New-York tribune., 1897-07-29
A SETBACK FOR SPOILSMEN
IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE IN CIVIL
SERVICE RULES.
REMOVALS. EXCEPT FOR CAUSE AND AFTER
HEARING FORBIDDEN ny THE PRESIDENT
EMPLOYEES AT sIXyY-FIvE MORE
CISTOM HOUSES PIT IN THE

HEARING. FORBIDDEN ny THE PhEsiDTNA
-EMpLoYEs AT sIxyY-FIvE MORE
CUSTOM HOUSES PIT IN THE
CLASSIFIED SERVICE.
Washington, July 2S.-President Mckinley mas
promulgated the following important amehd-
ment to Civil Service Rule II:
No removal shall be made from any position
subject to competitive examination except ior
just cause and upon written charges nled WIN
the head of the Department or other aPPoil''itE it
officer and Of which the accused snail have fuli
notice and an opportunity to make edefence.
He has also amended Rule III so as to include
within the classified service the employees OF all
custom houses. without regard to the number on
employees. Hitherto the classification embraced
customs offices where the number OF employees
was five or more. This order brings into the
classified service siSty-fve hitherto unclassifed
customs offices.
The President has also amended Rule W. max
Ing exceptions to examinations so as to read
as follows:
Custom House Service.-One cashier in each
customs district one chief principal deputy
or assistant collector in each customs district
one principal deputy collector at each support OF
station :,
| Internal Revenue Service.-One empioye IN
each Internal Revenue district. who shall
act as cashier or chief deputy or or rsesrr
! Departments one deputy collector in each In
ternal Revenue district where the number oi en-
poyes in the office of the collector exceeds Tour;
one deputy collector in each stamp Tor prahcW
Office. -,
| Appointments for places named in this rule
in the Custom House Service ana IN tne ih'erhai
Pevenue Service shall he subject tn an eXainina-
ton To he prescribed 10y the Secretary or tne
Treasury not disapproved by the Comnissioh'
equal to the examination held ny the Nol',id,s ,n
sion for places of like grade. Such examinations
shall he conducted by the Commission In accord
ance with the regulations.
MIR. VANDERBILT on THE CHANGES.
Assistant Secretary Vanderlip. in speaking OF
the amendments. said: These amendments 10
the Civil Service rules which the President mas
signed are the most distinct step forward that
! have been made in the Civil Service regulations
since the passage of the original law. UP 10 the
| present time nearly all the regulations nave
been aimed at throwing safeguards around the
| method OF entry into the service There mas
been almost nothing left toward the enforce
ment Of the spirit of Civil Service Reform WIN
in The service itself. Many prominent Civil SER
vice Reformers believe that regulations ehlorc-
| ing proper observance Of the spirit OF NNii
| Service Reform within the service would pe OF
| much greater Importance than an! tnihs tIa' no
corId he formulated in regard to the entry into
the service itself. and it is in this direction the
| amendments which have just peeh s's"e" ~
! the President are aimed. r ,,,
complaint that people in the service could DE
dismissed or reduced without any d"inlte
charge being made and without giving the pc
son concerned any opportunity 70 max. a ae-
fence That has proved the weakesi POM III a sl'r
whole Civil Service system In the fostoi"Ce
! Department steps were taken three years ago u
remedy this defect. ruling being mace ID!
/ Postmaster-Gen Bssell TO the erect tnat
I here would be no dismssas from the carrier
force except upon written charges, anu a. a.
! the carrier had an opportunity TO make DE-
| fence 1t has been believed that the fuIihs
worked the greatest good in the service anu
removed the carriers from parlisar @ I'M r,,t in
! more than any other rule that had peen put III
| force I'm regard to the Postofiice Departmeht:
| THE Civil Service Reformers, notably the
| National Civil Service Reform Association. nave
! long been contending that while the IoWrr ~
removal must rest absolutely with the heads W ,,'
| the Departments. still no more important iiou'
6cation To the present civil service ru.es cou'u
he made than TO throw such safeguards around
removals as would guard against the removals
Of efficient persons for partisan reasons. re re
| rev ruling by ~ means lessons inc cohtroi ~
the head OF the Department over the personnel;
| Suspensions may be made to take enect' anu
removals can always be made whenever tne
! head of the Department II Sa''7iUu 'i' ~
Another distinct step forward at is taken arr in
| the customs service. All customs plIio,ls =;
| nv the order Just signed, placed In the classinch
service There were under President Cleveland
| order sixty-fve port. where the NUMBER ol
classified service. All the employees of those
| sixty-lve ports are by this order embraced III
! the classified service. with the exception OF
deputy and a cashier at the principal ports anu
OF one deputy at each sub-port or station.
The plan Of the extension, when was iMSrInu M
| ,o ted Nv secretary Gage and Assistant Secre-
| tarv Vanderlip has the unqualified and hearty
Endorsement of the Civil Service COMMISSION,
| who earnestly recommended to the President
| ita annroyaL In speaking Of the amendment
| President Proctor. Of the Commission. said that
| the friends OF Civil Service Reform everywhere
could congratulate themselves on tnls mos
| imnortant advance Of the cause. The commas
sion in its last annual report had SAID tha' gov
ernment officers should have the power OF re-
mOval for proper reasons