Merit Principle

The merit principle (and veteran’s preference) was the means by which promotions, mostly to young Anglophone men, were given. The merit principle was designed to help these men who had an education, but lacked adequate experience. The francophone Canadians, however, were generally qualified, but lacked in education. They could not find jobs under the new merit system. Therefore, the new public service restrictions harmed the Civil Service and lead to the decline of the French speaking, and the restriction of women as a social force. In 1918, only 22% of all public servants were francophone. Further, the number of francophone Canadians earning $6000 or more per year diminished from 25 to 10 per cent. The Francophone Canadians needed to be “English” in order to find work in the public service.