The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-08
CIVIL SERVICE
UNDER NEW
BILL.
Provisions of the Act Drawn
Up by the Special Senate
Committee.

PRODUCTION to that body on Friday OF
this week, the Common Council of each
municipality is empowered to order a
special election at which the voters
may decide whether they desire to
adopt or reject the provisions of the
proposed new law.
It provides that the provisions OF the
proposed law shall not be binding upon
any municipality before the governing
body of a municipality shall nave
adopted the provisions, which adoption
is subject to the following conditions:
When an ordinance shall have been in
troduced before the governing body of any
municipality for the adoption of the pro-
visions of this act within such munich
pality the same shall not be acted upon
by the said board or body at the meeting
at which the same was introduced. but
the same shall be laid over for not less
than. fourteen days, and not passed untl
erning board or body. or an adjourned
meeting thereof. and the ordinance shall
not be considered by the governing board
or body of such municipality for Anal pas
sag until public notice thereon snail nave
been given by publication in one or more
newspapers publishes and circulated ea IN IN
newspapers published in the said munich
pality, then In one or more newspapers
published in the county IN whocn suca
by said governing board or body. once a
week for at least two weeks, and by post
ing such notice in Ave of the most public
places in said municipality for at least
fourteen days before the meeting of the
said board or body at which the said
ordinance shall be considered for final pas
sage. In event that said ordinance shall
be adopted by the governing board or body
of said municipality, the said ordinance,
however, shall not become effective until
the same shall first be submitted to the
legal voters of the said municipality for
their approval at the next regular cleo
ton or q special election to be held for
that purpose. and if at such election so
held a majority of the votes cast for or
against this ordinance shall be in
favor of adopting the provisions of
this act as set forth in the said ordinance,
then the said ordinance shall, as herein
after provided, become operative, upon the
to the said governing board or body and
entered upon its minutes; but IL at the said
election a majority of all the votes cast
for or against this ORDINANCE shall be
against the adoption of the said ordinance,
then said ordinance shall be void. The
said board or body Of said municipality,
shall, at the time of the adoption by 1t of
the ordinance granting the consent of the
said municipality, fix the date of the, said
called, which shall not be less than thirty
days from the date of the adoption of the
said ordinance, and shall, within five days
after the adoption of the said ordinance,
two or more newspapers published or cir
culated in the said municipality, to be
designated by the SAID board or BODY, Tor
at least two insertions. and by posting a
copy thereof In ten of the most public
places in the said municipality. and on the
to be kept, eonspicuously displayed In each
of the polling places where said election Is
being held, q copy of the said ordnance.
cordance with the provisions of iii act
entitled An act to regulate elections (Re-
vision of 1885, approved April fourth, one
thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight,
and the acts ~amendatory thereof and sup
Elementary thereto, so far as the same
may be applicable except as modified by
The bill provides that all those holding
State and municipal positions shall be
subject to civil service provisions. The bill
provides also that examinations shall be
competitive as far as possible. The bill
Is to go into effect nine months after its
approval.
The Governor is to appoint a commission
of three members, whose terms of Office
shall be for two, four and six years, begin
ming the first day of December of this
year. After the first period Of appoint
ments have run out the term OF the COM
missioner will be for six years. The Gov
ernor is to be given the power of re-
moval for inefficiency, neglect or miseon-
duct in office. The salary is fixed at SO, 900
per year. the president getting $500 extra.
The bill allows the commission to choose
a chief examiner, a secretary and clerical
help, but 1t provides that a sum not
greater than $4,000 a year be expended for
salaries or expenses. The salary of the
secretary is fixed at $500, and the chief
examiner at $1,000.
The duties as define in the bill are the
ones generally understood since civil serv-
Ice reform has been discussed. There are
divisions of the different classes of help
that will fall under the provisions of the
proposed law.
The other sections OF the bill provides for
the adjustment of the present conditions
to the proposed law.
The commission is given the power to
prescribe, amend and enforce rules for
carrying into effect the provisions of the
bill. To the Governor is given the power
of approval or rejection of any rules or
amendment,
1t is provided, however, that where the
Governor does not return a rule or amend
ment to the commission within ten days
after the submission of the rule or amend
ment to him il shall become effective 1t
provides, too, that all written causes of
removal filed with the commission shall
be open to public inspection,
The commissioners are to be given the
power to administer oaths and to take
testimony. Besides this power TO sub
poeria witnesses is provided, together with
the right to compel the submission Of
DOCKS dlu pnptiS PcItin6iib " lhNGSLiSd~ |
lions. Witnesses can be compelled to
testify.
In the event of a witness refusing to
testify the bill provides that the commits
sion may have a common pleas Judge
send the obstinate one to the county jail
for a term Of ninety days ''or until such
person shall purge himself of such DISC
bedience."
The proposed commission is to have an
Office in the State House to be open every
dav and will be obliged to furnish offices
in other parts of the State for local ex-
aminers wherever municipalities adopt the
State law.
Further on the bill provides that wher-
ever any person Is employed in the civil
service contrary to the rules Of the com
mission the officer employing the man shall
be held responsible for his salary. 1t is
explicitly stated that the State shall not
be held responsible for any such debt.
The civil service law will not apply to
officers appointed by the Governor with
or without the consent of the Senate. The
appointees Of either branch of the Legts-
lature are also excluded. Election officers
are exempted. Executive heads of the
various Staet departments and their depu-
tics or first assistants. and all law oQcers
Of the State or municipalities and their
legal assistants are out OF the sale. The