Show Where Your Taxes Go GoRow Howin How Row Uncle Sam Spends Your Money in Conducting Your Business By EDV EDWARD ARD G. G LOWRY Author Washington Close Ups Banks Bank and Financial Systems ms etc Contributor Political and Economic Articles Article to Leading Periodicals and a Writer of R Recognized Authority on the National Governments Government's Dullness Business Methods Method Copyright Western Newspaper Union VI I HIRE GOVERNMENT HELP i The civil service commission hires all employees ees In the classified service of the government The only thing to tobe tobe tobe be 81 said l about the cla classified service ser Is that It has hns not yet et been classified But Dut you ou shall hear what the civil service service ice commission has to say about hirIng hiring hir hir- ing lag help without comment from me There is an nn utter lack of definitely planned lanned and well organized employment employment employ employ- ment policy in the tIle government service ice There Is need for a centralized employment employment em em- once office with Jurisdiction In all matters relating to employment The employment methods of the government government gov guy should be such auch as to serve for a model for private business there ere Is 15 at nt present no central control control control con con- over the tune executive service short of th the President The resident President rr is a ab b busy y man an and l cannot concern himself with the details of the executive de le- The lack of efficiency in govern go government ment offices has a marked effect on private business Definite information concerning the number of federal civil employees indifferent In Indifferent Indifferent different branches of the thc service and the amount of the government pay payroll payroll payroll roll are not read readily II available n An official register er or blue book is Issued l every two years ears It Is out of ot date long before It Is printed A provision of the civil service rules theoretically gives the civil service commission authority ity to collect and maintain complete personnel statis states tics The labor and expense Involved l however practically prohibit the collection collection collection col col- col- col lection and compilation of reliable sta- sta latu In addition to the limits of the commissions commissions commission's commissions commission's com com- missions mission's authority Is the ab absence ence of authority to enforce Its fin findings T Tye tIe ie commission can make recommendations to the departments d and offices and urge their observance but it cannot cannot can can- not Dot enforce them Congress passed what Is known as ns the civil service law January 10 1883 1833 This act created the United States cIvil service commission The law was Intended to cure In part the evils traceable to the spoils system which grew out of the year tenure office act of 1820 During the first 40 years ears after the organization of our government administrative administrative ad ad- practice with regard to the civil chU service seemed to conform to the intention o of the founders The Constitution fixed l the term iff df t no of- of fleer r In the executive branch of the government except those of the President President Pres Pres- ident and vice president It was the established l usage during luring these first 40 years ears to permit executive officers except members of the cabinet to hold office for tor an unlimited l period perlo l during good behavior The practice was changed In 1820 the by year ten ure act The spoils system as It was officially described as early as 1835 1535 was Introduced l an and l extended d until It permeated permeate l the entire civil service of the country The fundamental purpose of the civIl civil il it service law was to establish In the parts of the service covered l by Its provisions a n merit system wh whereby reby selection for appointment should be made upon the basis of demonstrated relative fitness without regard to political political po po- po- po religious or other such con con- The act requires that the rules shall provide among other things for tor open competitive examinations for testing the fitness of applicants for the classified classi fied fled service the making of appointments appoint ments from among those passing with highest grades an apportionment of appointments in the departments at Washington among the states and territories territories territories ter ter- a n period perlo l of probation before absolute appointment and the prohibItion prohibition pro pro- of the use of official authority to coerce the political action of any person or bo body l In 1883 the year ear in which the civil service law was enacted 13 2 1 positions positions in the civil service were made subject to competition The entire number of or positions In the federal executive civil service on June 20 1910 WIG was At the height of ol the war expansion there were approximately approximately men and women employed employed em em- l in the federal executive civil service Ice about of whom held positions subject to competition On July Jul 31 1 1920 20 the entire number ol of federal executive civil cI positions ai as nearly nearl as can be estimated had been re reduced luce l to Approximately of these were subject to competition corn com petition or In other words In the classified service The force torce is still slowly but steadily decreasing During the 10 19 months of our participation pation In the war the Ole civil service Ice commission gave competitive nations under the civil service law and andrules andrules andrules rules to slightly less than persons per per- sons and l about persons wl with b tested qualifications were supplied l b by bythe bythe the commission to the service ser A normal nor mal years year's business Is about persons examined and about appointed d. |