MESSRS. JOHN J. FITZGERALD (CHAIRMAN), CHARLES L. BARTLETT, IN CHARGE OF DEFICIENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1915 SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1914 a. 7. 8. Jan. 16, URGENT DEFICIENCY BILL, 1915. HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. JOHN J. FITZGERALD (CHAIRMAN), CHARLES L. BARTLETT, THOMAS U. SISSON, FREDERICK H. GILLETT, AND WILLIAM S. VARE, OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF DEFICIENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1915 AND FOR PRIOR YEARS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1914. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN A. M'ILHENNY, PRESIDENT. TRAVELING EXPENSES-EXAMINATION OF FOURTH-CLASS POSTMASTERS. The CHAIRMAN. We have an estimate "For necessary traveling expenses, including those of examiners acting under the direction of the commission, and for expenses of examinations and investigations held elsewhere than at Washington, and attendance at meetings of public officials, $8,000." Your appropriation is $12,000. The original estimate was $17,000? Mr. McILHENNY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What have you to say about this estimate? Mr. McILHENNY. Mr. Chairman, of the $12,000 available for the present year there had been expended to November 19, 1914, $6,333.02. That was the date on which we submitted the estimate. The amount expended to date, up to December 18, 1914, is $7,316.09, leaving us available for the remainder of the fiscal year $4,683.91. This, we consider, Mr. Chairman, as entirely inadequate to carry on the very necessary work of the commission. We have been compelled to hold very nearly 50 per cent of the rural carriers' examinations, an important phase of our examining work, by postmasters. It is very unsatisfactory for the commission to do its work in that way. It brings about inequality of service. It brings about a vast number of complaints and protests as to the method of conducting examinations. The examinations should be held by the accredited representatives of the commission. Mr. BARTLETT. Right there, Mr. McIlhenny, have you always held the examinations by the postmasters? Mr. McILHENNY. We have held a great many of them in the past by postmasters; but there has been so much complaint of that method that we have been trying by every means in our power to get away from it. Mr. BARTLETT. I think you should get away from it myself; that is my individual opinion. Mr. McILHENNY. We wish very earnestly to get away from it; but we can not do it unless we have an appropriation sufficient to enable us to do it. We have, as you know, local boards all over the United States. These local boards are composed of people already in the 3 |