27
The Business Value of the Merit System
Continued from page 7
Useless Jobs Abolished
The city of Akron, Ohio, adopted
the merit system. City employes who
had been appointed without test of fit
ness were required to pass qualifying
civil service examinations to retain their
jobs. A large number of the politically
appointed failed in their qualifying
tests, and the politicians then found it
possible to leave one-third of these
positions vacant, at a payroll saving of
$29,800 the first year.
Insurance Rates Go Down
In a mid-western city the police de
partment had been well administered
under a civil service law for some years.
When the local political machine at
tained power at a recent annual elec
tion, the police department was soon
demoralized through lack of enforce
ment of civil service laws. Vandalism
increased to such an extent that the bus
iness district insurance rates on plate
glass increased by 150 per cent.
Honesty
The United States Postal service is
largely under the merit system. Clerks,
inspectors and carriers are all merit
men. Political appointments have been
limited for many years to postmaster
ship positions. There have been few ar
rests for embezzlement among the thou
sands of rural and city carriers who are
selected under the civil service law. But
among the 14,000 politically appointed
postmasters there were 136 arrests in
1935 alone. Investigation of character
and fitness conducted under civil ser
vice rules assures a higher standard of
honesty.
Unnecessary Positions Eliminated
Although the State of Maine appro
priated only $5,000 for civil service ad
ministration upon the first adoption of
the civil service law, the first annual
report of the Main Bureau of Personnel
stated that it had been found not only
possible but practicable to reduce the
number of employes in various state de
partments. One hundred and eighty-six
unnecessary positions were eliminated
during the first year resulting in an an
nual saving of many thousands of dol
lars.
% , s
Public Works Without “Pap”
In the city of St. Paul, Minnesota,
the Commissioner of Public Works re
ported that following the elimination
of political employes in his department,
a 50 per cent budget cut had been af
fected although departmental activities
had increased 50 per cent.
National Defense
When the national defense appropri
ation bills were introduced into Con
gress in 1940, an amendment was of-
(Continued on page 28)
Eugene Concrete Pipe
& Products Co.
P .O .B O X 947 - EUGENE, OREGON