Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-05
THE CIVIL SERVICE
REPORT or COMMISSION AS TO
susPENsroN OF Law.
Three Individual Appointments by Nc-
Kinley and Sixty by Presi-
dent Roosevelt.

In response to a resolution adopted by
the House. several days ago the United
States civil service commission today
transmitted to Speaker Cannon an In
terestfng statement. giving in detail the
number of times that amendments special
rules and executive orders have resulted in
the suspensin of the civil service law. The
statement also includes as far as possible
the number and names of persons appoint
ed under these suspensions The period
covered by the report is from March 4, 1885
to March 30, 1904 The statement deals
first with the suspensions affecting classes
of positions Under this head is Included
sall the temporary employees engaged in the
government departments during the war
with Spain and the insurrection in the
Philippines.
Mr.. McKinley's Suspensions.
The most interesting feature of the re-
port is the second part, which deals with
the suspensions made so as to permit in
dividual appointments. The first Of these
suspensions made during the period of TIE
report was by President Mckinley in the
case of James N. Tyner, who was appoint
ed to the position of assistant attorney
general for the Post Office Department
April "a. 1897. Harrison j. Barrett was ap-
pointed law clerk in the same department
under General Tyner by suspension of
the law dated May "a. 1881. The only in
dlvldual suspension authorized by Mr.. Nc
Kinley was in the case of Clifford Pinchot.
appointed chief of the division of forestry
In the Department of Agriculture.
While there were but three cases Of indi-
of President Mckinley there have been
sixty such cases under President Roosevelt
In detail the suspensions authorized by Mr..
Roosevelt were. as follows: Thirty-three
appointments allowed without examination.
In this head the positions covered by the
orders range from position in the Indian
service to a cOachman In the Navy Depart
ment. and include a White House steward,
assistant commissioner of immigration at
New York, private secretary in the gov
eminent printing Office and a number Of
special agents, messengers and clerks
Authorizations by President Roosevelt.
President Roosevelt authorized the ap-
pointment of a law clerk to a competitive
position with a non-competitive examina-
stion. Other authorizations by him to fol-
low: Eleven reinstatements allowed with
out regard to the year limit fixed by the
rules; one certification authorized without
regard to the conditions of the apportion-
ment: one reinsurance of certificate author
lied; one certification allowed without re-
gard to the position of the name on eligible
classified or excepted positions to classified
positions; one transfer allowed from tenn
porary to- permanent classified position; two
transfers allowed with regard to rule re-
curing six months prior service; one trans
fer allowed with regard to the rule requir-
ing the same line of work: three temporary
appointments extended without regard to
the limitations of the rule; one acceptance
OF application for examination allowed not
withstanding age limit fixed by the rule.
In letter accompanying the statement
civil Service Commissioners Black and
Greene say: IF a statement of the rec-
sons for and the circumstances leading up
to the PRONUNCIATION of the rules is de-
sired the commission will be pleased to
furnish it. 1t Is not understood that the
resolution includes within it's scope APP
pointments to positions which though clas-
sified are excepted from the requirements
of examination by the rules. It may be
stated, however, that the number of posi-
tions filled without examination is much
smaller now than formerly, 294 positions
having been transferred from the excepted
to the competitive class by a revision OF
the rules April Is, 1903