National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-09-30
TIE CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
Important Notifications TO he Sub
mItted to the President.

The civil service commission has been
busily engaged for come time past In re-
vision OF the rules and regulations relating
to the service, and within short time 1t is
probable that n number Of important modi-
ilcations OF the existing rules will be sub
mitted to the President for bis formal APP
prevail The commission las changed the
construction heretofore placed on the law
and rules relating to the appointment OF
soldiers TO the classified service by the Issue
OF the following order:
at is directed that upon any requisition
being made by an appointing officer for
eliribles to al any vacancy in the classified
civil service the certifying officer shall Ger
tify from the eligible register from which
the eligibles are to be drawn the names OF
all persons who have a claim to preference
TO appointment under section 115i United
States Revised Statutes; provided, however,
that II there are upon said register the
names OF more than four persons who have
claim of preference, only four OF them
shall be certified in the order OF their grad
ing. lfupon tho register OF the state en-
titled to the appointment there are no pre-
ference claiming eligibles to Gil the certlh-
Ncation, or II there is upon said register the
names OF no preference-clalming eligbles
the certifying clerk shall complete the
making OF the certihcatlon by taking the
names OF preference claiming eligibles from
the registers OF other states, taking care to
select from such state register In the order
OF the right OF each state to the appoint
ment under the apportionment authorized
to be made by the commission. III upon
the register OF no state entitled TO the APP
pointment there is the name OF prefer
ence-claiming eligible, and the name OF
such an eligible appears upon a state the
quota Of which has been filed, the name OF
such preference.clalming eligible shall be
certifod.n
In explanation OF this action OF the com.
mission Mr.. Oberly said that section 1851 OF
the Revised Statutes, which was In force at
the date Of the passage OF the civil service
law, gave the preference In appointments
TO persons disabled In the military or naval
forces OF the United States. Section 7of the
civil service act provided that no person
should be employed or promoted In the
classified service until he had passed an ex-
animation or had been shown to be exempt
therefrom. But 1t also provided that no
preference right conferred by the section
Of the statute already quoted should be
taken away. Taking the two sections to.
Rether the commission concluded that
when q person showed that he had been
honorably discharged from the military ser.
vice he had right to he preferred In the
certifiCaton for appointment to civil
Office in the classified service. When this
applicants name came before the appoint
ing officer that officer had no discretion,
but under the law was compelled to APP
point him. There was no competition, aud
the competitive idea was destroyed. There
fore the commission had come to the con-
clusion that the two statutes taken together
established two classes of competitions
honorably discharged soldiers and sailors
and persons who had not been so dis
charged-and the construction given was
placed on the law. Its effect would be to
cause the names Of four soldiers to be GER
tilted at once TO the appointing officer, thus
afrording fair competition between them.
1t re.establishes the idea OF competition In
that class of ellgibles, and destroys the dis
elimination against other persons whose
names were sent up with that Of the SOL
dier, but who stood no chance OF appoint
ment and were credited with one certiflca-
ton.
Commissioner Oberly also said that the
commission had under discussion new
rule for the regulation OF promotions In the
classified service. The law positively for
bids promotions In that service unless the
person promoted has passed an examina-
ton, and confers on the commission the
right to provide suitable tests OF the fitness
of persons to be promoted. There had
never yet been an attempt made to provide
such rules. Ihe Treasury and Postolllce
Departments had applied some regulations
on this point, but they had no authority of
law behind them. The commission had In
contemplation set OF rules to govern pro-
motions which would DO applicable uni.
formly to all the departments. One Of
them allowed the head OF a bureau to re.
quest the examination of any person who
had been appointed without examination
and had been promoted since the civil SER
vice law had gone into effect. A failure to
reach required standing In this examina-
tion might result In the reduction In grade
Of the person examined or his dismissal.
Two other important notifications OF the
existing rules are also under consideration,
said Mr.. oberly. They have been sug-
gested to the President In an Informal
manner, and while he has expressed no
definite opinion, he has received them
favoraely. Under the existing practice ex-
amnations OF applicants for positions In
the government service are held In the diff
ferent states and territories whenever the
number Of applications seem to justify or
requite them. The place Of holding the
examinations lie also frequently changed 80
as to accommodate the applicants as far as
possible. The result Is that applicants never
Know when or where an examination will
be held, and may have to wait from six to
sixteen months to undergo an examination.
The commission was also flooded with
inquiries for information on those points,
Under the direction OF the commission u
schedule is now being prepared giving
definite dates and places for the holding OF
examinations In each state, and when this
schedule shall have been approved 1t will
be published and rigidly adhered to.
The commission has also had under dis.
cussion the question raised by the National
Civil Service Reform League as TO the
wisdom Of allowing persons In the civil SER
vice to act In the capacity OF examiners of APP
plicants for positions In that service. Com
missioner Oberly says that 1t was concluded
that II would not be wise or economical to
increase the number OF employees of the
government to the extent Of providing a
new and separate set Of officers to ex-
amine and grade applicants In every state
and territory, as was suggested by the
league, for, OF course, the persons charged
with this duty would require compensation
and become members of the civil service.
Tie commission recognized the defects Of
the existing system, prominent among
wi ich was the assignment to duty as ex-
aniners Of persons who held other offices
requiring great deal of time and attention
at their hands. Accordingly the commits
sion has agreed upon plan which will be
submitted to the President for his approval
providing for the reduction of the present
board Of departmental examiners in this
city from fourteen to six members. This
board will be assigned permanently and en-
iirely TO the task OF going over the papers
Of all applicants throughout the country
and grading them. In this way II Is ex-
pected to obvate the objections of possible
favorltism and undue influence on the part
of the local boards, while the examiners
from increased familiarity with their work
are expected to prove much more efficient
In passing upon the papers.