New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-06
NEW CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
PROMULGATED BY MAYOR VAN WICK
YESTERDAY. r

wo-r sraMr1-rpp TO THE sTATD BOARD FOH Mr.
pRovAr,-rHr COURTS MAY BE APPEALED ~
rn. r.w ru,es and regulations adopted oy the
local Ciyi, Service Commissioners we're sisheu
and promulgated BY Mayor Van WICK yes'e'
day at noon They were not submitted 10 INC
State Civil Service Board and II Is eApeo'eu
that the Civil Service Reform Association WI"
seek to have the courts declare the F"les III
valid without the approval OF the state Doaiu
The secretary Of the association yesterday sei'
to Controller Coler a long list OF once -hoioers'
declaring that they had been appointed IN con-
travention Of the Civil Service law and warn
ing him not 10 pay their salaries. Inc Ooh-
trol!er may decide not to pay tho salaries un-
less he is ordered to do so by the courts. or ne
may be sued for the amount Of the salaries II
he pays them.
Under the new rules which no promulgated
yesterday the Mayor appointed ". d. MoFsy-
nolds his confidential stenographer This was
the first appointment under the rules. Inc
Mayor thus set the example for other Tammahy
onrcials. declaring his belief that the charter
had made the approval Of the State Civil ser
vice Board unnecessary. Charles H. Knox. the
president Of the local Civil Service Board. said
II was evident that the charter made the local
also said he had consulted with Corporation
Counsel Whalen The Corporation Counsel
however. would make no statement to news
paper men on the subject, and 1t was ascer-
tanned that he had not given a formal opinion
TO the local Board.
The new rules and regulations are elaborate
and Ill pamphlet OF seventy -seven printed
pages They provide for appointments and pro-
oh n q
practicable. shall be competitive; for the dis
missal Of any official who shall disobey them.
and for the manner Of conducting the examina-
lions and they arrange In schedules the differ
ent employees.
Schedule A includes all places not subject to
competitive examination: Schedule B, clerks.
skilled laborers. etc: Schedule c. the uniformed
force Of the Police and Fire Departments:
Schedule D. experts: Schedule E. physicians,
nurses. etc. Schedule F. stenographers and
typewriters. and Schedule G. laborers and day
workmen.
The rules provide for the appointment OF ex-
amners and a secretary and define their duties.
The appointing Commissioners must certify TO
the pay rolls before they can be passed. Places
in Schedule A are filed without examination.
and vacancies In the other schedules shall be
highest in open competitive examination. and
for places In B. c, D. f and no non-competi-
tive examination shall be allowed.
The rules define the statements to be made
on application for appointment and prescribe
the method of examinations The examinations
shall be in writing. except such refer to ex-
pertness or physical qualities and where there
Is an oral examination a stenographic account
Of the questions and answers must be kept, and
10 questions shall relate to the politics
ligion Of the applicant. No applicant for clerk.
policeman fireman who receives less than so
per cent. or for any other position less than 70
per cent. shall be put on the eligible list. In
graded positions candidates must receive at least
SIS per cent.
IN CASE OF A VACANCY.
When a vacancy occurs the appointing power
makes requisition on the secretary OF the Civil
Service Board who certfes the three highest
names on the eligible list. and the vacancy must
he filled by the appointment OF one OF them. II
there Is more than one vacancy the secretary
of the Civil Service Board eertifes many
names as there are vacancies to be filed, with
the addition Of two names for the first vacancy
and one name for every two vacancies after the
first. The vacancies must be filed within IF
teen days after the names are certified. All ap-
pointments except those OF the laborers shall be
published in The City Record and temporary
appointments for thirty days can be made. A
person who has held any office in the city gov
ernment and who has left 1t without fault or
delinquency on his part may be re-employed
within three years without further examination
No person Is under obligation TO contribute to a
political fund. The questions to be answered to
the physical examiner are given
Dare aa labOrer6
register with the labor clerk. as Of present. A
Junior clerk can get no more than $500 year,
an ONCE boy no moro than $500. and senior
clerks are arranged in four grades. the compen-
sation running from 5000 to So, 800. The chief
clerks private stenographers. secretaries. dep
uty commissioners chief engineers. cashiers and
all persons occupying confidential or executive
offices are put in the uncassfed list
One of the most elastic of the new rules reads:
IF the appointing officer shall object TO ell
Cible named in the certf .~te, stating that be-
cause of some physical defect. mental unsound-
ness moral disqualification or other reason par
ticularly specified said eligible shall be incom-
petent or unfit for the performance OF the du-
ties OF the vacant position. and II said officer
shall sustain such objection with evidence salts
factory to the Commission. the Commission may
certify the eligible on the register whose name
stands next below those already certified In
place OF the one TO whom objection is made and
sustained" This rule, as Interpreted by Tam
many men, means that the Commissioner who
makes the appointment can reject all the names
ne meets until he comes to the one desired.
Some of the rules ore worded so differently
from the old rules as practically TO permit the
appointing Commissions TO select whom they
please.
OFFICES IN SCHEDULE A.
The Offices in the various departments that
are placed in Schedule A. and which are ex-
empt from competitive examinations are as
follows:
Commissioner Of Accounts-Chief clerk. stenogra-
yher examiners and engineers.
Board OF Aldermen-Clerk. deputy clerk. Journal
clerk and sergeant at-arms.
Aoueduct Commission--Secretary chief clerk. chief
engineer and division engineers
Department OF Bridges-Deputy Commissioners,
engineers chief clerk. private secretary and
cashier.