The evening times., 1896-12-05
new POSITIONS IN DOUBT
Are They to Be Filled From Civil
Service Rolls
IN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Mr.. Spofford and the Commission
Attorney General May Decide.
Architects Office Comes Under
the Rules.

The extension of civil service rules to
new places has worked SO easily and OF
| late SO rapidly that while by general lm-
preston nearly everything in this CITY is
under these rules and their protection there
are a great many positions especially around
the Capitol, that are considered good things
in the gift of Congressman.
The order of President Cleveland on May
last was SO sweeping that eventhe commits
sion officials were over six months in find
ing out all they have To deal withandseveral
questions are still unsettled. Among these
are the problems Of appointing the force
under the reorganization OF the Library Of
Congress, as it goesinto il S new building, and
the naming OF bailiffs and some other en-
ployes in the District courts.
When ali extension OF the rules is an
nounced II is the part OF the heads or the
departments to send in to the commission
the names OF The employees VINO are taken
from the excepted list. If for any reason
the civil service commissioners :hink any
mistake has been III ade or any employe or
class OF employees has been omitted from
The list they noufy the Secretary who had
the names made up. If he disagrees with
their opinion and thinks they are claiming
more ground than the order justirics the
matter is referred to the Attorney General.
THE ARCHITECTS FORCE.
Among the Capitol employees who come
under the rules is considerable number
who are usually named by the architect,
Mr.. Edward Clark. These have heretofore
been appointed upon the suggestion of men,
bers without civil service examination.
After the order of May Mr.. Clark ac
quiesced at once in the view of the commits
sion, that these employees should be drawn
frnIn tnp Isis of who had nrnyp1 fhpir
eligibility for government service by eX-
animation. He has made one or two
requisitions upon the department in ILL
ing places.
When the commission sent n note to Mr..
Spofford, pointing out that positions in the
library were really executive off ces,
and not legislative. and SO ought TO be
filled from the civil service lists, he re-
Piled that he Thought they were in error.
The same response came from Marshal
Wilson, who considers that his men are in
the judicial branch of the government, not
the executive, aud SO are not under the
new rules.
once referred to the Attorney General,
and a reply from him is still awaited
In the matter OF the Library force, it
was tn ken into consideration that the whole
subject is to be before Congress at once
and any adjustment would be only tenn
pOrary. therefore the question was not
sent to the Attorney General.
Representative Quicg of the Library
Committee said the other day that Congress
would not want to turn the Library ap-
pointments over TO the Civil Service Com
mission, neither would they leave them as
a matter of barter betw members Some
method of selection similar to the civil
service examination would he thought, be
adopted finally.
WILL BE SETTLED INMARCH.
In the meantime, Congressman generally
continue to send their protegcs to Mr.
SpOfford with applications. They think
the appointments in the new Library will
be made by the librarian at their sugges-
ton, just as they have been made in the
old Library.
With the hurry of the short session, il
may happen that no change can be agreed
upon at present. In that case the Civil Ser
vice Com ission is sure to step in with the
claim that under the present law the who'll,
situation has already been altered by
President Cleveland's order, and all per
sons in the library except the librarian and
one or two new officials, who will be in
the Presidential class, must be drawn from
their lists, tie highest three names to be
certified each time. Upon this they will go
tothe Attorney General flor a decision And
it will be Il new Attorney General.
The question is not likely TO come up
much before the books are moved in March
On the other hand, ii cannot be delayed
after that time, as great addition to the
Librarians force is required to handle the
work in the new quarters.
Another class of public servants who have
just been put under the rule without its
coming to general notice are members of
the boards or pension surgeons, whose pay
is over $500 a year. These are usually
located in large cities, andin some cases an
appointment is the making Of a Young
physician. The pay is 81 for the first five
cases and 81 for each additional case and
the total frequently runs into the thou
sands. added to this is the prestige
In consequence there are many '1ul-
cants. The places have heretofore ,s,cn
given to congressman without examination