An act of Congress of 1872 (sec. 1544 R. S.) provided that laborers at navy yards should be employed with reference to skill and efficiency and without regard to other considerations. An act of 1867 protected workmen in navy yards from political assessments or removal because of their political opinions. Regulations giving effect to these provisions of law were adopted in 1891, under which employment at navy yards was based upon satisfactory evidence of qualifications by applicants, but not upon a competitive basis. In 1909 the Attorney General held that as these tests were not competitive examinations the positions were not classified under the civil service law. Under the former regulations the qualifications of applicants were passed upon by a board of labor employment consisting of commissioned officers. Under the new regulations each board has as a member one of the commission's district secretaries. The regulations are apparently working smoothly, as no complaints have been received from employing officials or applicants for employment. LEGISLATION AFFECTING THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE. The act making appropriation for the support of the Army, approved August 24, 1912, authorized the creation of a Quartermaster Corps, which is to include the Quartermaster's Department at Large and certain other departments of the Army. This act provided that, as soon as practicable after the creation of a Quartermaster Corps not to exceed 4,000 (civilian) employees at monthly compensations ranging from $30 to $175 each, with the exception of certain employees of classes specified, should be replaced permanently by not to exceed an equal number of enlisted men. The force of civilians to be thus replaced was divided into two classes, the first to be replaced by enlisted men as soon as practicable, and the second to be replaced in the future at the discretion of the department, unless it should be deemed impracticable to fill the positions by enlistment, in which case civilians were to be employed. The department states that it does not intend to remove employees from the classified service for the purpose of assigning enlisted men to their duties. Vacancies, as they may occur, will be filled with enlisted men whenever possible. The commission has been requested to maintain registers of civilian eligibles for scientific and technical positions and certain subclerical and mechanical positions for which qualified enlisted men are not available. REVISIONS OF FIELD REGULATIONS. Revised regulations for the Lighthouse Service were adopted on January 28, 1913. The most important changes in this revision were the assumption by the commission of a more direct supervision over the Lighthouse Service by the inclusion of a district secretary of the commission as a member of each board of examiners, the standardization of the examinations and the establishment of uniformity in ratings. For many years examinations for field branches of the service employing large numbers of mechanics and tradesmen, while governed by civil service rules and regulations, were without the commission's direct supervision. The commission had no immediate representatives on the local boards of examiners, and there were wide differences in the practices of the boards. The commission now has a direct and close supervision of all local boards of examiners, with the exception of those for the Reclamation Service and the Indian Irrigation and Allotment Service. The district secretaries are now members of the boards and participate in the ratings which are made under a system of rules insuring uniformity, justice, and fairness. EFFICIENCY RECORDS. Section 4 of the act of August 23, 1912 (Public act No. 299),1 requires the Civil Service Commission, subject to the approval of the President, to establish a system of efficiency ratings for the classified service in Washington, based upon records kept in each department, with such frequency as to make them, as nearly as possible, records of fact. The act of March 4, 1913 (Public act No. 427), provides that the commission shall investigate and report to the President, with recommendations, on the administrative needs of the service with respect to personnel. 1 The Civil Service Commission shall, subject to the approval of the President, establish a system of efficiency ratings for the classified service in the several executive departments in the District of Columbia based upon records kept in each department and independent establishment with such frequency as to make them as nearly as possible records of fact. Such system shall provide a minimum rating of efficiency which must be attained by an employee before he may be promoted; it shall also provide a rating below which no employee may fall without being demoted; it shall further provide for a rating below which no employee may fall without being dismissed for inefficiency. All promotions, demotions, or dismissals shall be governed by provisions of the civil service rules. Copies of all records of efficiency shall be furnished by the departments and independent establishments to the Civil Service Commission for record in accordance with the provision of this section; Provided, That in the event of reductions being made in the force in any of the executive departments no honorably discharged soldier or sailor whose record in said department is rated good shall be discharged or dropped, or reduced in rank or salary. Any person knowingly violating the provisions of this section shall be summarily removed from office, and may also upon conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year. "Establishment and maintenance of system of efficiency ratings for initial year: For the establishment and maintenance of system of efficiency ratings for initial year, $15,000, to be immediately available. The Civil Service Commission shall investigate and report to the President, with its recommendations, as to the administrative needs of the service relating to personnel in the several executive departments and independent establishments in the District of Columbia, and report to Congress details of expenditure and of progress of work hereunder at the beginning of each regular session; Provided, That no person shall be employed hereunder at a compensation in excess of $4,000 per annum." ORGANIZATION OF THE DIVISION OF EFFICIENCY AND PROGRESS OF ITS WORK. Under these provisions of law the Division of Efficiency was created on March 25, 1913, by the appointment of a chief at $4,000 a year. Since that date the commission has appointed a staff consisting of one expert investigator at $3,000, one expert investigator at $2,000, one clerk at $1,600, one clerk at $1,000, and one messenger at $600. RETIREMENT OF EMPLOYEES. In its annual reports the commission has repeatedly discussed the subject of the retirement of employees. We believe that a plan for the retirement of superannuated employees is a necessary prerequisite to any satisfactory plan for increasing the efficiency of the service. We also believe that a contributory plan is the only just and practicable one. NEEDS OF THE COMMISSION. The number of persons examined during the past fiscal year has increased from 113,670 to 153,521, or a net increase of over 35 per cent. This increase in the number examined is due to the fact that there has been much wider competition in the examinations and to the further fact that many additional examinations were held to fill current vacancies in the 65,205 positions placed under the civil service during the year. For example, the commission is required to hold an average of 500 examinations a month to fill vacancies regularly occurring in fourth-class postmaster positions. The expense of holding these examinations is proving to be in excess of the original estimates. In addition, examinations are required to provide eligibles for certification to the Interstate Commerce Commission in its new work of physical valuation of the property of common carriers. For these positions about 12,000 applicants have already been examined. The installation of the parcel-post system increased the number of appointments in the Post Office and Railway Mail Services, thereby necessitating an increased number of examinations and inducing a larger number of persons to apply for these examinations. The "eight-in-ten hour" law brought about similar increases. Last year Congress granted an increase of 15 positions in the commission's force, the primary reason being the estimated increase in work due to the classification of fourth-class postmaster positions. The increase in force amounted to a little over 7 per cent, while the number examined, which is an indication of the increase of work, was over 35 per cent. In the commission's estimates for the coming fiscal year an increase of 28 employees was asked for, or about 12 per cent of the present force. The increase in the work due to the necessity of holding examinations to fill current vacancies in fourth-class postmaster positions should not be confused with the work involved in examining applicants for the 21,000 fourth-class postmaster positions whose incumbents did not receive a competitive status under President Wilson's order of May 7, 1913, and for beginning which work a special appropriation of $39,000 was made. An appropriation amounting to $50,000 has been asked for the Efficiency Division for the coming year, the present appropriation being $15,000 to cover a period of 15 months. This increase has been asked in order that the commission may undertake in several departments simultaneously the work which, on account of the small appropriation during the last fiscal year, has been limited to one department. From the results thus far accomplished through the recommendations of the Efficiency Division in cooperation with the departments, the commission is confident that the annual savings will amount to several times the appropriation asked. The commission has asked an increase of $10,000 in its appropriation for printing. The entire appropriation for printing in the last fiscal year was expended, and during May and June, 1913, all printing not absolutely necessary was suspended, with the result that printing to the amount of $6,400 was postponed from that year until the beginning of the present fiscal year. Calculating on the basis of the expenditures for printing of last year, the absolutely needed expense for printing for the present fiscal year will result in a deficit of over $15,000. With no increase in the amount of printing done, the shortage in funds this year would amount to $6,400 carried over from last year and an equal amount due to this year's business, a total of $12,800. Increased business this year will necessitate an expenditure of about $3,000 in addition. It has been necessary to ask Congress for a deficiency appropriation for the current year, and the necessity of the increase of $10,000 asked for next year is apparent. The commission has also asked an increase of $5,000 in its appropriation for traveling expenses. Heavy demands have been made upon this appropriation through the necessity of holding examinations to fill current vacancies in fourth-class postmaster positions. Owing to this drain upon the appropriation, much travel which would have been distinctly to the benefit of the service for inspection and investigation work has been necessarily omitted. Cases continue to multiply satisfactory adjustment of which can be brought about only by personal inquiry and investigation on the ground. CHANGE OF COMMISSIONERS. On June 9, 1913, the President accepted the resignations of Gen. John C. Black, Democrat, of Illinois, and Dr. William S. Washburn, Republican, of New York, as commissioners. They were succeeded by Charles M. Galloway, Democrat, of South Carolina, appointed June 19, 1913, and Hermon W. Craven, Republican, of the State of Washington, appointed July 3, 1913. The civil-service act requires that not more than two of the commissioners shall be adherents of the same party, and that they shall hold no other official place under the United States. In the reorganization of the commission, the President designated as president of the commission, John A. McIlhenny, who had served as commissioner since his appointment by President Roosevelt on November 30, 1906. We have the honor to be, very respectfully, JOHN A. McILHENNY, Commissioners. The PRESIDENT, The White House. |