The record-union., 1896-05-07
CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
THE PRESIDENT SIGNS THE EX-
TENDED PROVISIONS.
An Increase of Thirty Thousand Gov
ernment Employees Affected by
the New Rules.

WASHINGTON, May 6.-The Presi-
ident by his signature to-day extended
the provisions of the civil service law TO
$4,000 Government employees, increas-
ing the number of positions on the class
ified list from %, 1856 to 50, 135, and with
a few minor exceptions between the
extremes of officials whose confirmation
by the Senate is cOnStitutionally re-
Quired, down to mere laborers and
workmen, Governmental appointments
are Withdrawn as far as possible fro q
political influence and protected in their
tenure of office by the merit system.
The Presidents signature at IL o'clock
this morning canceling all foImer Cr-
ders issued and substituting the new
rules was Immediately filed in the State
Department and went into effect at
once, thus fOrestalling any possible ac-
ton throughout the country by appoint
ing officials or transferring employees
or in any other way eVading the rules
before being formally notified of them.
From the moment Of its sigma ture the
new order made all Government Off
cials directly responsible to the Com
mission for appointments and changes
To-day's revision of the rules divides
the executive civil service into five
branches as follows: The departmental
service, the Custom house service, the
PoStoftice service, the Government
printing service and the internal reve~
nue. service
In the departmental service are classi-
fed all officers and employees (eXceoc
laborers and persons who have been
firr in he
eral executive departments, the COM
missions, the District of Columbia, the
railway service, Indian service, pen
sion agencies, steamboat inspection SER
vice, marine hospital service mints ana
assay offices, revenue cutter service,
sub-Treasury and engineer depart
ments and the forces employed by GUS
todians of public buildings. The only
exception made in the Treasury Depart
ment is in favor of those in the life
saving service.
In the Custom-house service are
classified all officers and employees III
any customs district whose employees
number as many as five.
In the Postoffice service are classified
all officers and employees in any free de-
livery Postoffice.
In the internal revenue service are
classified all officers and employees in
every internal revenue district, EXCEPT
of course, as in the other cases, mere
laborers.
The number of classified places ex-
empted from examination has been re-
duced from 2,099 to 715, which are
mainly positions of cashiers in the Gus
toms, Postal and internal revenue SER
vice. Indians employed in minor capaci-
ties in the Indian service are necessa-
rily put in the excepted list
Almost all of the positions in Wash
ington which have heretofore been ex-
cepted have been included in the COM
petitive list The only classified posi-
tlons in Washington which will be ex-
empted from examination under the
new rules will be private secretaries or
confidential clerks mot exceeding two)
to the President and the head of eacn
of the eight executive departments. No
positions will hereafter be excepted 20
non competitive examinations except
of Indians employed in teaching Indian
children.