Ka Nupepa Elele, Volume XI, Number 51, 2 August 1890 — CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. [ARTICLE]

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

The qnestion of the value of the possession of an efficieht, faithful and pntriotic Civil Service is one that has alrendy boen deterniined favorablyl")y everv en!ightoned '.i'nd progrfssive G"vcninient. īt is even fidm tted p:irt aliv bv snch (!ovevmuents as ar« to be dīstnrb»-d pfr:odic:«Hy bv ainl>'tinns ;-olitic'iairs dosirmis of bec<>mii:g d'cta.tois, and ot obtaining. eoiii'.-l : v«t i'verv Governir.'. . position. l).>u-ev;:r s'mali in inyport.iiiee, in order bv ratvnrili)ig I})u<r »i>rvHe follo\vcrs thoy may th.'ins ■' vs i>\tain Rni»r»'i!,e swny. We tind that oui worhl ah>ng, eviin tiie.se ephemerul !ea,?crs begrn t<i «eo the un«'isdom of ierpetuii! c(iuos in Govornment de;.artiiii:uts. nml to lam< :>t thecaußes thut iu:c«'ssitute the clmnges of eoiupeteiit uffieials iu irn}iortant and minor ofricis for rifiv and uninfornitdmen, w'ho hiive to plod nlong :i;;d obtf<in tl:eir information of !!:0 t:ctions and the enii'eni routine .of the national g'.voininent ut great cost of pnh'lie jnonev and the loss 'of'valuabl,K time.

All eiyilized Governniciits, a,nd e.special!y those ilial are in t : Iio vungn;ivd of inodern thoi)ght., keep a cevt;nn linnihei' ot' penm»K!iit oAKeialu in their omj>ī«\vhil« ret!iining tlu* n:.<»st in'ipovt»int pnsitions to bo fllsj!os3cl of in neeonliiuee with well-(lefinoil politiea'l usionts aiul rules. While ā Ooverninent never dies, the u<lvi?ers (the sfiniBters) change with popuUu- will, aiiii. in accordance with th i.t will, iunst i)/itnmliy ;uj<l necess»/i}y rlemmīā to V>o sarronndetl by Ibose in •H'honi they have iiii ī>)it*2l eoniklenee, in orāev to cavvy out thē polio 1 ,- of th« p;<rty, 'ī.e, the peōple in their n ;i]ority, wliom tliey vepvesent. īu tlii - nuitter the so-cj\lled Reform Party of 1887 grievons>ly broke through all political tv;iditions of this conntvy anel the pruetico of all others. "\Vitho»t vhyme or reasor., except thectamor of ,spoilsīnen to be rewarded for their revolutionavy services, mauy cliHngoB were mude in nearly every depurtment !iud bnreHU of the Government. Not.only did the political ofiicers sufrer, but the "nou-spoils positions" n A bnd prec«dcnt was estublished.

It \vas left for a raeuiber <>f thc N.iiional Uet'orui Party—K<ipresentative A. Marques—aud at a tim« wh«u nearly all the appointiuent« u-ider the Governuieiit were filled by the op])o--ncnts of his part3;, to «hūko the firat blo\v iu the Hawaiiuu Legislature against-' the "apoile" system by introdacing r bill to " Orgai?ize »md Regalato the Civil Service of the Ha•waiian Kiiigdom.''

This biiJ, whieh is emphal:ically a i»ove m tlie rig!it diroction. l:as boen referred toa special cominittee-. It will probably receive, as it undoubtedly ivquires, some amendment ; but its ])rinciph*s being correct, it wiil receive eari ful :ittentuui froui logislatois alid people alike, «nd in due time its prinoiples uill by snpp<-rted by legū»liitive euactuieut. Such Aets, hs witb Constitntiun6. uiust be tosted by praetieul esperiinents. aud me ever subjeot to in;nor uhangos. ThemiKts are not ahv ys practical inen, but Mr, M;U'<]iics, in his pre;uub!e to this bill. has struek the key-note of hariuony botween theory and fact rhen ho says : " W hereas. the Civil Berviee of the Hawaiiau Kingdoiu i» subjeqt to poliiieal aud to Uw uvbi trary ui 11 of those iu power. thc r\'-! suitx of whioh :;se vietrinsent.il tothe; »ei viee ; and. ,whereas, it is tsseuiial,| in oi\l«v to sēoure, for th«< puhlie' benertt, tho neooss vrv integrity aud| effieienev of the Civil Bervieo, thai its officers should be removed froui all ]>olitical or persoual pressuve, «s3ured ōf their stability in olliee, and ]»ro I tocted and oneouraged by lawful aiul' «quitable regulations, suoh hs piouiil in niost eivili>:ed ooniitries." Thei\ foro ho dosivos lo impnno the eon dition of thiugs hy legislaUpn soine- \ v, hat in (he fo!hnviug niamu r . A Civil Borvice Comin!ssit<n of tn. is io be appouited by '' Ui«- Kiug in t al)iuet Connoii. Tfaev aits to i*e- '

ceive f5 a tLij ? for the time «ctually ilevoted to tlie Comniissioiv. They are to frame rules for the approval of the King in Cnbinct Oouiieil, keep iiecessary rogisfcors iiucVaooouuts, ;m<l make' reports. They may appoint a seere-j t«iy. A suui of not less (lian $5,000: is to be ;ipprapriuted for the hiemiiul oipenses. ! All officers aud employees at present j in the Civil Servicc of tho Ooveni-i inent. } 13xecutive or Judiciiiiy are eon-! Hiiued in their positious, and cannot be iemoved except for tl\e causes statād in the Aet. Siity days ufter the nassage of the Act the Ooininissiouers, liaving rcceived tlie necessary reporwfrom tlie.heads of dcpartinents, ure to%ivide the oflicors and clcrks of the GoA'ernn"ient into six classeB, in »eeord:\nco with their snlaricfi-- tempor«rv laborers «nd employees not included in the Aei All salarics of C>(.)vernmen't nffioers are tp be re!i'rr:uiged upon the cliiss b;tsis.

Cabinet appointinents— the political ft]io)is Mie the ]iositions of Anditor(leiiēml, Collector-Getieral of Custo\ii s, P. aster-Genera 1, Marsh al, Hujvey(ir-Geueral, President of tbe ''o;ird of UenHii, Kegistivir of Puhlie Acoountrt, •lit , gis't.rar •of C6nteyaiice>B, Snperintendont of Pnblic Works, S(ip«!riutend«-nt of '\Vatcr Woiks, In-spectur-Gener!(l oi' Imtnigi-ution, Secretary of the Board of EdiiCation, aud Inspector-Genentl of Schools. The Clerks of the Supreiae and Circnit Conrts, while appointed by tiie Hnnieme Court, must be īeeonijnemled to the Commissionērs for their itpprova.f ;ind examination. Provisions nre iDftde for tho'Circnit #ijdgcs almost as ut present, but iu the chs« of Poliee and District Judgys and tho poliee thc approval of the oivi 1 Service Connnissionei-s imist be. obtained.

When any vucnncy occnrs in miVy c!»ss iibove the sixth (sal:try less tlmn $1,200), tlie Minister in contvol of tbe dep»itment (>r buve;in m;iy recoimnend to the Civil fservice Cotumission in ovder of preferenct! : 1. The promotion from the succeeding or inferior gr;ide in the sarae branch. 2. The prDmotion from a sini3lar or a sncceßding gfade in a dīfterei;i hmueh. An ēiitueh- neiv appo2titni«iit. Sfcat;ng«tthe same tīme hūi reasou« for either reeoaim«udatiou, merit having eqnal preference with seniovity. But any officer who may not desire ahy such promotion or tramif©r may appeal' to tlie Commis3ionejr»i who, upon good and Buflßcient oause showu, may allow him to retain his uctual position. In case of a'new appoiiitmeiit, preference will be first given to the Hawaiian born, nnd secondly to the uaturalincd foreigners and denizens in proportion to the length of their" residenct. in the country, a residence of three years nt least being neec?*savy for a foreigner to be eligible to a permanent tippointment as Civil Sen'ice ofijeer.

Provisions are theu niftde for eiaminutlon of all candidates propo»ed forappoiutinents, promotions, increase of salaries, allowanee of gi'atuitie», punishinents or dismissal, abuse of power by Buperiorß, retiieaients ( pensions, annual vacatiojuj, nn4 ap endowment fund to be createf{ by thu ī-eiaimneiii by tiie Comra)SsioJiers pf 5 per cont. of the rao«thly pay of al) officere bolov the'-first chibs (?3,000 or over), to be invested in the Po»tal Savings Bank.

With the fcxeeption of the right te vote, politios nro, strii)gently tabooed from ail Civil Service officeis. Fiual!y, tho mnjoiity rule in the Cabiuet is iuaintaiuod. Buch isa closely coud»ns«d synoi)sis <f the Aet, whieh deserves careful consideration before ooiidetunatious. The Prison rnspoetors Act has proved n feucoess, and it kto be hoped tli;i( after tiie Specia! Couiuiittee has pruued away soiuo. incougruities, and oleared away sonio ob.scuritios, this Aot iuay bo found worthy of a two vo.-u>' praotical lt u ill, of eouvse, be quiokly UoUood that tho party in eharge of appoiu} meuts, imiuediately preoeding tho pafeage of the Act, rotAin their appointcēs fu offioes so loug as t!io lattor do iu>t \ iolato the law aud bving upon their own headh a justifiaj.!jo missa!. |