Show MATTER OF APPOINTMENT Merit System the One in Vcguo in Selecting Officials The merit system of making appointments meli I pointments Is In Its essence as democratic demo-cratic and American as the common mntc school system Itself I simply means that In clerical and other positions where the duties are entirely nonpolitical non-political all applicants should have a fair field and no favor each standing on his merits as he is able to show I them by practical test Written comp com-p tlve examinations offer the only available means in many cases for applying ap-plying this system In other cases as where laborers are employed a system of registration undoubtedly can be widely extended There are of course places where the written competitive examination cannot be applied and others where it offers by no means an ideal solution but where under existing I political conditions It Is though an Imperfect i Im-perfect means yet the best present means of getting satisfactory results GAIN TO GOVERNMENT Wherever the conditions have permitted per-mitted the application of the merit s stem s-tem In its fullest and widest sense the gain to the Government has been Immense Im-mense The navyyards and postal I service Illustrate probably better than Ian I-an other branches of the Government the great gin In economy efficiency and honesty due to the enforcement of this principle EXTENDING CLASSIFIED SERVICE I SER-VICE I recOmmend the passage of a law which will extend the classified service to the District of Columbia will at least enable the President thus to extend ex-tend It In my judgment all laws providing pro-viding for the temporary employment of clerks should hereafter contain a provision that they be selected under the civil service law APPLIES TO ISLANDS I is Important to have this system obtain at home but I Is even more important Im-portant to have it applied rigidly to our Insular possessions Not an office should be filled in the Philippines or Porto Rico with any regard to the mans partisan afilllallons or services with any regard to the political social I or personal influence which ho may have at his command In sh theed should be paid to absolutely nothing I save the mans own character and capacity ca-pacity and the needs of the service FREE FROM PARTISANSHIP The administration of these islands should be as wholly free from the suspicion sus-picion oC partisan politics the administration admin-istration of tho army and navy All that we ask from the public servant In the Philippines or Porto Rico Is that he reflect honor on his country by the way In which he makes that countrys rule a benefit to the peoples who have come under It This is all that we should ask and we cannot afford to be content with less The merit system is simply one method of securing honest and efficient administration of the Government and In the long run the sole justification ot any type of government lies In Its proving prov-ing itself both honest and efficient cattleraising where the Indian should be made n stockgrower RATION SYSTEM DETRIMENTAL The ration system which Is merely the corral 1 and the reservation system is highly detrimental to the Indians I promotes beggary perpetuates pauper Ism and stifles Industry J Is an effectual ef-fectual barrier to progress I must continue to a greater or less degree as I long as tribes are herded on reservations reserva-tions and have everything common The Indian should be treated as an individual in-dividual like the white man During I the change of treatment Inevitable hardships will occur every effort I should bo made to minimize these hardships hard-ships but we should not because of I them hesitate to make the change There should be a continuous reduction In the number of agencies I INDIANS AND LIQUOR TRAFFIC I In dealing with the aboriginal races few things are more important than to preserve them from thc terrible physical physi-cal and moral degradation resulting from the liquor traffic We are doing all we can do to save our own Indian tribes from this evil Wherever by International In-ternational agreement this same end can be attained as regards races where c I we do not possess exclusive control every about effort should be made to bring It |