The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-08
President Cleveland Has Elk
tended It's Scope.
A SWEEPING ORDER ISSUED
Nearly Thirty Thousand Places
Added to the List
ONLY IT'S NOW UNPROTECTED
All Positions of Consequence IN wash
ington Put Under the Protec-
ton of the Civil Ser
vice Rules.

employees were brought with one
sweep under the protection of the civil
service yesterday by the issuance CT an
order by President Cleveland, foreshad-
owed in the Post some weeks ago, MAX
ing a general revision OF the civil ser
vice rules.
Ipe order IS the most important
since the Inauguration of the system
more than a decade ago. 1t takes effect
Immediately. It's practical extent IS
the classification of all government en-
ployees below the rank Of those sub.
iect to nomination by the President
and confirmation by the Senate and
above the grades OF laborer and work
men, with few exceptions. The order
has long been in contemplation. and
its PRONUNCIATION is the result OF an
immense amount of correspondence
and conference between the President,
the Civil Service Commissioners, and
the heads of the various departments.
The new rules add 29,399 positions
to the classified list, increasing the
number of classified positions from 55,-
736 to S5,135. The number of classified
places which are excepted from exami-
nation has been reduced from 2,099 TO
IT'S, being mainly positions as cashiers
in the customs, postal and internal rev.
enue services. Indians employed in
minor capacities in the Indian service
are necessarily put in the excepted list.
IN THE COMPETITIVE LIST.
Almost all the positions in Washing
ton which have hitherto been excepted
have been included in the competitive
list. The only classified positions in
Washington which will be excepted
from examination under the new rules
will be private secretaries of confiden-
tial clerks (not exceeding two) to the
President, and to the head of each of
the eight executive departments.
No positions viii hereafter be sub
iect to non-competitive examination,
except in the cases of Indians employ
ed in a teaching capacity in the Indian
service.
The revision of the rules divides the
executive civil service into five branch
es-the departmental, custom house,
postoffice, government printing, and
internal revenue services.
In the department services are class
fled all officers and employees, except
persons merely employed as laborers
or workmen, and persons who have
been nominated for confirmation by
the Senate, who are serving in or on
detail from the executive depart
ments, commissioners, and officers, in
the District of Columbia, the railway
mail service, Indian service, all PEN
sion agencies, steamboat inspection
service, marine hospital service, light
house service, all minis and assay of
fees, revenue cutter service, force EN-
ployed under custodians of public
buildings, several sub-treasuries, and
engineer department at large.
OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON.
Employees outside of the District of
Columbia not employed in any of these
capacities also are classified in the
departmental service, as follows:
Those serving in clerical capacity,
Waterman or messenger, physician,
hospital steward, or nurse, or whose
duties are of medical nature; drafts
man, civil engineer, steam engineer,
electrical engineer, computer, or fire.
man; superintendent of construction,
superintendent of repair, or foreman,
in the Supervising Architects office;
and those in the service of the Treas
ury Department in any capacity, ex-
cept in the life saving service.
In the custom house service are
classified all officers and employees in
any custom district, whose employees
number as many as five, except per-
sons merely employed as laborers or
workmen, and persons who have been
nominated for confirmation by the
Senate.
In the postofice service are CLASH
fed all officers and employees in any
free delivery postoffice, except persons
merely employed as laborers or work
men, and persons who have been nom
mate for confirmation by the Senate.
In the Internal Revenue Service are
classified all officers and employees in
any internal revenue district except
persons merely employed as laboref>
or workmen and persons who have
been nominated for confirmation by
the Senate.
SUBJEST TO MERIT PRINCIPLES.
The statement explanatory Of the
order issued by the Civil Service Com
mission says the action will make the
classified service more completely sub
iect to merit principles and take it out
of politics. Where so large part of
the service was left to be filled by
political influences and when the men
appointed possibly were active work
ing politicians the rest of the force
tended to fall under political infiu-
ences. The statement continues:
"The first civil service rules We're
promulgated by President Arthur in
1883. In 1888 Pres dent Cleveland a
dopted revision of them, which was
continued in force, with various sue
ceeding amendments, until now.
These involved repetition for each of
the branches of the classified service
of provisions common to ALL When
the classified service was small
this plan worked well, but
row the service has grown to large
proportions and there are seven
branches. The repetition now is n
voided by putting the common proyi-