Evening star., 1897-05-05
Civil Service Commissioner Proctor on
the Requirements for Examination.
CLAIMS THAr LAWS DO NOT CONFLICT
Opinion by the Attorney General is
Desired.
THE CASE ISCUSS SED

WOulu UG Cdleu upOH u pass upOH tHe
| validity of the civil service law as applied
| to the government printing office has ere
| ated feeling of uncertainty among the
employees of the big printing establishment.
1t has also stirred up the civil service COM
mission, and while the public printer and
many other republicans antagonistic to the
| idea of applying the civil service law to
the government printing office believe that
| such application is Illegal, the commits
| sion is firmly of the opinion that
| the facts in the case will show that the
government printing Office is properly
placed within the classified service and
| that 1t will stay So
| The public printer and others, however
will not be satisfied that it is proper to
apply the law to the government printing
| Office until an opinion has been rendered
| by the Attorney General A Star reporter
today asked Mr.. Proctor. president of the
| civil service commission, to give his opin-
| ion about the proper Interpretation of the
| civil service law as applied to this branch
| Of the government. Commissioner Proctor
said:
Commissioned PrOcter's View.
while the law provides that the public
printer shall test the qualifications of en-
ployes in his department in a practical
way. know nothing that indicates that
they are not to be first tested by an ex-
animation under the civil service COM
| mission. Section 1853 of the Revised Stat
utes, provides that the President is author
| lied to prescribe such regulations for the
admission OF persons into the civil service
OF the United States as may best promote
| the efficiency thereof, and ascertain the fit
| ness of each candidate in respect to age
| health. character, knowledge and ability
| for the branch of service into which he
| seeks to enter; and for this purpese he
4 emnlOv 10
| such inquiries, and may prescribe their du-
ties, and establish regulations for the coma
duct of persons who may receive appoint
ments in the civil service
| by this provision the President of the
United States is authorized to prescribe
| regulations for admission to any position
In any part of the civil service, without
exception or Limitation. The civil service
| act goes further, and in section provides:
| Nor shall any officer not in the execu-
| tive branch of the government, or any per-
| son merely employed a laborer or work
| man. be required to be classified hereunder;
| nor, unless by direction of the Senate shall
| any person who has been nominated for
| confirmation by the Senate be required to
be classified or to pass examinati tion.'
| THE civil service act conferred the gem
| eral authority to extend its provisions,
| which is shown by a part of section 6,
paragraph 3, which provides:
| :" That from time to time each
| head of an office SHALL on the direction of
the President, respectively revise any
! then existing classification or arrangement
| of those in their respective offices, and
shall. for the purposes of the examination
! herein provided for, include in one mere
of such classes, so far as practicable. sub
| ordinate places. clerks and officers in
| the public service pertaining to their re-
spective departments not before classified
for examination
THE President extended the provisions of
the civil service act and rules to the gov
| ernment printing office June II, 1895
| under the following prornulgatng order:
In the exercise of the power vested in
| him by the Constitution by the 1,153d sec
ton of the Revised Statutes and the act
| entitled IAN act to regulate and improve
\ the civil service of the United States,' ap-
| proved January 16, 1883. the President here
| by makes and promulgates the following
| rules concerning the classified service of the
| government printing office, to be known as
the government printing office rules
The Laws Not Conflicting.
| Il cannot see that the act providing for
public printing. and which prescribes GER
tain duties of the public printer, affects in
| any way the operation of the civil service
act or rules The provisions CT section 45
of the act providing for public printing
| and those of the civil service act and rules
| both prescribe conditions of employment In
| the government printing office, but these
| conditions do not conflict. The first pro-
vides that 1t shall be the duty of the
public printer to employ workmen who are
thoroughly skilled in their respective
branches of industry, shown by trial of
| their skill under his direction While that
| provision Is made, the general requirement
| of the civil service law is that no person
| shall be employed in a classified position
| IN the government printing office until he
! has passed a suitable eXamina ton pro-
vided by the civil service commission There
| Is no conflict between those provisions
Section of the civil service act provides
| that there shall be period of probation
before any absolute appointment or en-
| ployment,' and rule 8 of section provides
| that "A person selected for appointment
shall receive from the appointing
| officer a certificate of appointment for a
| probationary period of six months, at the
| end Of which period, If the conduct and ca
| pacfty Of the probatiorer are satisfactory
| to the appointing officer his retention in
| the service shall be equivalent to his abso-
I Lutte appointment; but If his conduct or ca
| pecity be not satisfactory. he shall be noti-
| fed by the appointing officer that he will
| not receive absolute appointment, because
or such unsatisfactory conduct or want of
| capacity, and such notification shall dis
| charge him from the service
| The regulations of the commission pro-
| vide that Applicants for employment in
| any of the mechanical trades or skilled oc-
| cupations who pass an examination and re-
| ceive appointment will be given a practical
| trial when they report for duty, and will
| be liable to immediate discharge If found
| not to possess the requisite skill or abik
| ity.'" ava