Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-06-11
THE PEOPLE WIN!



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for which they can hope to get maiori-
ty of the people.
But if you object to the charter be-
cause it does not fulfill all the needs of
the people, vote for it, for it gives you
the opportunity to make it into the
sort of Il charter you will. Under pres
ent conditions you have no opportuni-
ty to do anything but bear the sort of
government the politicians and corpor-
ations are willing to give you.
Not only is the power of the people
thus made effective through the initia-
tive, but the charter is made more
democratic by an adoption of the refer
endum. Article II, section p, provides
that ordinances granting franchises for
supplying light or water, or for leasing
or selling any public utility, or for the
purchase of land of more than $4,000
in value, have no force or effect what
ever until they have been submitted to
the vote of the people and received
their approval. The last charge that
can be brought against the charter is
that it is undemocratic.
On the editorial page. this issue of In
dustrial Freedom urges all socialists to
urge their congressman to vote for civil
service extension. The new charter of
San Francisco shows that civil service
reform may be forwarded in a city as
well as in congress. We quote from
the Examiner of May % as follows con-
corning
Civil Service Reform.
The contention of the enemies of the
charter that the Mayor can make him
self Car through the power to re-
move and appoint all appointive officers
is answered conclusively by the charter
itself. The policemen and firemen are
protected by specific provisions that in
sure them a trial by their Commission
ers, with the right to representation by
counsel, and lay down the specific
causes for which they may be removed
The other appointees of the city govern
ment are protected by Section l. of the
article on the civil Service, which
reads:
Section l2-No deputy, clerk or en-
ploye in the classified civil service of
the city and county, who shall have
been appointed under said rules, shall
be removed or discharged except for
cause, upon written charges and after
an opportunity to be heard in his own
defense. Such charges shall be inves-
tigated by or before the Civil Service
Commission. or by or before some Off
Ger or board appointed by the Commits
sioners to conduct such investigation.
The finding and decision of the Com
missioners, or such investigating officer
or board, when approved by the Com
missioners, shall be certified to the APP
pointing officer or board, and shall be
forthwith enforced by such officer.
Neither the Mayor nor any other Of
iicer of the city government is exempt
from control by this section. and if they
want to remove anybody they Will have
to make their charges and have them
tried in accordance with these provi-
sions. Furthermore, il they succeed in
getting the employee out, neither the
Mayor nor the appointing board can
put its own man in, unless he comes
under the following qualifications;
Section 9-The head of the depart
ment or office in which a position
classified under this Article is 10 be
filled, shall notify the Commissioners
of that fact, and the Commissioners
shall then certify 10 the appointing Of
ficer the name and address of one or
more candidates, not exceeding three,
standing highest upon the register for
the class or grade to which the position
belongs; but laborers shall be taken ae-
cording to their priority of application.
Section l0-The appointing officer
position to be filed separately, and
shall fill such place by the appointment
of one of the persons certified to him by
the Commissioners therefor, Such APP
pointment shall be on probation for a
period to be fixed by the rules of the
Commissioners; but such rule shall not
fix such period at exceeding six months.
The examinations TO make up the
lists from which the three applicants
are to be chosen must be public, com
petitive and free"
Such examinations shall be practical
in their character, and shall relate to
those matters only which will fairly
CONTINUED on THIRD PAGE