The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-05-12
CIVIL SERVICE EXTENDED.
Important Order by President Cleve-
Iand-Nearly Thirty Thousand Gov
ernment Employees Brought Under
OWL Service Rules.

Almost thirty thousand government
employees have been brought with
one sweep under the protection of the
civil service by the issuance OF an exec
utive order from President Cleveland
making a general provision of the civil
service rules. The order is the most
important since the Inauguration of
the system more than decade ago.
1t takes effect Immediately. Its pratt
cal effect is the classification of all gov
ernment employees below the rank of
those subject to nomination by the
| President and confirmation by the
Senate and above the grades OF laborers
or workmen, with few exceptions.
The order has long been in contempla-
! tion and its PRONUNCIATION is the result
| Of an immense amount Of correspon-
dence and conference between the
| President, the Civil Service Commits
| sioners and the heads of the various
departments.
The new rules add 29,397 positions to
the classified list, increasing the num-
ber of classified positions from 55, 1856
to IS, 1876. The number of classified
places which are excepted from exami
nation has been reduced from 1000 to
IT'S, being mainly positions as cashiers
in the customs, postal and internal
1
in minor capacities in the Indian SER
vice are necessarily put in the excepted
list. Almost all of the positions in
Washington which have hitherto been
excepted have been included in the
competitive. The only classified posi-
tions in Washington which will be eX-
cepted from examination under the
new rules will be private secretaries or
confidentton clerks mot exceeding two)
to the President and the head of
each of the executive departments.
No positions will hereafter be subject
to non-competitive examinations eX
in teaching capacity in the Indian
service.
The revision OF the rules divides the
executive civil service into five braches:
The departmental, custom house, post
Office, government printing and intern
al revenue services.
In the departmental service are
classified all officers and employees,
except persons merely employed as
laborers or workmen and persons who
have been nominated by the Senate,
who are serving in or on detail from !:
The executive department., commits
sions and officers, in the District de-
partment, the railway mail servive, all
pension agencies, steamboat inspection
service, marine hospital service, light
house service, all mints and assay Off
ces, revenue cutter service, force en-
plooyed under opstoGians of public
buildings, several sub-treasuries, and
engineer department at large. EN-
ployees outside of the District of Co.
lumbia not employed in any OF these
capacities also are classified in the de-
partmental service, as follows. Those
serving in clerical capacity, watchman
or messenger, physician, hospital stew
ard or nurse, or whose duties are of q
medical nature, craftsman, cival en-
geneer, steam engineer, electrical en-
gineer, computer, or fireman, superin-
tendent of construction, superinten-
dent Of repair or foreman 10 the supe r.
vising architects Office, and those in
the service of the Treasury Department
In any capacity. except in the life saw
Ing service.
In the custom house service are clas-
sified all officers and employees in any
customs district whose employees num-
ber as many as five, except persons
merely employed as laborers or work
men and persons who have been nomi-
mated for confirmation by the Senate.
In the postoffice service are classified
all officers and employees in, any free
delivery postofiice except persons
, merely employed as laborers or work
men and persons who have been nomi-
mated for confirmation by the Senate.
In the internal revenue service are
classified all Offices and employees in
any internal revenue district, except
/ persons merely employed as laborers
, or workmen and persons who have
been nominated for confirmation by the
; Senate.
The statements explanatory OF the
I order issued by the Civil Service Com
. mission says the action will make the
D classified. service more completely sub
r ject to merit principles and take 1t ou
/, OF politics. Where go large part o
. the service was left to be filed by poll
8 tical influence and when the men ap
I. pointed possibly were active working
o politicians, the rest OF the force tended
A to fall under political influence. The
statement continues:
s THE frat civil service rules were
3 promulgated by President Arthur In
I 1883 La 1893 President CleyelanC
a adopted revision OF them, which wa,
o continued in force, with various suc
a aaad ,,a =, "A N, ,,til a,