The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
TERRIBLE rs RULE "a.
At Least Such Is the Wow of Some Tam
many District Leaders Concerning 1t.

"hhy SOhCeTn1nk
The provision of the White Civil Service Law,
prohibiting temporary appointments" in the
municipal service, is known rule 81. and II was
drawn in a sweeping way Under former civil
service laws applicable in their terms TO New
York all places in the competitive class were to
be filled by requisitions made upon the Civil Serv
ice Board. The head of department, board or
commission, as the might be- would notify
the Civil Service Borad Of tho need Of some en-
ployee in the department.
The Civil Service Board would arrange for an
examination Weeks months would inter.
vene and then the ex animation would be held after
which there was inquiry into the percentages or
rating" OF tho applicants, and finally the Civil
Service Commissioners, after lapse OF other weeks
or months would furnish the appointing board or
officer with eligible list from which to make his
selection, unless there was a war or fro vereran
at the top. in which case the veteran TO have
irst preference. Between tho time Of tho first
application and the appointment of the perma-
nent employee there would be interval OF
months amounting sometimes to a year or more
and meanwhile a temporary" appointment could
be made and continued from month 10 MONTH
thereby evading the purpose Of the civil service
law il not indeed the law itself
Following tho consolidation Of other territory
with New York. some obstacles were found in the
charter against sweeping changes in the munich
pal service. and thereupon a plan was devised to
get round the law" plan which Rule "a is in
tended to defeat The working Of this plan. as
all district leaders came to know IT, was as follows
Application would be made by a head of depart
ment commission for an eligible list OF appi-
cants regularly certified 10 for some post The
Civil Service Board would report that il had no
such list The head OF department would make a
temporary appointment, limited to thirty days
pending the preparation OF a list but the Civil
Service Commissioners would refrain from order
| ing an examination, and 50 long there was no
examination called and held. there never could
be an eligible list. and thus the temporary appoin-
tee would continue TO hold Office and TO be paid
regularly for an indefinite time In effect this
would be civil service appointment at the caprice
OF the commissioner or board and without any K
animation, and the arrangement became very
popular among politicians so much 50 that they
viewed with alarm" any proposed change in il
Rule 81, however, puts an end to such practices
II prohibits any temporary appointment for q
longer period than thirty days, II cancels all
previous temporary appointments made and bars
the reappointment OF q temporary subordinate in
| any department
One curious effect Of the workings Of Rule 81
has been found in the fact that some of the Tam
many Hall district leaders, whose loyalty TO the
| city leadership OF Mr. Croker has been In some
doubt, secured temporary" places only for their
| committeeman This was especially the case in
districts s. o, % and 81. and the wholesale removal
Of the"temporary men, of course has fallen heav-
lest upon these districts while such stalwar Tam
| many Hall district committees are found in the
I'd, 9th, 10TH 18th and 10th districts arc little
| affected by il. The "temporaries," under the
workings Of the civil service law have no chance
| to get back, and under Rule "a they arc really
under disadvantage when compared with new
men, their previous service acting as bar To new
appointments The equanimity Of the district
leaders most nearly affected by the workings OF
| Rule "a is not increased by the knowledge that
there is probably no ay, for some years at least
whereby il can be repealed.