The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-10
1T FAV0RS
EXEMPTIONS
f.ta W
Report Made. on the
Classified Service.
TOOMANY ARE PROTECTED
In the Line OF Public Policy to Pro-
vide For Removals.
SENATE COMMITTEES OPINION.
washington. March io.-The report Of

washington. March f0.-The report OF
The senate COMMITTEES on civil service
on the recent investigation OF the class
hied service embodies the conclusion of
the committee as follows. First. the
executive has power to make such modi.
fications as may be found advisable. and
therefore no legislation Is needed; Sec
ondly. the committee is agreed that the
classification has been too extensive, and
that certain places that have been class
flied should be excluded from class
ifieation so that appointments may be
made to them. not through legislation,
but at the pleasure OF the head of the
department or bureau. The committee
therefore is OF the opinion that the pres
ident should make certain notifications
In the rules and should restore TO the
heads OF departments the appointment
OF certain classes of officials. The com
inittee. however, recognizes that its
province in the matter. is purely adj
visory. since IL has no legislation &c
propose"
Ii is recommended that number oi
employees in the interior department and
the chief clerks of the various bureaus
special agents and law Examiners be
exempted. The exemption recommended
in this department is quite extended,
and includes generally the positions OF
individual responsibility. 1t Is also
recommended that private secretaries
be in all cases exempted.
The same recommendation is made as
To- the chief clerks in all departments,
also as 20 postofiice inspectors and
special agents OF the agricultural de-
partment. A competitive departmental
examination for technical positions al
navy yards is recommended.
The, committee expresses the opinion
that the classification of the government
printing office was not authorized by
law, but that even IL IT was many places
In that office were included which should
not have been. The members think
that If the office is toremain In the class.
ified service the appointments should
be apportioned among the various states.
These exceptions. they say do not in
any way interfere with the principle OF
regulating appointments in the class
flied service, but merely take from the
classified lists those persons whose re-
lations TO their chiefs are either OF a
hduciary or OF an executive nature. the
principle being That where an official has
to impose peculiar confidence either i'm
the honesty or the executive ability of
an officer the selection OF that officer
should be with the person who is directly
responsible for his.acts.
The recent order OF the president In
regard TO removals seems 10 have been
interpreted more narrowly than in the
opinion OF the committeeman the order
Justifies. They say that while the
power or appointment to the civil service
may we'll be regulated SO as to open the
service impartially to all the people OF
the United States under suitable restric-
tons. the power of removal should be
very broad. Where a clerk is deemed
by his immediate superior to be inef-
ficient, IL is clearly in the line of publ
policy that the clerk should be dis
charged and no impediments should be
placed in the way Of such a discharge
except such as may be necessary to Sc
cure justice to the person removed"
The committee further recommends
that the president be requested TO change
existing regulations so that when n
vacancy occurs and under the rule three
names are certified as eligible for such
vacancy the three names shall be for
warded to the local officer in charge OF
the office where such vacancy exists,
and such local officer shall designate
the person 10 be selected for such va
cancy subject to approval by the head
of the department having Jurisdiction
of such Office.
Among the Offices which the COM
r1ittee advised should be excluded from
the CLASSIFIED service are the following:
Deputy commissioners. deputy collectora
OF internal revenue, agents who are en-
rloyes OF the commissioner OF internal
revenue, temporary storekeepers and
caugers, certain lighthouse employees,
paymasters in the New York custom
house, shipping commissioners at the
various ports, inspectors OF hulls and
boilers, all positions In the custodian
service, assistant attorneys and special
agents in the department. of justice, and
deputy United States marshals.
Senator Lodge presented his views In
separate report, which, whie Il agrees
in the main with the report submitted
by Senator Prtchard. dces not present
so long "A list of persons whom he would
have exempted from the operations Of
the civil service law. Ills list includes
deputy collectors of internal revenue.