Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-18
PROVIDES SUMMARY DISMISSAL
Cabinet Omcers win Have Power 20
Dismiss Civn service Em-
pIoyes tor Cause.

WASHINGTON, Oct 17.-An amendment
to the civil service rules, sweeping and
comprehensive in its character. was
authorized today by the president.
Hereafter a cabinet officer will have the
power to remove summarily and without
hearing any civil service empoye in his
department who to the personal knowl-
edge of the head of the department has
been guilty OF misconduct or who is in
efficient in the performance OF his duties.
BY the terms of the amendment the
cabinet officer must have personal knowl-
edge of the misconduct or inefficiency OF
the employe whom he proposes to dis
charge With this personal knowledge the
power of the head Of the department is
absolute.
The amendment authorized today is one
of the most important and far-reaching
made to the civil service rules in many
years. 1t confers upon cabinet officers
practically unlimited power as to the per-
| sonnel of their departments. The amend
ment is made to rule xii section 2, which
provides that the appointing officer of 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. Heretofore,
in every case of the removal of a civil serv-
ice employe, charges had to be filed against
the person whom it was proposed to re-
move and the employe was given time in
which to meet the charges with such de-
| fense as he might haze to make. Under
! the authorized amendment such a proceed
| ing will not be necessary. A head of a de-
partment may discharge an employe for
misconduct or inefficiehcS with the simple
statement TO the Civil Service commission
that the misconduct of inefficiency is a sub
| ject of his personal observation. The dis
charged employe will have no recourse.
| 1t is said that the amendment was made
at the instance of members of the cabinet
who hold that under the present construc-
! ton of the civil service rules they often
are unable to deal properly with cases of
misconduct and inefiiciency of which they
are personally cognizant. Assurance is
given that the amendment was not made
to apply to any particular case now pend
ing. It's purposes. 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.
After the amendment bad been discussed
and adopted by the cabinet President
Roosevelt issued the Following executive
order, embodying the terms of the new
regulation:
When the president or head OF an execu.
tive department is satisfied that an officer
| or employe in the classified service is in
| efficient or incapable, o nd that the public
| service would be materially improved by
his removal, such removal will be made
without hearing: but the cause of removal
shall be stated in writing and filed. When
misconduct is committed in the view and
presence of the president or head of the ex.
ecutiVe departmentsremoVal may be made
summarily and without notice.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
While members of the cabinet frequently
have discussed such an amendment to the
civil service rules as wat authorized today
the subject was brought directly to the at
tention of President Rockwell recently by
the misconduct OF a chauffeur of one of tn,
government automobiles. The driver OF tn,
automobile piloted his machine directly II
the way OF the presidents carriage and
seemed to take delight in cutting him out o
the road.
When the president learned who tn,
chauffeur was he said he ought to be dis
charged as incapable of operating the ma
chine. The subject was pressed by members
of the cabinet and the decision was reached
to make the amendment to the civil serv
ice rules in order that misconduct of a gov
ernment employe might be made the caus
for instant dismissal.