Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-09
The President Has Approved and Pro
mulgated Revision of the Rules.
Not one of the.Old Rules or Regulations
Remains in its Original Form.
The Working of Offices and Clerks for
Political Purposes Must Cease.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
President Cleveland Gives the Rules General
0yerhauling and Greatly Improves Them.

has approved and promulgated revision
of the civil service rules, which makes
several very important changes in the
system of appointments upon the tests
of fitness applied to applicants for places
in departments at Washington, and in
classified customs offices and postoffices.
The commission has also revised the civil
service regulations to conform TO the new
rules. These revisions have been under
consideration by the commission during
the greater part of the year, and both
have received careful consideration by
President Cleveland. He read them at
length several times and made changes
and notifications. Not one of the old
rules or regulations remains in its orig
inal form.
A few Of the most salient features of
the new rules may be stated as follows:
First-They are divided into four parts,
general rules, department rules, customs
rules and postal rules.
Second-GeneraI rules are nine in
number, and are applicable, except In one
or two particulars, to all parts of CLASH
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 Of
any office of the executive civil
service, a. to use his official
authority Or influence for the purpose of
interfering with an election Or controlI-
ing the results thereof, or (2) TO dismiss
or cause to DE dismissed or to use in
fuence OF any kind to procure the dis
missal of any person from any place in
said service because such person has
refused 20 contribute money for any po-
liticaL purpose Oh TO render political
service. and it is especially provided that
any officer, clerk or other en-
ploye who (D shall violate
section II of the civil service act which
prohibits the receipt or solicitation, as
sessment, subscriptio or contribution
for any political purpose whatever; or
~ who shall violate section II, which
provides that any person who shall solicit
or receive in any manner whatever con-
tribution of money or other thing of
value for any political purpose whatever;
or (3) who shall violate section Is, which
provides that no officer or employe of
the United States men toned in the
civil service act shall discharge or
promote or in any manner change
the official rank of any officer
or employe, or promise or threaten to do
SO, for giving OR refusing contributions
or a. who shall violate section IL, which
provides that no officer, clerk, or other
person in the ervice of the United States
shall directly or Indirectly hand over to
any person money or other valuable thing
on account of the promotion of any
political purpose whatever, shall be dis
missed from service. It is also provided
that no question in any examination
be so framed as to elicit poiiti-
Cal OF religious opinion or af-
fliation of competitors for place;
and if any appointing or nominating
officer make inquiry concerning,or in any
other way attem Pt TO ascertain the poll
tics or religion of any person VINO has
passed examination or who shall discrini-
mate in favor Of Or against such person
he shall be dismissed. By the general
rules several non-competitive examina-
tions are provided for, and compulsory
examinations for promotion directed.
The compulsory examination provision
as sugg ested by the commission was
amended by the president, who
added the following words: "But persons
in the classified service who were honor
ably discharged from the military service
of the government and widows and or
phans of deceased soldiers and sailors
shall be exempt from such examina-
tions.'' Another important feature of
the general rules gives authority to the
appointing Or nominating officer TO
whom the commissioners may send the
names of persons declared By them to be
eligible to certain place, 20
object in writing to all
or any one of such persons thus
ertified, stating that for reasons to be
particularly specified such persons, or
any of them, are not capable of perform
ing the duties of the vacant place, and
the commissioners are directed to make
certificaton of othes names if the objec-
tiOns are ascertained to be good and well
founded. The general rules also provide
that soldiers and sailors who have been
honorably discharged because of sickness
or wounds, shall be certified for appoint
ment in preference to other persons of q
higher grade in examination, and in
making any reduction Of the force in any
branch of classified service, honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors, and also
| the widows and orphans OF deceased sol
diers and sailors, shall be retained in
preference to others.
DEPARTMENT RULES.
Third-The department rules are
eleven in number. These rules authorize
the classification of various commissions
and independent bureas, as well as de-
partments at Washington, and prescribe
! the examination that must be provided
| to test the fitness for admission to this
branch of the service. They pro-
he
| be appointed without examinations
One private secl etary or one conf
Dental clerk of the head of each CLASH
| fed department and of each assistant
secretary thereof, and also each head Of
a bureau appointed by the president are
| the direct custodians of money for whose
| fidelity another officer is under official
bond; disbursing officers who give bond
! persons employed exclusively in the Sc
cret service of the government;
chief clerks and chiefs OF divisions
The maximum limitation of 10 years Is
abrogated and the minimum Limitation is
raised from Is to 20 years. Soldiers ano
sailors who have claim of preference in
| civil appointments are let in at 65 pei
cent, but in all other cases the minimum
grade of eligibility. has been rails
| ed from IS to 20 per cent
The number of names to be GER
titled to an appointing officer from
which to select for an appointment has
| been reduced from four to three. Trans
| fers are allowed as follows: From one de-
partment TO another; from bureau OF
the treasury department in which bust
ness relating to custom is transacted, to
any classified custom house, and vice
versa; from the postofice department to
any classified postoffice, and vice versa.
CUSTOM RULES