half of the amount required to provide retirement, and that the remainder will come out of the Treasury. For the first twenty or thirty years, of course, the share of the Government will be much larger than that, to take care of the cases of those employes who have been in the service for years without accumulating a retirement fund. The half-and-half plan seems to have little to recommend it except a hope of agreement between the advocates of pensions and the advocates of straight contributory retirement. Like all compromises, it sacrifices the principles of both sides. It will, of course, be enormously expensive to administer such a scheme, as it will mean a STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGE- 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher--National Civil Service Reform Managing Editor-None. 2. That the owners are: National Civil Service Reform League, composed of eighteen Civil Service Reform Associations in various parts of the United States. Richard Henry Dana, President; A. S. Frissell, Treasurer; George T. Keyes, Secretary. Offices: 79 Wall Street, New York, N. Y. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent. or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: None. WILLIAM A. BIRD, IV, Editor. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 16th day of March, 1918. HERMAN E. KAPLAN. (My commission expires October 9, 1919.) Good $1.00 PER YEAR 10 CENTS A COPY overnment PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT 79 WALL ARTHUR R. KIMBALL HAROLD PHELPS STOKES WILLIAM A. BIRD, IV, Editor Entered at the Postoffice at New York as second-class mail matter. MAY, 1918 first NONGRESS resolution eral, James I. Blaklee. Then will Chas suspended the law requiring be eligible will take place on April 27 in all sections where there are vacancies and where men carriers are unattainable. This is the first time since 1911 that women have been eligible for such posts, except in rare cases as substitutes. Previous to that time the service was opened to them for a short time, but while their work was satisfactory, climatic conditions in the Northwest were such as to make it inadvisable to use them generally, and the privilege of examination was denied them. There are now in the rural-route service 200 women carriers, holdovers from those early examinations. According to the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, who has charge of rural routes, their services have been quite satisfac civil service applicants to take examinations in the State in which they reside. The League has urged this action, which enables many qualified persons to apply for government positions who otherwise would be barred. The District of Columbia counts a good many qualified workers who cannot take the civil service examinations because they have not resided a year in the District. New Yorkers who happen to sleep in Jersey suburbs find it inconvenient to go to Newark for examination, and many good applicants are lost in that way. The United States Civil Service Commission states that it expects the change to make it easier to obtain applicants for positions in Washington. ood Good Jovernment OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUE EVENTEEN of the fifty-five Snominees in the latest list sent to the Senate for postmasterships paying $2,600 or less are women. Women postmasters are not a novelty, of course, but they have never been in so large a proportion— nearly one-third-before. The combination of competitive examinations, to which women are admitted on a parity with men, and the demands of other service on our man-power is responsible for the change. It is not to be expected, however, that so many women will be at the top of the lists for the higher-paying offices, since the requisite experience in business management is not yet common in civil service law," says Mr. Thompson in his annual message, "have been tried in the lower and appellate courts. This class of litigation continues to increase each year." (Our italics.) One can only wonder (as soon as one is able to stop laughing) whether this is stupidity, or indifference, or impudence. NE can imagine an escaped convict writing in his diary: "One of the noticeable developments of the past few days is the rapid increase in the number of policemen in this vicinity." Or a destructive child might be pictured as remarking, "they are keeping ink-bottles on the mantel-piece instead of the writing table this year." Or a garbage-collector who had just been mingling in a crowd on a warm day might observe: "It is the fashion this season for people to go about holding their noses." The Chicago Mayor at least is beginning to observe things that are going on IN THIS NUMBER: Chicago and Los Angeles Mayors Attacked N. Y. State Commission Hasn't Heard So about him, and that helps. He may notice in time that although tolerance is being worn quite long this year, the styles are subject to change without notice. A FEATURE of unusual interest at the coming annual meeting of the National Assembly of Civil Service Commissions, at Milwaukee, will be the presence of Dr. James Bonar, Deputy Master of the Royal Mint at Ottawa. Dr. Bonar was for 25 years an officer of the British Civil Service Commission, holding the position of Director of Examinations, which corresponds to Chief Examiner in the American service. He resigned in 1907 to go to Ottawa. Dr. Bonar will represent the British Commission. He was selected by the Commission in response to the Assembly's invitation. The invitation was extended through the British Embassy at Washington by Mr. Robert Catherwood of Chicago. I T will be interesting to see how the new system of efficiency ratings adopted by the New York Municipal Commission will work out. Briefly, the system requires that all employes shall be rated at "average," or 80 per cent., unless reasons are presented to the Commission for a higher or lower rating. Reasons for a higher rating would be offered by the employe; reasons for a lower rating by the department head. One recommendation we should be tempted to make is this: that any employe who fails to claim for himself a rating above average should be forthwith dismissed. We are aware that not everybody would agree with us on this point. Some people have the point of view of a university professor who once swept across the horizon of our experience. A certain student who was trying for a competitive scholarship had, by dint of much "boning," attained an ‘A” in every course except mathematics. There the best he could seem to get was "C," though he had his lesson almost perfect every day. He complained to the professor. "Young man," said the latter, "you must realize that in mathematics the grade of 'A' is reserved for God Almighty; 'B' is for myself, and 'C' is for my brightest pupil. I congratulate you." A German Instance HOSE who do not believe in TH civil service methods for the diplomatic service ought to read carefully and attentively the revelations of Prince Lichnowsky, sometime German Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He reveals that it was not alone the will to war that caused Berlin to toss his reports on the true London situation into the wastebasket; it was in large part the desire of political enemies to discredit Lichnowsky, whose appointment was attributable solely to experience and merit, in favor of another candidate for the post-Baron von Stumm. So long as appointments to diplomatic posts remain rewards for political service, there will be a constant temptation to small-minded politicians to place the interests of the party above the interests of the nation. Finally a point is reached where they take chances of disturbing the peace of the world for the sake of a small advantage over political opponents. |