The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-25
LETTER FROM MIR. ORWELL
TO THE CIVIL SERVTCE REFORM
 ASSOCIATION OF THIS CITY
Regarding the Application of Civil ssr- vice Rules to she cIsrkshlp of the cI,y's Civil Service Board.

Regarding the Application of Civil Ser
 vice Rules to ihe cIsrkshIp of the
 CI,y's Civil Service Board.
 Under the decision of Corporation
 Counsel Daggett rendered to the civil
 service board the clerk of the civil ser
 vice commission comes under the pro-
 visions of the civil service rules. and
 as a result the board has reconsidered
 the vote appointing Samuel J. Veil
 clerk of the board, and appointed him
 temporarily. The board will also re-
 uuire him to take the examination as soon as the necessary papers can be
 prepared Cor the purpose. On the sub
 ject James D. Dewell, jr., of the city's
 civil service board, has written the fol- lowing:
 New Haven. Conn.,, March "A.
 Charles G. Morris, Esq, Secretary Civil
 Service Reform Association, New Ha- ven, Conn:
 Dear sir: The communication from your honorable association of March g., 1904. relative to the appointment of the clerk os the civil service board of the lefty os New Haven, was considered at a meeting of our board last evening. It is not the opinion of some members of our board, of which the undersigned lis one. that the appointment of MT Well is illegal, nor does it appear to such members that the charter contem- plates appointments like the clerk of the civil service board or the assistant city clerk, where the appointment is for a designated time like two years. to be under civil service rules, for the very basis os civil service is that the ap- pointee under these rules shall serve during good behavior and shall not be removed for political reasons.
 The charter clearly intends that only such persons shall be required to take lcivil service examinations as can hold their positions after appointment dur ing good behavior
 In getting the intent of the legislature lit is necessary to construe these sec- | tions together and while section 11S in words does require the secretary of the civil service board to take a civil service examination yet read in con- nection with sections 11s and 122 the 1 legislature has apparently not clearly expressed the intention that the clerk of the civil service board should take an examination. for section 119 says that after persons passing tiie civil service examination satisfactorily receive their appointments they shall not be discharg- ed except for sufficient cause duly shown. which shall not be political. Section 12 says the clerk of the civil service board may be discharged at the end of two years and it is obvious that he should be discharged if discharged for political reasons.
 The writer is of the opinion that the l clerk os the civil service board should
 be under civil service rules and hold his position during good behavior, for 1t lis probably one of the most important Iclerkships in the city, and if man is q good clerk he should most certainly be Iretained in office and the proper way would be to have the charter amended so as to place this clerk under civil ser vice rules. and not compel one. when lit is clearly not intended by the char l ter. to take an examination and then not give him the benefits of section 1iS. While it may not appear at first blush to be a detrinent to the advance of civil service reform, the advocating of the examining of the clerk of the civil ser- Ivice board and improperly placing him under civil service rules when you know he may be discharged for political req sons in two years, it is. in the opinion 1 Of the writer, serious step backwards lin civil service reform and it's moral leffect upon the other officeholders is obviously bad.
 However this may be- our board ob- ltained from the corporation counsel last Ievening an opinion which holds that our clerk should be placed under civil service rules. and although it is incon- lsistent with the ideas of the writer and other members of the civiIsservfce board. the board unanimously decided Hast evening to reconsider the ap- lpointment of MT. Veil and to consider This appointement as temporary until Isuch time as we can hold an examina- tion for the position.
 Yours very respectfully, James D. Dewell, jr.