The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-07
TREAT 1T AS JOKE.
City Commissioners Play With
Civil Service Commission.
Papers on Certificates Ordered
"Filed Away" Today.

That the city commissioners treat
the city civil service law as a joke was
testified to this morning at their meet
ing. The names of three applicants
for position who had passed the ex-
animation held Monday in the city
hall were received in the form of GER
tifications from the civil service board
When the city clerk announced the
fact that the papers were before her
a motion was made that they be
siled." No further procedure was TAX
en- regarding the matter. The Ques-
ton that is agitating the minds of
several of the employees in the city
hall is. Have they a job. position or
appointment, or not. They all seem
to be up in the air as to just where
they stand.
The law states that the board of
commissioners may appoint" certain
officials and help required to run the
business of the city. 1t also is plain
what procedure must be taken in or
der to get rid of an employee who
comes under the civil service rules.
These laws are disregarded as the case
of the colored man recently released
from the city's employ will testify.
The city health department report
ed to Commissioner Porter that an
employee in his department had con-
tracted tuberculosis. He was at once
notified that he could no longer re-
main in the employ of the city and his
place was filled within a few hours, yet
the law governing the commissioners
says 1.-The board of commissioners shall
have power to remove the city attor
ney. city clerk, city treasurer, or city
auditor for INCOMPETENCE, neglect of
duty, or malfeasance in office, upon
charges being preferred, after due no
tice in writing and an opportunity to
be heard in their defense. But said
hair n q
majority vote of all members thereof,
remove with or without cause the in
cumbent of any other appointive city
office or employment, whatever, etc
The Law $ Plain.
The law says plainly that any re-
moval of an employee who has Sc
cured his position by appointment
must be by majority vote OF the city
commissioners. Just what construc-
ton the commissioners place on their
action, with reference to the three
men whose names were filed this
morning, is not known, but when City
Attorney Hayden was asked for an
opinion he stated that the board must
first confirm or vote to elect the ap-
pIicants for a city position or to ratify
the action of any commissioner who
may have selected an employee to fill
vacancy in his department This
was not done at the meeting this
morning.
The commissioners who had vacan-
cies in their departments have had the
same men at work for the city for
some time without their being either
confirmed by a full board or appoint
ed in the way which the law pre-
scribes with the exception of Chris
tan Cell, who is at work in the sani-
tation department. Cell. it is under
stood is a new man in the city's en-
ploy yet according to the law, he is
not entitled to be on the pay roll of
the city at present, nor are the other
men now at work.
The impression among the clerks is
that if the civil service law is a joke.
they would rather see it killed than to
be under a law which gives the COM
missioners the right to use their own
judgments as to how and when they
shall be discharged, without hearing.
That the commissioners are taking
the law into their own hands and in
terpreting it as they see fit, if it suits
their convenience, is evident by their
actions in the past, in some cases, for
it is rumored that one department has
several men at work who have been
there for several months who have
never been confirmed or elected by a
full or majority vote of the board.
Other people, it is pointed out, are
to obey the law, why not
the city commissioners?