The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1923-09-01
THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD
CONSIDERED JOKE BY MANY
City Charter Requires Civil Service Commission
and Ordinances, Rules and Regulations Fix
Powers and Duties Of that Body.

| be made from that certified list.
An appointments shall be reported
promptly to the civil service board.
For some years, at least, heads
| of departments have been very lax
and negligent in calling for certi-
fled list of eligibIes necessary to
/; fill vacancies. There has been a
canny custom of ignoring a call
for -eligibles and making temper
airy appointments" This prejudices
the rights and chances of those who
may seek to become eligible to APP
4 pointment through examination and
registration on an eligible list.
Ignoring the letter of require
ments not only has worked in
Justice, but It has cost the city
trouble, annoyance and heavy sums
Of money.
There has not been a civil service
examination in the city engineers
office for years, if there ever was.
Appointments recently have been
made in the health department with
out first calling on the civil SER
vice board to submit certified
list Of eligibles. When such lists
do not exist, but the head of a
department knows that vacancies
exist, or are about to exist, it is
his duty to call on, the civil service
board SO that examinations can be
held and list Of eligibles secured.
There are employees in the public
library who never have passed the
civil service examination. The late
librarian had up the matter of ex-
aminations with the board, but that
body deemed 1t best to straighten
out the results OF neglect and dis
regard in the police and fire de-
partments before taking I'D the
public library situation.
In the past few months, the civil
service board has held examinations
and secured an eligible list for
clerks and stenographers. There,
also are eligible lists for the fire
and police departments.
Despite all this, there seems to
be an inclination on the part Of
some to ignore and avoid civil
service requirements in the police
department. There have been cases
where those ON the eligible list
were not properly considered and
certain temporary appointments
have beeA made before calling for
a certified eligible list.
It is the duty of the clerk of the
civil service board to certify the
names on the city payr0lls and that
official has been Instructed by the
members of the board to refuse to
certify any names on the salary
List who have been put there In
violation of the ciEfl service rules
and regulations, as imperatively pro-
vided in Ord. No. I'll.
The civil service board is a
buffer between city employees and
heads OF departments. The head OF
q department can enter complaint
against an employe and it then
shall be the duty of the board to
take evidence and pass Judgment
as to the merits OF the case.
In the past year, several cases
have come before the civil service
board from the police department.
In one case, the board found against
a patrolman because the records OF
the commission showed that he had
failed to pass in both OF two ex-
aminatioRs. An appeal to the dis
trict court brought decision for
the patrolman. 1t was held that the
city had waived or lost its rights
because the employe had been per
mitted to hold his place for a too
extended length of time. The city
was compelled to restore the man
to duty and to pay him s2,7e8 in
back salary.
Had the chief of police required
that patrolman to sign a waiver
OF his rights when he was given
a temporary appointment, the ont
come would have been in favor Of
the city.
When q city employe is disci-
plined, he has the right to appeal
to the civil service commission. In
two such cases from the police
department, the board modified the
punishment imposed. The chief OF
police and his executive officer,
however, utterly ignored the deci-
sion Of the board. The victims lack
ed money to appeal to the district
court.
Under that administration of the
police department, it was the custom
to accept decision when it was
against the employee, but to ignore
It when it was in favor OF the
employe and against the officer
who imposed the punishment.
Such contempt Of the acts of a
branch OF the city government, a
body to which the charter and the
council have delegated definite
powers, goes far to make q Joke
OF civil service in the city of Du-
luth.
Under the provisions OF Sec. Sc,
Chap. ", city charter, an ordinance
was passed in 1916 to provide for
a more effectual enforcement Of
the civil service provisions of the
city. That ordinance names those
who should be known az managers
and heads Of departments, all others
automatically falling under jnrisdic-
ton of such powers as are possessed
by the civil service board. That
ordinance also provided for eerti-
fication OF the semi-m0nthly pay
rolls by the secretary Of the board.
Section 4 OF that ordinance No.
73l has some little teeth, wig: