Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-01
The Ten Thousand War Department
Clerks Classified.
THE PRESIDENTS ORDER CARRIED OUT
Effect of the New Rule as to
Various Places.
CIVIL SERVICE PROGRESS

The classification of over 1a.e0o employees
| of the War Department is now completed
and will be put into effect at once. This
classification has been effected I'm pursu-
ance of the Presidents order of May O.
| The number of employees of that depart
| ment within the scope Of the civil service
| law previous TO this new classification was
less than 1000, SO that the increase is moro
| than five times the number heretofore un-
| der that service.
| Every employe of the Secretary's office
| has been placed under the civil service law
with the exception Of two confidential
clerks. This includes messengers and la
| borers of all kinds. There are not more
| than dozen laborers employed by the de-
| partment in this city who are not within
the CLASSIFIED service, The President has
ruled that wherever the work Of a laborer
requires any degree of intelligence beyond
| the mere carrying of wood or labor that
would be regarded as solely manual the
| laborer should be placed under the civil
| service law. With this new classification
In effect the Secretary of War will have
| the control of practically no patronage
| within his department, as whenever he has
! need of a laborer, skilled mechanic or
clerk, he Will make requisition on The
civil service commission to be supplied with
scme one 10 perform the work.
Scope of Ii.
OF the number placed under the scope
| of the civil service law, of course :he
| greater part are employed outside of this
| city, 5000 of them being employed under
| the chief of engineers and scattered over
| the country wherever the Improvement
of rivers and harbors is being prosecu ed
| by the government. Ii includes the men
so engaged on The Potomac flats, and those
employed will he glad TO learn that the
classification has been made so that men
employed only during the summer do not
have 10 again enter The service through
the civil service commission. after having
been furloughed during the winter season.
These men are kept on The rolls under tho
present ruling, and do not cease to be EN-
| ployes of the government because they are
| rot kept continuously at work. They may
| be so continued on the rolls while furlough-
| ed for a year before getting ont of the SER
vice, that they can again enter only
through an examination by The civil service
| commission.
| La6orers Included.
All the men employed in the care and i'm
provement OF public parks under Col. VIII
son are placed under the civil serv ice by
| the new classification, and are as thorough
| ly protected from the pressure that might
| be brought 10 bear on their superior Off
GERS by influential Senators and Represen-
taliNes as II they Were doing clerical work
Employees throughout tho War Depart
ment are eratiied at the prospect of being
shielded from men who might bring in
nuence TO bear to secure their places their
only lear being that a change of admins
ratlon might result in a revocation of the
Presidents order. This classification being
| made by order of the President, another
| President could revoke it without IN, ne
| cessity OF congressional action 1t is said
tnat majority of the employees in the
war department are republicans, so that
| the clalm OF uniairness through fixing the
! political complexion of the personnel of
| that department before extending the pro-
| lection OF the civil service law over il cam
| not be made