Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-11
THE CLASSIFICATION OF CLERkS.
Proposed Extension of the LimIts-A
Report Made To the President.

The Civil Service Commission has submitted to
the President the plan OF a new classification OF
the employees OF the departmental, postal and
custom service, drawn up at the suggestion OF the
President. This proposed classification. which is
now being considered by the President. extends
the limits OF the classified service so as to include
ali the clerks and other employees above the grade
OF laborer.
commissioner Uberly, when asked about It to-
day by a STAR reporter, said IL not only
extended the limits within which the rules applied
so as TO cover all the ground included within the
law, but was Intended TO remove all doubt about
tne Application OF the rules to any place. While
All positions not filled by Presidential appointment
were included In the CLASSIFIED service under this
proposed classification, that did not mean, Mr..
Ooefiy said that all places were 70 be filled by
coinpe.itiVe examination. Some places would be
exempted as at present, by general rule, some by
special rule, and some places would be filled by
non-competftive examination.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS
The Commission has, as stated, done this work at
the Presidents request and In response to letter
from the President dated March p last, In regard
ocertain proposed amendments to the civil service
rules. In that letter the President suggested the
need OF "a better and uniform classification OF the
employees In the different departments "The i'm
portance or this" he wrote ais entirely obvious.
The present imperfect claSslflcations hastily
made, apparently With but little care for uniform
ity and promulgated after the last Presidential
election and prior to the installation or the present
Administration, should not have been permitted
showed the Inconsistencies and unevenness OF
the IlaSslncatton. Comparing one department with
another, and closed by saying:
"Iwish the Commission would revise these classi-
hcationS and submit TO me plan which VIII as
lar as possible make them uniform, and which will
especially remedy the present condition which per-
nts persons TO enter grade IN the service in one
department without any examination which, IN
another department. can only be entered after pass
ing such examination. This. l think, should be
done by extending the limits or the classified SER
vice rather than by contracting them"
EXTENDING THE APPLICATION OF THE Law.
The Commission in preparing the new classlfica.
ton have followed the suggestions Of this letter.
1t Is proposed to extend the application OF the Law
10 the Railway Mail Service In the Post ONCE DE.
partment, and 10 the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing under the Treasury Department 1he eA.
aminatlons proposed Tor the Railway Mail Ser.
vice Will be held In Districts and, as at present
precautionary appointments Will tie made for SIX
months. Al the end OF this probationary term the
appOlntee Will be subjected TO another practical
examination, TO pc arranged and conducted, not
bS the Clvil Service commission. but by
the PoSt-Office Department. THIS examination
Will relate to the practical work or the bureau.
The proposed new ciassincation viii include mes
sengers In the departments II Is held that INTEL
ligence beyond that or q mere manual labOrer is
required or messenger and an easy examination
viii be proposed TOR them. II Is held, too that Il
will tend 70 benefit the general service by includ.
Ing messengers who become familiar with tha
business or Government Offices In the line OF pro-
motion.
NOT pAsr ENOUGH FOR THE PRESIDENT
The President 1t Is stated desires also to extend
the principles OF the cvi-service law to the Indian
service. and especially TO the Indian schools The
Civil Service Commission Is, however, SO crowded
with work that II has not yet met his desires in
this respect. One OF the Commissioners remarked
to-day: 1--WE cannot 60 ahead last enough 10 Keen
up with the President" The limited number ol
clerks allowed the commissioners and the great
Increase OF the work makes II almost Impossible
for the Commission to attend to more than the
current work. IL Is thought that the proposed
new classification perfecting the system Will re.
upon 1t. Some months ago the Commission under.
took the examinations for promotions proposed in
the War Department, and have Just fnl lShed the
work entalled by those EXAMINATIONS. IL Is pro-
posed TO take up the Treasury Department next,
put work 20 be done there Is, according to The
commissioner, 'simply appalling"