The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-26
LAST FIVE CHAPTERS OF THE
NEW GENERAL CHARTER
BILL.
CITY PLATS AND CONTRACTS,
CIVIL SERVICE, ACTIONS, EVIDENCE
AND MISCELLANEOUS ARE THE
SUBJECTS TREATED.
CLASSIFICATION OF. OFFICES
Provided for and a b laEd of Comm S.
siOners to- Conduct Examinations
for City Positions.

The remaining five chapters of the
general charter bill were handed out
for publication yesterday. The chap
tiers relate to city plats, contracts,
commissioners of civil service, actions
and evidence and miscellaneous.
Title % provides for the city engineer
commissioner Of public works and
president of the assembly, constituting
a plat commission. The engineer is to
be chairman of the commission and
have charge of the records.
Title "a provides that on July 1, in
the year the act becomes operative,
the mayor shall appoint three commits
siOnerS of civil service to hold Office
for one two and three years, and on
July l Of each year after one commits
sioner shall be appointed to hold office
for three years.
Said commissioners may employ a secre-
tary and such examiners and other subordi-
mates as the common council may authorize,
who shall receive such compensation as may
be fixed by the common council. The COM
miss.oners shall prescribe, amend and en-
force regulations for appointments to, and
promo ions in, the civil service OF the city,
and for classifcations and examinations
therein, and for the registration and selec-
ton Of laborers for employment therein But
such regulations or amendments shall not go
into effect without first receiving the ap-
prevail Of the mayor, and the mayor shall at
all times have the power to suspend the
operation thereof. Provided however that no
such regulations shall extend or apply to
members of boards, commissioners or heads
OF departments, nor to any employees of the
treasury department, part of whose duties
1t shall be to handle the monies thereof; nor
to he chief, superintendent, or deputy officer
OF any department, or the chief clerk or any
thereof. assistant
torney, or teacher in the public schools, or
deputy assessor, or city physician. Such reg
ulations shall. among other things provide:
/ First-For the classification of the offices,
places and employments in the civil service
Of the said city.
Second-For examinations, whenever prac-
ticabie, to ascertain the fitness of applicants
for appointment to the civil service of said
city.
All such examinations shall be public No
question in any examination under the rules
established aforesaid shall relate to political
or religious opinions affiliations, and no
appointment or selection to or removal from
an office or employment within the scope Of
the rules established aforesaid shall be in
any manner affected or influenced by such
opinions or affiliations. Such examinations
shall be practical in their character and shall
reate to those matters which fairly test the
relative capacity and fitness, of the persons
examined to discharge the duties of the
pos. ton to which they seek to be appointed.
Such examinations, save in the case of appli-
cam for employment as labOrers, shall be
open competitive examinations, except where,
after the efforts by previous public adver-
tisement, or other effort in case of extraor-
d.nary emergency, competition is found not to
De practicable. The examination of applicants
! Tor employment as laborers shall relate to
their CAPACITY for labor their habits as to
industry and sobriety and the number of
persons dependent upon them for support.
Third-For the filling of vacancies in the
ohces, places and empiOyments in the public
! service which are subject to competitive eX-
animation by selection from among those
graded highest as the result of such examina-
ton.
Fourth-For period of probation before an
appointment or employment is made perma-
nent.
:fh-For promotions in Office on the basis
or ascertained merit and seniority in service
and upon such examination as may be for The
good of the public service.
Title rs provides for the letting of
| contracts, the manner in which bonds
shall be executed and the sureties
thereon. Contracts with the city for
doing city work are not to be assigned
or transferred except by operation of
law and the violation of this shall make
the contract null and void without any
/ act on the part of the city All con-
tracts in which the value shall exceed
! the sum of $500, shall be let to the
| lowest responsible bidder, after bids
shall be advertised for.
Title rs relates to actions and evil
dence, and provides that all suits
against the city for injuries received
| to persons or property by means OF
defects in condition of bridges streets
or sidewalks, shall be commenced with
in one year from the date of the acct
dent Whenever final judgment shall
be recovered against the city, no ex-
ecution shall issue, but the city shall
/ pay the same.
Title q, under the head Of miscella-
neOus, provides for the city engineer
! filing on the first of each month a
! full and itemiZed list showing the
name and residence address of each
person employed on the street and
sewer force of the city, together with
the amount due each and the number
| of days worked. No officer or mem
! Der of any board, or employee. other
! than the city treasurer and his subordi-
| mates, except as in this act provided
| shall collect or receive any money fol
or on behalf of the city