The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-18
RADICAL RULE ISSUES
INSIGNIFICANT CHAUFFEuR CAUSES
 CIVIL SERVICE ORDER.
Becnuse He Got fin Way of President, Hereafter Heads of Departments May Fire Whom They
 Please.

| wssh;ppton Oct. 1T-An amendment ! to. the civil service rules, sweeping and | comprehensive in it's character was au- l thorized today by President Roosevelt. ! Hereafter a cabinet officer will have the | power to remove summarily and with ont hearing any civil service .ernp1oye I in his department. who. to the personal knowledge of the head of the depart- ment has been guilty of misconduct, or who Is inefficient fin the performance of his duties By the terms of the amend ment the cabinet officer must have per-
 sonal knowledge of the misconduct or
 inefflciency of tho empioye whom he
 proposes to discharge. With this per sonal knowledge, the power of the
 head of the department is abslute.
 The amendment authorized today is
 one of the most important and far reaching made to the civil service rules in many years. It confers upon cabi- net officers practically unlimited power as to the personnel of their depart ments. The amendment is made to Rule XII, Section 2 which provides that the appointing officer in the execu- tive civil service shall report in detail to the civil service commission all changes in their departments as soon as made and the reasons for making them. Heretofore in every case in the removal of every civil service em- ploye charges had to be filed against the person whom 1t was proposed to remove and the employe was given time in which to meet the charges with such defense as he might have to make. Under the authorized amendment such proceeding will not be necessary. A head of a department may discharge an employe for misconduct or fnefflcfency with the simple statement to the civil service commission that the misconduct of inefficiency is subject of his per- sonal observation. The discharged employe will have no recourse.
 It Is said the amendment was made at the instance of the members of the cabinet who held that under the pre- sent construction of the civil service rules, they are often unable to deal properly with cases of misconduct and inefficiency of which they are personal 1y cognizant. Assurance Is given that the amendment was mot made to ap- ply to any particular case now pending. Its purposes as stated is to improve the discipline of the departmental forces
 The amendment was discussed by the
 cabinet at its meeting today and ap-
 proved unanimously.
 After the amendment had been dis
 cussed and adopted by the cabinet
 President Roosevelt issued the follow
 ing executive order cmbodying the
 terms of the new regulation:
 When the President or head of an
 executive department is satisfied that
 an officer or employe in the classified service is inefficient or incapable and that the public service will be mate rially improved by his removal such removal will be made without hear ing; but the cause for removal shall be stated in writing and filed. Whom misconduct is committed In the view and presence of the President or head of executive department removal may be made summarily and without mo- tice.
 (Signed.) Theodore Roosevelt" The subject was brought directly to the attention of President Roosevelt recently by the misconduct of a chauf- feur of one of the govrnment automo- piles. The driver of the automobile piloted his machine directly in the way of the Presidents carriage and seemed to take delight in cutting him out of the road.
 When the President learned who the chauffeur was he said he ought to be discharged as incapable of operating the machine, The subject was pressed by members of the cabinet and the decision was reached to make the amendment to the civil service rules in order that mis- conduct of a government employe might | be made the cause for instant dismiss l sal As the President expects to leave on his trip through the South tomorrow morning, no cabinet meetings will be
 held for two weeks. ==