The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-02
CIVIL SERVICE RULES
Mayors Cabinet Puts Machinery
in Motion to Get Them.
Garbage, Pest House and City Finances
Discussed-C0uncil Committee and
GrOcers' Demands.

called TO order at s O'Clock, and the tower
clock was upon the verge OF striking II
before the doors swung open and the re-
porters We're admitted. City Attorney
Scott then detailed to them the action de-
cided upon in regard to such measures as
final action was taken upon.
The meeting was started openly, and
Mayor Denny read the following address:
"Gentlemen-In converting this first for
NAL meeting of the heads Of departments
under the provisions of the charter / beg
leave to submit a few suggestions by way
are required by law 10 consider and deter
mine: AS / stated to you at the Informal
meeting. held Oct 81. no records of any
description were turned over TO me by
the outgoing administration. We must.
therefore. make our own precedents. Let
us be careful not to establish any bad
written reports shall be made by any of
you to these monthly meetings, except
when called for in advance by the Mayor.
IL viii not be out Of place, however, for
you TO do so at any time. The statute
seems to contemplate monthly meetings
for The purpose of consulting and ad-
vising together upon the affairs of the
CITY," Matters may thus be brought be-
fore the conference for consideration, as
INFER, either by verbal announcement, by
memorandum in writing or upon a writ
ten report concerning any matter about
which advice is sought.
Annual reports were made by our pre-
decessors for the years 1891 and 1892. These
reports were each submitted to the Mayor
at the beginning of the new year and cover
the full calendar year Just ended. 1 see
no reason for changing this precedent,
and will. therefore. call upon each OF you
several departments for the year to end
on the 3lst inst, the same to be presented
not convene prior to the second week of
that month, thus giving ample time TO
have such reports ready for submission.
IL Is hoped that the records have been SO
kept that none of you will have any SER
ious trouble in preparing a true and sat
isfactory report OF the years business;
a short experience in the work yourselves.
L trust that each Of you will at once be,
gin to give thought to the scope and final
preparation of these reports.
Section As of the charter provides that
we shall adopt rules and regulations Tor
the administration OF the anairS or the
city departments not Inconsistent with any
law or ordinance, which regulations shall
we1Snd 81 osc e1ininGn ~ GONNA "a tive
fitness of applicants for Office. position
and promotion, and of selecting. appoint
fitted except in the department of Public
Safety, without regard to political opin-
ions and services. Then Section As pro-
vides that each department. shall have
power TO prescribe rules and regulations
not Inconsistent with any statute, or or
dinance, or regulation established pursuant
| to Section 45 for its own government, reg
! ulating the conduct of it's officers, clerks
and employees, the distribution and per-
| 1OrmanCe OF us business, etc. AlSO, ludl
the officer or officers at the head OF any
department may appoint and remove any
| OF his or their clerks and assistants, sub
1ect to any regulations ADOPTED pursuant
to Section 49, etc.
81 nave given some thought to this civil
| service feature of the charter since our last
| your individual consideration OF the SUB
ject. 1 find from an examination OF the
| rules and reports of the Civil-service Com
| missioners of New York and Massachusetts
| tfat each of said States has an exhaustive
| code of laws as a basis for its rules. In
| deed, the statutes enacted by the respective
| Legislatures of those States practically fix
the requirements to be imposed by the
rules, all Of which are promulgated and
| carried into execution by civil-service COM
missioners. Having no such laws to guide
| us, and no such machinery TO put IN opera
ton the civil service apparently contem,
| plated by our charter, We are simply called
| upon to do the best We can, with the light
and the law before us. to carry out the
spirit of the brief provisions above quoted.
| L recommend the appointment of a commit
tee TO prepare and present a code or rules
for consideration at the January confer
| Ell ce.
LET me. before closing, call your atten-
| ton to the fact that the strictest economy
| must be practiced by every department. and
| along every line. A number of useless po-
\ sitions have been abolished. feel sure
there arc some more, upon proper inVesu-
| cation, that can be abolished temporarily,
| at least No time should be lost IN making
such Investigations.
some salaries were increased by the pre-
vious administration in an irregular man
| ever the amounts fixed are fair and equita-
| bic. proper proceedings should now be had
| to legalize what has been done to put such
| salaries on a proper basis for the future.
/ am persuaded, also, that there are a few
/ salaries, at least, that have been unduly
Increased. These should be restored TO the
original amounts. You will, no doubt, be
| called on, at an early day, to confer with
a committee of the Council having these
matters in hand, in so far as they affect
II arnnlnVac in ynur GoUoral 6QnQrfmanfG Il
ask you to kindly assist the Council in re-
arranging and equaliZing the salary lists
and equitable basis, keeping in view the
lamentable condition OF the treasury, the
economies in public expenditures to which
this administrator is pledged. and the nee
essarily increased salary account of the
with the old.
Il trust L may not again feel that it is
necessary for me to refer TO these general
questions of economy during my term of
office. / have confidence that all of you
gentlemen Will assist me and each other in
practicing economy along every line and 10
the fullest degree consistent with the pub
lie service and good government Only by
so doing can We conduct the city'S affairs
creditably to ourselves and justly to the
people"
At the conclusion Of the address he an
nounced that as the cabinet meetings were
intended for the Informal discussion of mat
ters pertaining to the various departments
there had been arranged no set order for
calling upon the heads of departments for
their reports. and if it was not desired
that any specified order should be pursued
he would call upon them in the order In
which they were enumerated in the city
charter. In pursuance of this course, he
first called upon Controller Trusler, as the
head of the department of finance. Mr.
Trusler arose, and. glancing at the table
where the reporters sat, said he thought
it would be more conducive to freedom Of
speech OF those present if they could fee
assured that everything they said was no
TO be published. He said that, while HI
was perfectly willing for the public Il
know just what he was doing in his office
would like TO sugges which he did not care
TO have published to the public as vet.
The Mayor then asked for reports or sug
gestions,l II any person present had anything
TO say which they were willing should b,
made public He called upon the Board O
Public Safety, and received no response, no
had the Board of Public Works anything
TO say in the presence OF the reporters. DIR
Stillson, OF the Board OF Health, was calle<
upon. and had something TO say. but no
while the reporters were in the room, am
they were asked to retire.
After the meeting adjourned IL wa
learned that among other things DR.. Stillsol
recommended the establishment Of a new
p~esthouse. The cabinet passed a resolution
declaring IL the sense OF the meeting tha
the County Commissioners be requested 4
at once provide a suitable building upon tn
poor farm grounds for the accommodation
OF persons afflicted with CONTAGIOUS dis
80 NJ a. t. 49, So 8