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[GUV----ERNMENT HANDS --ITSELE A BOUQUET Mr. BRowell's motion was: -- "That! in the judgment of this House the spoils and patronage systems are in-- ' imical to the highest eficiency of the | public service and to the best inter-- | ests of the country; that the public ! interests demand the immediate cre-- lati«m of a non--partisan Civil Service C'oinmission with ample powers, and | that all appointments and _ promo-- 'tions in the public service shall be 'by merit after competitive examina-- [ tion,. except in those cases where the ! conditions of _ the -- public . service: \render this impracticable." ' Premier's Amendment. Congratulates People on Fine Administration. KEEPS PATRONAGE SYSTEM Spoils System Inimical _ to Hizhest' Efhicieney of Public Service, Says ; Mr. Rowell, but Majority Declines to Beliove it. Mr. BRHowell's attempt to have the Government adopt a resolution calling for reform in the Provincial -- civil service was defeated in the Legisla-- ture yesterday on an amendment in-- troduced by the Prime Minister. service in Great Britain. It was the surest way of securing the elimination of the patronage cevil in political af-- fairs and would attract a better class of employees into the service. Mr. Rowell was not inclined to accept the Government's statement that the spoils system had not been introduc-- ed, and pointed out the well--known dismissal of License Inspector Hast-- ings in Toronto when the License Commissioners resigned, and a Con-- servative newspaper declared that the "spoils system is in control." The Opposition leader instanced the benefits that had come to the public Sir James Whitney -- characterized the _ proposal _ contained _ in Mr.| Rowell's resolution as absurd, . and provoked a round of laughter by ask--/ ing what kind. of competitive exam--| ination could be set for a Registrar, of Deeds or a Division Court Clerk.| spoils System. -- In opening his address, Mr. Rowell} said the time had arrived when, 'ig the ~interests of the Province, the Government should establish a non-- partisan Civil Service Commission, so j The following is the amendment substituted by the Primp Minister: "This House congratulates the peo. ple of the Province on the fact that under the administration of public affairs by the present Government no such system as the spoils system has any place; recognizes the difficulties which would surround the operation of a system of so--called civil service over a small number of officials, and that it would be wholly unwise and practically impossible to bring _ un-- der such a system the various officials in the service of the Province, includ-- ing such officials as _ Registrars of Deeds, Sheriffis, and County -- Crown Attorneys. . & + "This House recognizes the fact that sueccess in a competitive examination is in no way a guarantee of pre--eminent or ordinary fitness for Government service, and this House recognizes the wisdom of and fairness with. which the Government has dealt with ap-- pointments and promotions in -- the Government service." WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3. 1912 hat--all appointments would be made after a competitive examination, ex-- cept to minor posts in the outside service. This system had worked to advantage in Great Britain, the United States and at Otiawa. ~The Indian service to--day was the, envy of every ' Government in Hurope, and the splen-- did character of that service was in l no small measure 'responsible for the | benelicial results of British rule in | India. _ _Mr. J. C. Elliott took exception to tho statement of the Prime Minister that there was not a sufficiently large number of civil servants in the employ of Ontario to justify the making of appointments by examin-- ation. He pointed 'out that the num-- ber of people in the civil service was rapidly growing. | Mr. WV. J. Johnston (West Hast-- ings) thought Mr. Rowell's resolution was "the joke of the session." Mr. Allan Studholme said that labor stood solid as the rocp of Gibraltar for --the appointment of Civil servants according to merit. Mr. Rowell pointed ut that Mr. Hanna vindicated the principle of promotion, which was the spirit of his resolution. Sir James Whitney was inclined to agree with a portion of Mr. Rowell's argument, but he would not go all the way with him. Everybhody would admit that if the elimination of pa-- tronage could be brought about some benefit could be derived from a re-- organization of the system. It was impossible, however, to deal with an abstract -- matter with academic speeches. In a civil service compos-- ed of such a small number of persons as the Ontario service, no practical good which could be observed by an onlooker could come hy ths adoption of such a law as had been suggested. The great public service depart-- monts of Great Britain and the United States were out of all parallel with the situation in Ontario. In a large sorvice competitive examinations might be advisable, but they would bring no advantage to Ontario. "If this motion is in order now it is several years overdue," said Hon. Mr. Hanna. Since he had be-- come head of his department there had not been one dismissal for parti-- san reasons, although at the time the Government took office 99 per cent. of the officials in Provincial insti-- tutions were Jiberals. Mr. Hanna went over a list of Provincial insti-- tutions and pointed out various offi--| cials appointed by the late Govern-' ment who had received promotion, | because the Government preferred to | continue the employment . of men | they knew rather than c.\'porimcnt] with --strangers. 3 i If Ontario should follow suit, the members of the MHouse would have a larger measure of time to look after the public interests. It would further have the effect of encouraging more men of public spir-- it to enter public life, as the patron-- age system was probably a greater discouragement than anything els@ Agrees in Part. '"'The advice of the Deputy Minister of a department is of far more conse-- quence as to the effliciency and promo-- tion of an official than all the ex.-- aminations you can record in the space of fifty years," declared --the Prime Minister. Motion Overdue. "Well, some of the hon. gentle-- men no doubt enjoy it," returned Mr. Rowell. But, he pointed out, public sentiment in Britain had gseen the evil of the patronage system and had done away with it. Appointment and promotion -- by competitive examination woald miti-- gate to a very large extent the pa-- tronage evil. Members of the House, he said, no doubt suffered more from this evil than from any other.. How they were pestered and bothered by people wanting offices! 'We don't mind that," came sev-- eral voices from the Government benches. "Under the existing system," con-- tinued Mr. Rowell, "promotions are made and salaries are raised on the recommendation of the Ministers. 1 am prepared to assume that the Min-- isters do what they believe to be best in the public interests, but they are often not in a position to know direct. ly which ones of the office--scekers are most deserving."