The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-06

sweeping changes In the present sys-
TEN. the most Important OF which Is the
establishment Of i've year tenure OF
Office for those government employees
who are brought within the terms OF
the bill. The measure limits the appli-
cation OF the civil service system to the
departments In Washington and to such
Other localities where the total number
OF employees exceed twenty-five. All
appolntees are commissioned for Ave
years. with the power OF removal clear
~ regulated and vested in the appolnt-
Ing power. 1t Is provided. however, that
no removal shall be made FOR political
or religious causes and In case OF re-
moval the causes shall be specified and
the papers made record OF the office.
All positions now In the public service
ore 10 terminate their service five years
from the time that the act takes effect.
Tho measure recognizes the general
eligibility OF these persons for reap
po!ntment. It includes In the civil SER
vice postal clerks and letter carriers In
Offices having over ten employees, exclu-
sive OF subordinntes, II limits the civil
service regulations TO clerks whose
compensation Is from 5000 10 sl,s0o per
year and includes as clerks, copyists.
computers. counters and craftsmen.
It Is pointed out that the essential
Idea OF the foregoing bill Is to take out
OF the civil service oil respoasibles in
Offices, limiting It only to clerks In
Washington and certain large cities
and In these cases fixing q tenure OF
office OF 1--WE years.
Secretary Gage and other cabinet Of
flcers to-day replied to the senate res
olution OF December IS, calling upon the
heads OF the several executive depart.
ments for Information, as TO what POSI-
tions In their respective departments
should be excepted from the civil ser
vice laws and rules. Secretary Cages
reply in part, says:
II believe that experience has taught
that the order Of May G, 1895, was too
sweeping and that there should be ta-
ken out OF the classified service con-
siderable number Of places that were at
that time classified. The most important
OF those places are IN the Internal rev
enue service. The difficulties which the
department has experienced In the ad-
ministratIon OF the rules as they now
exist, as applied to the internal reve-
nue. service. hive become into!erable. !
believe that all positions OF deputy coll
lectors OF internal revenue should be
made excepted places. subject, howev-
er, 10 aon-competitive examinations.
The collectors who appoint the deputies
are personally responsible for the coD-
duct of their subordinates. believe It
Is desirable that the collectors be free
to select their suhordinates from among
men concerning whose personal charac-
te7istics and integrity they have knowl-
edge.
Another branch OF the service where
experience has demonstrated that class
iacation was ill-advised. is the casto-
dian service in the public buildings
throughout the country. There arc In
this service large number OF low-sa!-
ar!ed positions where 10 academic test
is required or desirable. believe that it
would be OF distinct advantage to take
all positions in the custodian force, in
cluding elevator conductors, tiremen.
dynamo tenders and employees OF n SIM
liar character out OF the classified SER.
vice"
AS the result OF the conference Of the
Republican members Of the house, op-
posed TO the existing civil service sys-
tenn. the bill outlined In to-day's dis
patches was adopted unanimously
with few amendments.
Representative Evans, OF Kentucky,
was Instructed to introduce the meas
u-e in the house tomorrow. II Will
then be referred 10 the committee on
civil service reform. 4 steering COM
mittce to wait on the committee on
rules 10 secure the fixing Of some date
for the consideration OF the proposed
legislation, and to ascertain the sense OF
the house and tine exact support that
will be given II, was appointed.
The conference was held in the house
Interstate commerce room. and about
twenty-five members attended. inclul-
ing Messrs. Hepburn, GrosvcEor, Pear
son. Evans, Steele, LiHney, Lorlmcr.
Brown, BrowHlow, Barber. the entire
West Virginia delegation, Belkaa7,
Reeves. Pugh. Shattuck, Bromwell and
Fenton.
The leaders OF the movement are not
yet able 10 definitely fix the number OF
government Offices affected by the bill.
but say it Will certainly leave 10000 pc
sl.ions under the civil service. while
there are now over $1,000. II Is asserted
that there is a majority In the civil SER
vice committee In favor OF material
notifications OF the existing law.
send Him II Ohio.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-THE police at
the white house were to-day obliged 10