Show THERE is a scramble for offices and clerkships in Washington The civil service commission will soon put into operation new rules regulating regulat-ing promotions and filling vacancies in the ranks of subordinate em ployes in the executive departments depart-ments Meantime there is a rush to secure positions before entrance shall be made difficultlby competitive compet-itive examinations Congressmen are appealing for the promotion of friends already in office and for the admission of others and applicants are frantic in their calls for aid and influence There are many appeals in the Washington newspapers the advertisers most of whom are womea making recklessly generous offersTo anyone who will get them into position One woman agrees tojpay 5200 for a clerkship worth720 a year Another promises S100 down and 10 a month as long as she retains the place A third offers of-fers 10 per cent of the salary and in two or three instances onethird of the pay is guaranteed to the person whose Influence obtainsthe position It is unpleasant to believe there are persons in public life who will take advantage of such offer and sell their influence to increase their own profits pro-fits of office by preying upon needy women whose moral instincts are blunted by poverty but people are compelled to believe there are just such persons for advertisers do not offer these inducements without hope of success and when they succeed suc-ceed they do not often betray the corrupt bargain to which they are a party There are many evils that the civil service reform act will sweep away and this one of securing secur-ing employment in the executive departments by the aid of purchased influence is not the least of them |