Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-07
CIVIL SERVICE.

4 Netc Plan Prepared for Distributing the
Offices.
Carter Harrison. Democratic member of
the House from Chicago, and chairman of
the House committee on civil service reform
has prepared bill of which the following
is a synopsis:
Sec. provides for the creation of De-
partment of civil service, with five commits
sioners to be appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate, no more than three
of which shall belong to any one political
party. Their terms are arranged SO that no
appointments can be made except at the
middle of a Presidential term, the commits
sloners having the shortest term to be at the
head of the department.
Sec. provides that the President NAV fill
vacancies caused by death or resignation.
Sec. fixes the salary of the head commits
sioner at $1,000. and the others at $4,000.
Sec. provides that the commissioners
may be removed by the President for cause,
with the consent of the Senate in open ses-
sion.
Sec. 5, that the commissioners shall make
rules for regulating the civil service; shall
constantly watch the different branches of
the government service, and see that they
are running at a minimum as to numbers
and expense: shall examine, or cause to be
examined, all applicants, and shall not be
guided by political services or influence
Sec. 6 provides that the commissioners
shall divide the United States into districts,
and provide for examinations in each, at
stated times, after public notice: that the
power may be delegated in remote parts of
the country to examiners. in which case APP
plicants shall pay SIS for examination.
Members of both Houses of Congress shall
be notified of the examinations within their
own district.
Sec. 7 provides that the act shall apply to
all officers except ambassadors, ministers,
consuls, heads of departments, and post
masters.
Sec. 8, which is perhaps the most signif-
cant section of the bill, provides that Repre-
sentatives III Congress may make nomina-
tons for appointments to Office from among
persons resident in their respective districts,
who shall have resided there year. and
possess the requisite moral and other quail
ties. Provision is made that they may
recommend
PERSONS WHOM THEY DON'T KNOW
upon the testimony of persons for whom
they can vouch. All recommendations must
be IN writing, signed by the persons recon-
mending them, all applications must be
written in the handwriting of the applicant.
setting forth age, past vocation, physical
condition, and mental capacity. In the event
that less than twenty nominations shall be
made for each Office to be filled by member
of Congress, ashen the commissioners may
receive application in writing from any per
son in the district.
The remaining sections of the bill provide
for competitive examination for promotion
in all departments, and prescribe that vacan-
cies in the departments are
ONLY TO DE FILLED BY PROMOTION,
save where the need of experts or peculiar
conditions may make contrary course
necessary. The civil-service department is
to supply all the other departments with lists
of clerks from which appointments can only
be made, and is to assume the responsibility
for removals for cause. Original appoint
ments are to be made on not more than six
months probation, when the probationers
are to be placed on permanent roll from
which they can never be removed except for
cause. This roll is to constitute the perma-
nent civil-service of the government. No
appointments are to be made for political
purposes, and no political assessments are to
be paid or demanded, on the penalty of dis
missal.