A plan
has also been devised providing for the examination of applicants for
promotion in the service, which, when in full operation, will eliminate
all chance of favoritism in the advancement of employees, by making
promotion a reward of merit and faithful discharge of duty.
Until within a few weeks there was no uniform classification of
employees in the different Executive Departments of the Government. As a
result of this condition, in some of the Departments positions could be
obtained without civil-service examination, because they were not within
the classification of such Department, while in other Departments an
examination and certification were necessary to obtain positions of the
same grade, because such positions were embraced in the classifications
applicable to those Departments.
The exception of laborers, watchmen, and messengers from examination and
classification gave opportunity, in the absence of any rule guarding
against it, for the employment, free from civil-service restrictions, of
persons under these designations, who were immediately detailed to do
clerical work.
All this has been obviated by the application to all the Departments of
an extended and uniform classification embracing grades of employees not
theretofore included, and by the adoption of a rule prohibiting the
detail of laborers, watchmen, or messengers to clerical duty.
The path of civil-service reform has not at all times been pleasant nor
easy.
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