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Show 4 BEPORT OF THE COMDdISSIONER OF INDIAN A?lFllIBS. A new system of reporting the efficiency of employees has been installed. Instead of continuing the former arbitrary method of rating each employee, the superintendent or other officer in charge gives briefly, in a few strong descriptive words, a clear statement of the employee's efficiency, ability, and industry. These are made on separate sheets and fled in the status record of the employee. In-specting o5cers are also nequired from time to time tp make similar reports on employees who have come under their observation. These records are placed in the same file. In this way a complete descrip-tive history of each employee is immediately available when the ques-tion of promotion or transfer or change in position or salary comes up. The Civil Service Commission has given hearty cooperation to the service in securing high-grade employees for appointment to the field force. The limitations of that service and its difference from the departmental service are given consideration and an earnest effort has been made to provide eligible lists commensurate with practical needs. The service recognizes the value of the merit system as ap-plied to its work. The commission, on the other hand, also recognizes the peculiar difficulties of the work and the liberal treatment required in order to procure proper human material for the work of elevating the Indian and conserving his property. The rapid development of irrigation and allotment work in the field has clearly shown the necessity for a modification of the usual civil-service procedure in making appointments. This fact has been recognized by the commission and a satisfactory arrangement has been made by appointing local boards of examiners at various con-venient points throughout the West. These boards conduct examina-tions and maintain registers of eligibles for certain classes of posi-tions, and appointing o5cers resort to them for material from which to select their employees. These local registers are utilized for the large bulk of appointments to positions not requiring clerical or high-grade technical knowledge or experience. The results of this method have been satisfactory and it will undoubtedly be further developed in the future. The merit system in and of itself can never provide a force of high efficiency. The question of compensation is vital. The compensation must be adequate for the work performed and at least equal to that which the same grade of work commands in the ordinary business world. Without this relative condition of salaries, it is not possible for the Indian Service, with its hardships, its isolations, and its many disagreeable features, to get the best material for its appointments. The appointment of a special disbursing agent at Union Agency deserves special attention because the plan is to be extended to other large fields of the Indian Service as opportunity may arise. For |
