The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-08
genuine CIVIL
SERVICE RULES
TO BEENFORCED
Mayor Elect Paine'S Admins
tratiOn viii Extend Regula-
lions to Other Departments
Besides Fire and Police.

Memphis win wake up some bright
sunshiny morning soon after the first
OF the year to find that the copies
Of the digest of laws and ordinances
at the city hall have been busted off
and that the civil service law, which
has been part OF the city charter-since
1908 is in force.
One of the first acts Of Rowlett
Paine and John F. Edgar when they
become mayor and vice mayor of Mem
phts. will be to revive the operation
or that same civil service law and TO
extend II.
The eivil service rules and regulations
were ordered put into effect in the
police and fire departments when the
hew administration took office In Janu-
airy, 1910, and the commission form
Of government began operation. But
for the past four or five years, the
civil service law has been a dead one,
50 far as the several city administra-
tons have been concerned. The civil
service commission has Been in exist
ence, but has been called upon to do
mighty little work.
Fortunately. the fire chiefs have been
allowed to manage that important de-
partment almost without political in
f~luence, but that can not be said for
| the police department.
The civil service law permits the city
commission to extend 1t to any city
department, and to apply 1t to all city
employees, except heads Of departments
and day laborers, who require no spe-
cial technical qualification.
Police Efficiency Certain.
There will be no clean sweep in the
police department after the first Of
the year, but there will be a general
order probably for every man in the
police and fire departments to take
the civil service examination, In the
case Of some of the men in the police
department there will certainly be a
summons TO appear before the city
commission to show cause why they
should not be dismissed from the city
service, Under strict civil service rules.
any city employee classed in the civil
service Is entitled TO a hearing before
Dismissal.
What changes will be made in the
heads Of the police department have
not been decided upon by the mayor
and commisslOners-elect The five sue
cessful candidates have bee& neglecting
their personal affairs for a@nonth and
will be too busy probably to hold any
conferences for a month or more to
ONE
Rowlett Paine, John b. Edgar, who
will be commissioner of fire and police,
and Charles r.. shannon, who win di-
rect the department Of finance and rev.
enues. have stated over and over again
IN their campaign speeches that In elm
mating politics from the city hall they
do not propose to build up a new polit-
ical machine. They have said that no
man would be kept in office simply for
political reasons, no man will be hired
for political reasons, but that honesty,
loyalty and efficiency will be the tests.
Many Will Resign.
There will, Of course, be many changes
u the heads Of departments soon after
the first Of the year, DR.. ]. L. An
drews, It is understood, does not wish
TO remain as superlnter mt Of health.
Fl. j. Livingston has nAsRcted h@ pri-
vate practice and would have resigned
as city attorney six months ago If had
not been for the pending decisions In
the appeals of the public utility cor
| porations for increased rates. Heads
| OF some OF the minor departments also
will probably resign. Some others, II
they do not take a hint, may be asked
to resign,
There will be many changes in the
police department. That goes without
saying, There has been graft, protec-
tion Of lawlessness and gross ineffic-
iency in many quarters at the police
station. The men responsible for these
conditions probably were lSe& n all in
stances personally to blame. u tlicemen
| obey orders as a rule, Thery may be
some shifting Of officers of the force.
| There will be a.number Of changes at
the top, but few If any Of the veteran
officers will be dropped.
One thing may be taken as a settled
fact.
THAT is that John n. Edgar, after HI
| takes the oath of office, VIII be the abb
solute and only head of his department.
Make no mistake about that. Mr.. Ed
gar probably will make no statements
about what he proposes to do. Like the
mayor elect, he Is not much of a speak
er and prefers TO act rather than to do
any premature announcing, He Is maxi
ing no statement for publication, but
he knows what has been going on In the
police department and probably has a
very clear idea of what will happen
after the first of the e