The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-18
Must Report Changes.

| Inc amendment authorized today IS
one of the most important and far
| reaching made to the civil service rules
| in many years. It confers upon cab
| met officers practically unlimited pow
er as TO the personnel of their depart
ments. The amendment is made to rule
MI, section ., which provides that the
appointing officer in the executive 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. Hereto
| fore. in every case of the removal of a
| civil service employee, charges had to
| be filed against the person whom it
was proposed to remove and the en-
| ploye was given time in which to meet
| the charges with such defense as he
| might have to make. Under the au-
| thoriZed amendment such a proceeding
| Will not be necessary. A head of a de-
| pdrtment may discharge an employe for
misconduct or in efficiency with the
| simple statement to the civil service
| commission that the misconduct or in
| efficiency is a subject of his personal
observation. The discharged employee
Will have no recourse.
Cabinet Favored the Change.
/ 1t is said that the amendment was
made at the instance of members of
| the cabinet who hold that under the
/ present construction of the civil serv-
/ ice rules they often are unable to deal
! properly with cases of misconduct and
/ iaeftieiency OF Vahieh they are person.
/ ally cognizant. Assurance is given that
/ the amendment was not made to apply
1 10 any particular case now pending.
/ It's purpose, as stated, is TO improve
/ the discipline of the departmental
/ forces. The amendment was discussed
/ by the cabinet at its meeting today
! and approved unanimously.
Executive ORDER.
After the amendment had been dis
! cussed and adopted by the cabinet,
| President Roosevelt issued the follow
/ ing executive order embOdying the
/ terms Of the new regulation:
/ when the president CT head of an
| executive department is satisfied that
| an officer or employee in the classified
( service is inefficient or incapable, and
| that the public service win be materi-
/ ally improved by his removal, such re-
! moval viii be made without hearing
but the cause of removal shall be stated
| in writing and filed. When miscon-
| duet is committed in the view and the
presence Of the president or head OF
I executive department removal may be
made summary and without notice.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
instant Dismissal.
! While members of the cabinet fire.
! quently have discussed such an amend
ment to the civil service rules as was
/ authorized today, the subject was
( brought directly to the attention OF
/ President Roosevelt recently by the
/ misconduct of a chauffeur of one of the
! government automobiles. The driver
of the auto plotted his machine direct
| ~ in the way of the presidents car
/ riage 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 d government employe
might be made the cause for instant
/ dismissal.