Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-04
NATIONAL NOTES.
TContinued from First Page.


demand for these small notes
The president has approved and promul-
| gated 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 Wash
ington, and ia the classified custom
offices and postoffices. The commits
sion has also revised the civil
service regulations to conform TO
! the new rules These provisions have
/ been under consideration by the commits
sion during the grealer part of the year.
and both have received careful consldera-
| ton by President Cleveland. He read
| them at length several times and made
changes and notifications, both of matter
! and phraseology Not one of the old rules
| or regulations remains in its original form.
! A few OF the most salient features of the
J new rules may be stated as follows.
First they are divided into four parts
J general rules, departmental rules, customs
rules and postal rules.
: Second, The general rules are nine in
number and are applicable, except in one
or two particulars, to all parts of the clas-
Sified service and to some parts of the ser
! vice not yet classified under the law or
rules. BY these rules 1t Is made an Offense
punishable by dismissal, in any officer of
the civil service a, to use his official
J
interfering with an election or controlling
the results thereof, or 90, to dismiss, or
cause to be dismissed, or to use influence
of any kind to procure the dismissal of any
person from any place in said service be-
cause such person has refused to be coerced
in his political purpose or to render
political service.
And it is especially provided that any
officer, clerk or other employe who shall %
violate Sec II of the civil service act,
which prohibits any sucn officer, clerk or
other employe from receiving or being in
any manner concerned in soliciting or re-
ceiving any assessment, subscription or
contribution for any political purpose
whatever from any officer clerk or other
employe of any department, branch or
bureau of the public service, or from any
person receiving any salary or com
pensation from moneys derived
from the treasury of the United
States; or ~ who shall violate
Sec. MI, which provides that any person
who shall, in any room or building occu-
pied by any officer or employe of the gov
eminent Or III any navy yard, fort or az
senal. solicit in any manner Whatever, or
receive any contribution of money Or other
thing of value for any Political purpose
whatever: or C3)who shall violate Sec. NIL
b. which provides that no officer or en-
ploye of the United States mentioned in
mote, CT in any manner change the official
rank Of any officer or employe, or promise
or threaten to do so, or giving, or refusing,
or Withholding, or neglecting to make any
contribution OF money or other valuable
thine for any political purpose; OF a.
whOShall violate Sec. II, which provides
that no officer, clerk or other person in the
service of the United States shall directly
or indirectly hand over to any other officer,
clerk or person in said service or to any
senator or member of the house of repre-
sentatives or territorial delegates. any
mons, or other valuable thing on account
OF or to be applied to the promotion of any
political purpose whatever, shall be dis
missed from the service 1t is also prOyid-
ed that no question in any examination
shall be SO framed as to elicit the political
OF religious opinion or atiiliation OF compe-
titors for place, and if any appointing or
nominating officer shall make inquiry con
corning or in any other way attempt
to ascertain the politics or religion
of any person who has passed
an examination, or who shall discriminate
in favor of or against such person shall be
dismissed from office BY the general
rules, several Noncompliance eNamlna-
tions are provided for and compulsory eX-
aminations for promotion directed. The
compulsory examination provision as sug
gested by the commission was amended by
-
words, but persons in the classified SER
vice who we're honorably discharged from
the military or naval service of the United
States, and widows and orphans Of de-
ceased soldiers and sailors shall be exempt
from such examination
Another important feature of the gen
eral rules gives authority to an appointing
or nominating officer, to whom the COM
missiOners may send the names of persons
declared by them to be eligible to a certain
place, to object in writing to all or any of
the persons thus certified, 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 directed
to make certification OF other names if the
objections are aSeertained to be good and
well founded.
The general rules also provide that sol
dierS and sailors who have been honor
ably discharged because of sickness or
wounds shall be certified for ppointment
in preference to other persons of higher
grade III the examination. and, and that
in making any reduction of force in any
branch of the classified service, honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors, and also
the widows and orphans of deceased sol
derS and sailors shall be retained in pref
erence TO others.
Third. The department rules are eleven
classification of the various commissions
and independent bureaus. as well
as the departments at Washing
ton, and prescribe the examination
that must be provided to test the fitness
for admission TO this branch Of the service.
They provide that the following officers
may be appointed without examinations
One private secretary, or one confidential
clerk. of the head of each classified de
partment and OF each assistant secretary
thereof. and also of each head of bureau
appointed by the. president by and with
the advice and consent of the senate: direct
cuStodians of money for whose fidelity
another officer is under official bond: dis
bursting officers who give bond; persons
employed exclusively in the secret service
of the government: chief clerks. and chiefs
of divisions. The maximum age limita-
tion of - years is abrogated and the
minimum relation is raised from Is 20 20
years. Soldiers and sailors. who have a
claim of preference in civil appointments,
are let in at % per cent. but in all other
eases the minimum grade of eligibility has
been raised from 65 to 20 per cent. The
number of names TO be certified TO an APP
pointing officer from which TO select for an
appointment has been reduced from four
to three.
Transfers are allowed as follows: From
one department to another: from a bureau
of the treasury department in which bust
ness relating to the customs Is transacted
TO any classified customs house. and from
such custom house To such bureau of the
treasury department: from the postoflice
department 10 any classified poStoifice, and
from such postotfice to the postoffice de
partment.
Fourth, The customs rules are eight in
number. The following examinations for
the customs service are prescribed in adj
diuon to other competitive and non-com-
petitiNe examinations: For clerk, day in
spector, lnspectreSS, night inspector mes
San ai,rb.