St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-05-19
CIYlL.SERvICE RULES,

President Arthur Slightly Modifies and At
fixes His Signature to the New Rules to
Govern Civil-Service Appointments "A
Summary of the Directions to Be Fol-
lowed by Those Seeking Government
Employment.
WASHINGTON. May 9.
The Civil-service rules were yesterday
morning approved by the President The
rules, as approved, are twenty-five in numl-
Der. The clause preliminary to the rules,
containing the formal PRONUNCIATION, is re-
cast in form, SO that it begins 'sThe
President" and goes on to say that he
hereby promulgates the rules. Below Is
given summary of the principal directions
embraced in the rules twenty in NUM-.
ber-which are to govern the Com
mission in the work before thens
The first two rules prohibit coercion
of the political action of any per-
son in Government service by any official,
pronounce against all interference with cleo
tions, and announce that no one in the civil
service shall be under obliga ion to contrib
ute to any political fund, or be removed for
refusing to do so. Three branches of civil
service are established-the classified depart
mental service, the classified customs SER
vice, and the classified postal service. Pro-
vision is made for open competitive ex.
aminations to test fitness for POI
sitioEs, and the subjects of the
examinations are penmanship, or
biography, copying and letter-writing,
arithmetic, the elements of the English
language, the proper construction of sen.
fences, geography, history and the Govern
ment of the United States Sixty-fiye per
cent. OF complete proficiency must be at
tanned. Special examinations for appoint.
ment to offices requiring peculiar quaiica.
lions are also provided for. No discrimina-
ton is to be made On account Of political or
religious opinion or utilization of applicants,
and the disclosure of such opinions or attilia-
tons is to be discountenanced by the COM.
missioners and examiners. The applicant
must affirm his qualifications under Sec. s Of
the Civil-Service act, which prohibits the
appointment to or retention in Office of any
person addicted to the excessive use of al
coholic beverages. He must also possess
proper certificates of good moral character
and health and physical and mental capa-
city for doing public work. Examinations
for the classified postal service are prohibited
where the applicant is under sixteen or over
thirty-five years of age, or for the classified
customs service or the classified department
service, where the applicant is under
eighteen or over forty-fye years of age. But
hemaximunIimitations donotapply to those
who have been honorably discharged from
military or naval service during the late
war. All appointments are to be made for
probationary term OF six months, and per-
manent appointment is to depend upon the
character and qualifications and the service
of the probationer during that period. The
only important change made in the original
draft submitted by the Commissioner is one
striking out a clause providing for colnpeti-
tive examinations of a suitable character to
test the fitness of persons for promotion in
the service. This branch of civil-service
reform will be the subject Of additional new
rules, which will be agreed upon and pro-
mulgated when thought necessary by the
COmr1iSSjon