The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-02-10
NEW RULES ADOPTED.

The President Endorses the Revised CvIl-
Service Regulations-Some Very Impor-
TAFT Changes Made-Goyernment Clerks
to Be Protected Against Political As
sessments and Coercion by Their SUI
periors.
WASHINGTON, Feb 1.-THE President has
approved and promulgated a revision of
the civil-service rules, which makes several
very important changes in the system of
appointments upon tests of fitness applied
to applicants for places in the departments
at Washington and in the classified customs
offices and post-offices The commission
has also revised the civil-service regula-
tions to conform to the new rules The new
rules and regulations which were prepared
by Commissioner Oberly and amended by
the other commissioners will go into effect
on March l. In brief they are as follows:
The general rules are nine IN number and are
applieabl except in one two particulars, to
all parts OF the class fed service, and to some
parts of the service not yet classified under the
law or rules. By these rules it is made an
offense, punishable by dismissal, for
any officer of the executive civil service
to use his Official authority or influence
for the purpose of interfering with an
election. of controlling the results thereof or
to dismiss or to cause to be dism ssed, or to use
influence of any kind TO procure tire dismissal
of any person from any place in said service,
because such person has refused to be coerced
in his political action, or has refused TO con-
tribute money for any political purpose or to
render political service.
The rules provide for the dismissal OF any
officer, clerk or other employe who shall re-
ce We or be in any manner concerned in solicit
ing or receiving any assessment, subscription
or contribution for any polit cal purpose what
ever from any employe of any department
of the public service; or who shall dis
charge or promote or in any manner change
the official rank of any employee, or promise or
threaten 10 do so, for giving or refusing or
withholding or neglecting to make any contri-
button of money or other valuable thing for
my political purpose: or who shall, di-
rectly or indirectly, hand over to any other
person in said service, Or 10 any Senator,
or member of the House of Representatives,
or Territorial delegate, any money or other
valuable thing, on account of or to be applied
10 the promotion OF any political purpose what
ever. 1t is also prov .ded that no question in
any examination shall be so framed as to elicit
the political or religious opinion or affiliation
of competitors for place, and that if any APP
pointing or nominating officer shall make in
curry concerning, or in any other way attempt
to ascertain, the politics or religion of any per-
son who has passed an examination, who
person. he shall be dismissed from office.
BY the general rules several nOn-competitive
examinations are provided for and compulsory
examinations for promotion are directed.
The compulsory examination provision as sug-
gested by the Commission was amended by the
President who added the following words:
but persons in the classified service who
were honorably discharged from the military
or naval service of the United States and
no yuid ~
and sailors shall be exempt from such examin-
ation."
Another important feature of the general
rules gives authority to an appointing or NOM
mating officer, to whom the Commissioners may
send the names of persons declared by them to
be eligible to certain place, to object in WRIT
ing to all or any one of the persons thus certi-
fed, stating that for reasons to be particularly
specified such persons, or any of them, are
not capable of performing the duties of the
vacant place, and the Commissioners are d.
rected to make certification of other names il
the objections are ascertained TO be good and
we'll founded. The general rules also provide
that soldiers and sailors who have been hon.
orably discharged because of sickness or
wounds shall be certified for appoint
ment In preference to other persons
Of higher grade in the examinations,
and that in making any reduction of force in
any branch OF the class fed service honorably
discharged soldiers and Sailors and also the
widows and orphans Of deceased soldiers and
Sailors shall be retained in preference to 9TH
ers. The department rules authorize the class
ification of commissions and independent bu-
reaus, as well as the departments at Washing
ton, and prescrbes the examination that must
be provided to test fitness for admission to this
branch Of the service.
The maximum age limitation OF forty-tve
years is abrogated, and the minimum limita-
ton is raised from eighteen to twenty years.
Soldiers and sailors who have q claim Of prefer
cnce in civil and military appointments are let
in at 65 per centum, but in all other cases the
minimum grade Of eligibility has been raised
from IS to 70 per centum. The number OF
names to be certified to an appointing officer
from which to select for an apo ntment has
bean reduced from four to three.
In commenting on the revised civil-ser-
vice lies Commissioner Edgerton called
attention to the absence of the rule requir-
ing appointing officers, whenever dis
missal from the executive civil service is
made, to file written statement of the
cause of such dismissal Mr. Edgerton said
such rule had been submitted to the
President, but it failed to meet his approval