The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-07
CLERKS OF THE MAIL CAR
A NEW SERIES OF CIVIL SERVICE
RULES APPROVED.

| The General superintendent and his
Assistant the Only Exemptions-The
Subjects on Which Clerkship Appl-
cants Must Be Examined and the
Averages They Must Attain.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The civil service
commission has prepared and the President
has approved series of rules which are TO
| govern admissions to and changes in the
railway mail service.
Rule one extends these rules to all persons
in the railway mail service except the geu-
eral superintendent and his assistant, CLASH
fie under the provisions of the act of Jan.
l6 1888.
Rule two provides that clerkship exani-
| nations for admission to the service shall
include not more than the following sub
jects: Orthography, reading addresses,
copying penmanship, arithmetic Qunda-
mental rules, fractions, and percentage),
letter-writing and geography of the United
| States, aud especially OF the state or rail
way mail division in which the appli-
! can't resides, and its railway systems. The
| age limitations for examinations are is and
| 35, except as to honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors, having preference
under section 1854 of the Revised Statutes,
who may be examined without regard to
| age.
| Rule three provides that 1.-THE papers of
every examination shall be marked under
the direction of the commission and each
| competitor shall be graded on a scale Of 100,
according to the general average deter
mined by the marks made by tho examln-
ers on his papers.
THE EXAMINING BOARDS.
The commission shall appoint in each
railway mail division as many board of
examiners as 1t may deem necessary for the
| good Of the service and the convenience Of
The applicants; provided, that there shall
| ba at le st one such board in each territory
| and not less than two in each state, except
| that the number may be limited to
one each in the states Of Rhode Island and
| Delaware. These boards shall conduct such
| examinations for admission to and promo
tions in the classified railway mail service,
| and such examinations for other branches
| of the classified service as the commission
| may direct They shall also mark such OK
| animation papers as the commission may
| direct, unless otherwise directed by
the commission, the papers OF examination,
| for admission to the classified railway mail
| service shall be marked by the central
| board at Washington. All persons having
preference as honorably discharged soldiers
or sailors shall be placed upon the eligible
| list when they shall have attained, at such
| examination, a general average OF not less
than sxty-ive, on the basis of 100 as per
| feet Other competitors must have attained
| a general average of not less than 20 and
| a register of eligibles shall be kept for each
state and territory, eligibles from the Dis
| trict of Columbia to be entered upon the
| registers Of the state of Maryland or Vir-
| ginia. The term Of eligibility shall not be
| less than one year, and this term may be
extended in any state or territory if the
| commission finds such extension to be fol-
| the public good.
FILLING OF VACANCIES.
Rule four provides that all vacancies III
the service above class one shall be filled by
| Or motion upon such tests of fitness Gs the
| Postmaster General, with the approval Of
the commission, may prescribe, except that
under certain specified conditions yacanC.
| occurring in g sta or railway mail division
| in any grade may be filed by the transfer
Of a clerk Of the same grade from another
state or division. Vacancies in class
one are to be filled by certitica'ion
| to the general superintendent, upoa
| his request, of three names from
the register Of the state in which the va
caucy exists, having the highest examina-
ton averages. II, however, there are Oh
| the register, tho names of persons having
| the preference right Of an honorably DIS
| charged soldier or sailor, such names shall
| eligibles Of higher grade All appoint
ments shall be made for n probationary
| term of six months, at the end Of which
| time the probationer may be absolutely
appointed Or discharged according to his
record.
| 1t is further provided that there may be
| certified and appointed in each state and
| territory in the manner stated above such a
number Of substitute clerks, not exceeding
| the ratio Of one substitute to twenty clerks,
| as the Postmaster General may authorize,
| and any vacancies occurring in class one in
any state shall be filled by such substitutes
| In the order of their appointment as such,
and the time actually employed by them
shall bo counted as part Of the probation.
RIGHT OF TRANSFER
Rule authorizes, upon the requisition Of
the Postmaster General and under certain
other specified conditions, transfers from
the classified railway mail service to any
| classified post Office and rice Uersd, and
from tho railway mail service to tho post
| office department and rice Uersd.
Rule reads as follows;
| Upon requisitiOn OF the postmaster general
the commission shalt certify for reinstatement in
grade or class no higher than that In whicn he
| was formerly employed any person who, within
| one year next preceding the date of the requsi-
| ton has, through no delinquency or miscon-
| duct, b-en separated from the classified rall-
| way mail service
| Rule prescrloes that the general super
intendent Of the railway mail service snail
Immediately report 10 the commission every
change made in the service by appointment,
| promotion, discharge, etc.
| Two important features Of these rules are
| that reasons are required for every refusal
10 mako an absolute appointment, and
| that for every separation from the
service the cause Of such separation must
| be reported 10 the commission. Reasons
for removals. ETC., have not hitherto been
required. These rules were prepared by
! Commissioner Lyman, and we're signed by
! himself and Commissioner Edgerton.
SPLIT OF THE KNIGHTS.