The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-19
RULES FOR MERIT SYSTEM.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE
ELECTIVE OFFICERS AND
CHIEF CLERKS
AND THE HEADss Or DEPARTMENTS
The Idea Is to Have Everybody Pass
an Examination Before Receiv-
ing 'Appointment.

the cha1ter commission, relating to civil
| service and the appointment Of a board
OF CIVIL service commissioners. will be
discussed at the meeting of the COM
Mission Friday evening The commit
! tee, which has had this work in hand,
has prepared a report or chapter which
provides for the appointment by the
mayor of board of three commission
ers who shall classify all the offices and
places Of employment in the city, and
the same are to be filled after a COM
petitive examination before the board.
The plan being an innovation as far
as this city is concerned, it is likely
that the proposed chapter of the new
charter Will be thoroughly discussed by
the commission before any action is
taken. The matter Will be a special
order for the session Friday night, and
the chapter as submitted is given here
with:
SECTION 1.
On the third Monday Of June, 1895, the
mayor of the city OF st. Paul, Mimi, shall
! appoint three persons, citizens and residents
OF said city, who shall constitute and be
known as the civil service commissioners, of
such city, and shall designate OF the per
sons SO appointed to serve for term of three
years, one for a term of two years and one
for term of one year from the first Mon
cay in July in the year of their appointment,
and until their respective successors are ap-
pointed and qualified; and in each and every
year after such first appointment the mayor
snail, IN ike manner, on the third Monday of
June, appoint one person as the successor of
the commissioner, whose term shall expire in
that year. to serve as such commissioner for
three years from the first Monday of July
then ensuing, and until his successor is ap-
pointed and qualified. Two commissioners
snail constitute a quorum necessary for the
transaction of business. Any vacancy In the
office OF commissioner occurring during the
term shall be filed for the unexpired term by
appointment by the mayor, and all appoint
1nents, both original and to fill vacancies shall
be so made that not mere than one commits
sloner, or if but two political parties were Of
nclaliy registered at the last preceding cleo
ton, then not more than two commissioners
! small at the time of any appointment be mem
DeTs or the same political party. The mayor
may remove any commissioner for incomDe-
tence, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office,
put he shall within ten days report in writ
ing any such removal to the city council with
the reasons therefor. Said commissioners
snail hold no lucrative Office or employment
under the United States, the state of Mime
sofa, or any municipal corportion or political
division thereof, and each commissioner shall
before entering upon the duties of his Office
ana WITHIN ten days after receiving notice of
his appointment, take and subscribe the GA tn
OF Office prescribed by the constitution of this
state. ..
SECTION 2.
Said commissioners shall make rules to
carry out the purposes of this chapter and for
| examinations, appointments and nromotions
| III accordance WITH its1 provisions and the.
! commissioners may, from time to time make
changes IN the original rules. The said COM
Hissloners snail supervise the administration
OF the rules so established and they shall on
OF before the first Monday in July in every
| year report to the mayor their -dnings durin1
Inc preceding year, including any rules adopt
Of
| mayor may require a report from said com
mlssionerS at any other time All rules made
as herein provided and all changes therein,
| snail be published by said commissioners in
the of1clal paper of said city not less than
| hve. or more than ten days before they are TO
go into operation, and a copy for public ex
"niinatio1 snail be kept on file at their office
SECTION 8
Salo commissioners shall classify all the
| oflces and places of employment in said civ
",tn reference to the examinations herein
| aiter provided for, except those offices and
places mentioned in section five 90 of this
chapter The offices and places so classified
Dy the commissioners shall constitute the
claSSlned civil servicelof said CITY From and
| after the adoption Of ethe rules hereiDbefore
| provided for all appointments to subordinate
o1nces. positions and e1nployments in the sew
IA IA, uepartments OF the service of said city,
| winch are subject to such rules shall be
| maze by the respective heads of such de-
| partments underi and IN accordance with the
provisions of such rules, and such heads of
| departments shall respectively have mower To
remove or discharge at pleasure any person
holding any subordinate office, position or
employment in their respective departments.
put except in the case of day laborers thew
| shall within ten days thereafter file with ~ .
| city clerk written statement of the reasons
Ior such removal OF discharge Provided
tnat an APPOINTMENTS to Office or position
thereafter to be- subject to such rules. made
AFTER the 1st day Of May 1898. and before
| thE rules herein provided for shall have gone
1nS effect, shall be provisional and not per
| manent appointments, and all appointments
| to such offices or positions shall he subject
| to examination and recommendation bv the
CIVIL service commissioners the same in
every respect as though they had not received
such temporary appointment
SECTION A.
All applicants for Offices, places or en-
Payments in said classified service. except
| those mentioned in section five C) shall he
/ subject to examination. which shall be pub-
lie competitive and free to all citizens of the
United States. with specified limitations as to
| residence, age, health, habits and moral
| character. Such examinations shall be nrac-
| teal in their character, and shall relate IN
| those matters which fairly test the relative
capaclty OF the persons examined to discharge
| the duties of the. positions to which they seek
| TO be appointed, and shall include tests of
| physical qualifications and health and whan
appropriate manual skill No question In
any examination shall relate to political or
| religious opinions or affiliations, and no an
pointment or selection to an office or for en-
| ployment within the scope of these rules es
| tablfshed as aforesaid shall be in anv manner
affected or influenced by such opinions or
affiliations.
-4 SECTION 5.
| Officers who are selected by the DeonIe or
who are elected by the city council pursuant
to the city charter, judges and clerks of cleo
| ton, members and the secretary of civ
| boards or commissions, the superintendent
| principals and teachers of schools the city
| librarian, the city comptroller's chief clerk.
| the city treasurer's chief clerk and his cash
| Ter, the city engineer, his first assistant and
chief clerk. the' city clerk and his first as
| sistant the corporation attorney and his first
| assistant. the chief engineer of the fire de-
| partment. the chief of police, the commits
sioner of health and his first assistant, the
superintendent OF the, Fworkhouse the super
I intendent of parks the private secretary of
| the mayor. and special watchmen whose
salaries are not paid by the city shall not be
included in such classified service.
SECTION 6.
The said commissioners shall appo;nt a
| chief examiner whose duty 1t shall be, under
| their direction, 40 lsuperintend any examina-
| lions. held in said city under the provisions
| Of this charter. Such chief examiner shall he
| ex-offlcio secretary Of said civil service com
| rlissioners and under direction Of such COM
| mtssioners he. as such secretary shall keep
| minutes Of their proceedings, preserve all re-
| ports made to them. keep a record Of all
| perform such other duties as the commits
| sioners may from time to time prescribe
| Ho shall be subject to removal at any time
| by said commissioners. but they SHALL within
| q written statement of the reasons for such
| removal.
| SECTION T.
| The cr.ryGYi csinrers shall control all avan,f