hat the Chinese Government stresses the Importance of a strone civil service can be soon in the fact that the organization dealing with vit service is given equal lego! latus with the other powers. We Know. that the Chinese Government, according to Dr. Sun Ya-sen's polltttal doctrine should be a system of five powers, the executive, legislative, judicial, examination and control, and the Government has been organized accordingly Into five such yuans.
"The Examination Yuan which deals with the civil service corresponds with the Civil Service Commission of the United States and the Civil Service Commission under the Exchequer in England, but 1s 9 larger organization with a much more im= portant status, Although the effi ney of the working of the fives power system still Temaing to be Toon, the success which has already been achieved testifies that the sys tem may be specially adaptable to the Chinese nation and that the details of their inter-relationship can be smoothed with the passing of time and experience, Tt Ip Interesting to remark here that the examination system which constitutes the basis of a strong civil service originated in China. fu the 1u50's when the British Parliament first (rod to Introduce ivil service examinations," the proposers of the measure elted og the example the Chinese civil service examinations, although at the same time the oppositional to elted the Chinese civil service in opposing the plan. The first reforms were enacted for India, and following the success of the system, wag introduced to England, This had rear influence on subsequent continental and. American civil service reforms. The aims and methods of the old Chinese civil service examinations differ however, from the present. day system, With the experience which other countries have had in the Inst few decades, it now China's turn to learn from England, the United States and other modern countries.
Classified as follows: Ist-rank of ter jen are political officers, 2nd-rank er chien jen, 3rd-rank or chien jen and dth-rank' or wel jen, these constituting the civil service proper. This method of classification—was adopted from the Japanese in the first year of the Republic (1911) and [stil remains in force to-day.
Tt is, however, too general a classi-[fication to meet present day condi-ons satisfactorily and many prob-Jems have arisen. The dimiculty is aggravated by the fact that the different ranks carry with them definite Jamounts of salary. As a result the duties of an officer often do not cor-Yespond with the rank and salary is drawing.
To cite an instance, the governor of a province has the same rank and Jdraws the same salary as any vice-minister, although his duties are much mort responsible and onerous. As another instance, the mayor of a hsien has the same rank and draws the same salary as any section chief in a ministry, but his duties surely demand much more responsibility.
New Classification Needed Tt seems, therefore, that it the Jexamination system is to achieve a Feal success, a thorough survey of existing government offices, the salar-fies they carry and the qualifications necessary, must be made after which new classification should be drawn up s0 that the duties and qualifica~ Hons of the otices will correspond to their rank and. salaries. Owing perhaps to the complexity of the Work involved, this has not yet been taken up. It is hoped however, that Jo start will be made soon.
may be added that the British Jand American classifications are both useful for reference. Personally, 1 think the British classification which general yet comprehensive is more adaptable to Chinese conditions. but thet the American classification which more complicated and detailed may bbe adopted for technicians and ex-
While good systems are needed for Jelvil service reform, it 1s also common consent that a strong public pinion Is very important for pushing through the reforms, The minimum as well as the maximum demand of the public Is good and eMicient ser-vigo from the Government, Tt must taught however to. know that ood service depends largely on strong civil service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.