The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-09
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The Rules Submitted by the Commission
Approved by the President.

Approved by the President.
WASHINGTON, May S.-The civil-service
rules were this morning approved by the
President substantially as printed on Friday
last The rules as approved are twenty-five
in number The clause preliminary to the
rules containing the formal promulgation is
recast in form, so that it begins, "The Presi-
dent," and goes on to say that he hereby pro-
mulgates. Rules one, two, three and four
are unchanged. In rule five which provides
for three classifcations of the service the
only change made is TO call the first class
THE Departmental Service" instead of
classified Service at Washington" the
reason given being that the service at
the capital is all departmental
No change has been made in rule six in re-
gard to competitive examinations. The
changes in rule seven are to take orthography
out of the fourth subdivision and put it in
the first, and letter writing out of the first
subdivision and put it in the fourth. The
reference to 80 per cent of complete pro-
ficiency in examination is stricken out and
90 left as the per cent to be attained. A
trifling change has been made in rule eight
by adding two words, so that the rule now
provides that no question during examina-
ton shall call for the expression of any
political or religious opinion or afIihation,
nor if known, (these two words are added),
shall any discrimination be made by reason
thereof. The words ''if known" are believed
to make the rule more pointed and emphatic.
Rules nine and ten not changed. In
rule eleven a slight modification is made.
The fifth subdivision req airing the appli-
mt To fofa 9TH ~ .oI,
he is required to make oath, to his own moral
character is stricken out, as it was believed
best to allow the commission to refer to
the recommendations of the applicant upon
the subject An addition requiring the ap-
plicant to state what he knows as to the enl-
ployment of other members of his family in
the public service, was made to the rules
during the work of revision.
In rule twelve, the only change is one
made at the suggestion OF the customs Off
GERS in case Of providing that "no one shall
be examined for customs inspector who is
| under twenty-one years of age" it provides
| that mo one shall be examined except for
clerk or messenger if under tweHty-one
years of age"
Rules thirteen, fourteen and fifteen are
| unchanged as submitted. Rule sixteen pro-
vided that when any officer shall make re-
quest for candidates to fill a vacancy or va
cancies, the commissioners shall certify three
names to be taken in order from the register
of those eligible, and the selection was to be
made from the three so certified AS it is
changed this rule provides that four, instead
of chree names shall be certified and fur
ther change is made which provides that
those certified are to be the highest on the
list from the State for which the vacancy is
to be filled, instead OF the first on the list
reported.
The sixth subdivision, limiting the power
of the commission so that they shall certify
the same person on the register only three
times to the same officer in the postal custom
service, and only twice to any department at
Washington, remains the same as it was orig
inally reported.
No changes have been made in rules sew
enteen and eighteen. In rule nineteen an
other clause is added to provide that heads of
bureaus shall be excepted from examinations
under the rules 1t also excepts all examin-
ations for promotions until the rules can be
matured to regulate such examinations. The
commissioners were of the opinion that it
was not time yet to promulgate these rules.
Rules twenty, twenty-one and twenty-five
remain as originally submitted.
HOW THE WORK WILL BE DONE
The rules having been approved the COM
missoners will leave Washington a few days
for-the purpose of putting examining boards
in operation in all the large cities. As the
provisions of the civil-service act relating to
appointments take effect July 16, it is essen
tial that examinations shall be held before
that date. The commissioners expect to have
| their bureau in this city IN working order
about the first week in June, and they propose
to have examining boards in the cities fully
established in time to secure the examination
of applicants for position in the service some
time before July 16 The work has been di.
vided up so that each commissioner is as
signed to a district Commissioner Eaton
takes the principal Eastern cities, such as
New York, Philadelphia and Boston; Com,
missioner Gregory is assigned to Chicago,
MilN aukee, Buffalo, Detroit, Toledo, and
other lake cities; and Commissioner Thoman
to St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburg,
Kansas City, New Orleans and other
cities in the Southwest Each commissioner
will take with him an assistant detailed
from one of the departments in Washington.
These assistants will be selected from among
officials who have already served on examin-
ing boards in the departments here, and who
are familiar with the work. The examining
boards in the cities will be selected by the
| commissioners from persons in the service
in those cities, and they will hold examina-
tions not more than twice year.