The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-08
CIVIL SERVICE AMENDMENTS
SOME IMPORTANT PROVISIONS
ARE APPROVED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
GOOD CHARACTER AND FAITHFUL
WORK TO FIGURE IN Pro
MOTIONS.

WASHINGTON, March THE President
has approved sundry amendments of the
civil service rules. These amendments
were largely formal and were made neces-
sary in consequence of the recent extern
sion of the classification in the depart
mental service to include messengers, as
sistant messengers and watchmen and
classification of the internal revenue SER
vice. One of the amendments gives the
Civil Service Commission authority in its
discretion to reject the application or to
refuse the certifcation of an applicant who
has been guilty of a crime or of infamous
or VIGOROUSLY disgraceful conduct. Prior
to this amendment the commission only
had the power with reference to certifica-
ton in such cases.
Age limitations have been prescribed for
the new classes brought within the CLASH
fed service by the recent extension. These
limits are for messengers or assistant mes
sengers not under IS; for page or mes
senger-boy not under IA nor over Is years
of age.
A further amendment provides for trans
fers from the internal revenue service to a
bureau in the Treasury Department in
which business relating to the internal
revenue is transacted and from such a
bureau to the internal revenue service, this
amendment being in all respects similar to
the provision now existing with reference
to transfers from the customs service to
the Treasury Department, and from the
department to the customs service A
proviso has been added which authorizes
transfers from one department in Wash
ington to another without examination
This amendment has been made in view of
the fact that the service law has now been
in operation in departmental service more
than eleven years, and that large proper
ton OF the employees now in these depart
ments have entered the service through
the civil service examinations, and the
further fact that those who have not been
SO appointed have had long experience
and have acquired valuable knowl-
edge not only of the business
of the department in which they
are employed, but of the public service
generally. In view of these considerations,
it was believed the time had come when
transfers from one department to another,
where the transfer is to be to place and
class of duties similar to those performed
in the department from which the trans
fer is made, might be without examina-
ton and without detriment to the public
interest. A further amendment to the
rules provides that persons appointed as
messengers, assistant messengers, watch
men or in any other subordinate capacity
below the position of clerk and copyist,
may be transferred after completing the
probation of six months, if not debarred
by age limitations, to any other like SUBJ
ordinate positions. But they may not be
promoted to the position of clerk or copy
ist, or to any place the duties of which are
clerical. An exception is made with re-
gard to printers assistants in the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving, who are only
eligible to transfer to the grade of opera
tives in that bureau.