The Federal Jobs That Came With Life Tenure

PORT TOWNSEND, Jan. 12.—Special.—Every officer in the Puget Sound customs service, with the single exception of the collector himself, is subject to and is protected by civil service. The only exceptions are watchmen or laborers, whom the new law exempts. The amount of remuneration or the importance of the office cuts no figure. The deputy collector and cashiers are included in the protected list in precisely the same manner as an inspector or clerk working under civil service rules. Official information received from Washington by the local board of examiners says that the district was placed under civil service on November 10. Between that date and the time the local board of examiners were specially appointed and qualified, which was last week, the collector had the authority to remove any officer and fill the vacancy by appointment; such men appointed, however, must pass a successful examination, but that must not be competitive. If such officer fails to pass the examination, the office is filled from the eligible list, which is to be composed of three applicants who have theretofore received the highest percentages in the competitive examinations. The collector is authorized to choose any one of the three to fill a vacancy. At the end of each year, if the aspirants on the eligible list are not appointed to office and desire to remain on that list, they will be compelled to pass another examination, similar to the preceding one.

The collector will not have more than one office at his disposal, that of a laborer, which pays the present incumbent, Fred Schlager, $600 a year. Even the sub-deputies at such ports as Seattle and Tacoma need not relinquish their office until death. Grover Cleveland and the civil service law have provided them with employment for the rest of their natural lives. The special deputy, he who handles all of the money and other valuables in the custody of the collector, and even the collector's own private secretary, have the same life mortgages on their offices as the sub-collectors. In the event of the special deputy, auditing deputy or private secretary dying or resigning, a very improbable hypothesis, the collector is afforded the gratifying ecstasy of selecting their successor without hindrance, but even then they must successfully pass an examination. Such are the rules and provisions of the new law, which has just been received at the custom house.

The only protection in the future that collectors will have as to the faithful discharge of monetary duties by subordinate officers is that he is authorized to exact reasonable bonds.

Under this law and its construction there are more than fifty government employees in the district who will be benefited by its protective clauses. It applies to all customs districts with twenty or more employees. Should this number be reduced to less than twenty, civil service protection still remains.

The only way that the present incumbents can be ousted from office to make room for new political favorites is for Congress to pass an act repealing the present law. To inveterate office seekers the outlook is not encouraging for holding office, even the assurance that the next administration is to be Republican.