es in the various offices in your collection
district, and the approval and adoption of that report.

"It only remains now to execute this order, upon the principles
and in the spirit stated by the President. This task, always an
unpleasant one, when it requires the removal of employees, falls
mainly upon you, subject to my approval. It may not be amiss now
for me to state, in advance, somewhat in more detail, my views as
to the mode of reduction. The extent of the reduction is fully
stated in the report, and we are thus relieved from that portion
of the task.

"I notice by the report that you have an exceptionally large
proportion of experienced officers still in the service. You will
have no difficulty in selecting, from these, the more efficient
and trustworthy to fill the more important positions, and when
these are carefully selected, you will have secured for the duties
of greatest trust, active, efficient, and experienced officers.
It must happen that among those longest in service some are disabled
by age and infirmity. It is often the most painful, but necessary,
duty, to dismiss there, or reduce them to positions which they are
still able to fill. The government is fairly entitled to the
services of those who are fully able to discharge personally the
duties of their office, and who are willing to give their entire
attention to their official duty. If they cannot, or do not, do
this, it is no injustice to remove them.

"In the selection of inferior officers, the only rule should be
the one daily acted upon by merchants--to employ only those who
are competent for the special work assigned them, whose industry,
integrity, and good habits give guarantees for faithful services,
honestly rendered. This reduction will enable you to transfer
those now employed on work for which they are not fitted, to other
work for which they are competent, and to reward exceptional merit
and ability by promotion.

"It is impossible, in a force so large as yours, that you should
know the peculiar qualities and merits of each employee, and it is
important, in making selections, that you secure this information
through committees of trusted officers, and in proper cases to test
the intelligence, ability, and qualifications of an officer or
applicant for office by written questions or an oral examination.
In many cases the partiality and influence of relations secure
several persons of the same family in office, thus caus