Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-17
'CIv|L St|IV|Ct bUUI
. RECEDES IN ROW
Would Comply With Councils
Request to Eliminate Tests
In SaIary-Raissd Jobs
SEES MISUNDERSTANDING

Replying 10 n tart attack made on
ies members by Councilmen yesterday,
the Civil Service Commission today Of.
fered to exempt from promotion tests
the holders Of several Jobs whose sala =
rics have been raised recently.
Di. Hubley II. Owen. chief police
surgeon. and Seth NJ. Van Loan, dep.
uty chief of the Bureau Of Water. are
the principal ofiiceholders who would be
affected by the exemption offer.
The commission In n statement ex =
planned that promotion tests to which
some Councilmen objected were required
by the civil service law. It also stated
that Council had not been adequately
Informed about the facilities depart
ments have for obtaining laborers for
emergency purposes.
Explains Stand
The statement follows:s .,
Judging from the reports in the
newspapers. members of City Council
apparently have not been adequately In =
formed by the city departments as to
the method Of hiring laborers for cmer I.
gency work such as snow removal.
~ ohs SNShts IL IL cNlutut Iudt
there is a misunderstanding. The al :
rector in the case of snow removal, a.
In all emergency cases. IL Mt liberty to
employ laborcrs either from the civil
service lists or he may pick them up
wherever he can find them.
1T is not necessary to 20 through
the procedure OF ccrtifcation in any
way. In other words, there Is abso-
lutely no red tape to 1t. 1t Is q Ques
tion of employing the men just as q
private contractor would employ them
''This clause Of the emergency EN-
plOyment of labOrcrs has been In Oul
rules since the present Civil Service Act
went into effect and the departments
are certainly familiar with it.
Specific Provisions Of Law
'"The specific provisions Of the law in
this matter Are as follows:
In case Of emergency, where 1t i.
not practical to secure laborcrs from
the appropriate labor registers with
sufficient promptncss. or in case the fist
is temporarily exhausted, the appoint
ing officer may employ. subject. how
ever. to the subsequent approval Of the
commission. as many persons as ma!
be required. but such employments shall
not exceed thirty days and shall abso
lutely cease as soon as appointment
can BE- made from the labor registers. .
After quoting this provision from the
rules the statement went on:
Referring to the promotion exam
nations that appear on the spcein
schedule and especially those Of DR.
Owen and Mr.. Van Loan. the Prov =
sions of the city charter and rules stip-
m ar In l.
ary exceeds 80 per cent of the sal
ary for which the examination Is taken,
the commission must hold promotion
examination.
Those in Line for Promotion
"Such promotion examination. OF
course. is open only to those in lin,
for promotion in the same department
They are never open to outsiders IN
such cases.
at might be stated further that tho
commission Is ready and willing to OK
cmpt these positions so long and on!,
20 long as occupied by the incumbcnts
but tho commission was given to under
stand that some Of the incuilbcnts IL
the case of these promotions did not dc.
sire exemptions for the reason they de-
sired TO retain their civil service status
"lIowcv.r. this whole matter has beeI
receiving the serious consideration O
the commission m its desire to arriv,
at a common sense and fair conclusion
and vet act within the act Of Assembly
which provides that an increase In sul
AIRY beyond the limits fixed for the grade
shall constitute promotion.
Meanwhile there has been no inter,
ruptiOn in either work or pay. nS al
the men involved have been continued
in their work by the commission at tn,
higher salaries provided by Council