Executive Order 275

In the exercise of power conferred by section 1753 of the Revised Statutes, the President makes the following regulations to govern the selection of unskilled laborers for appointment or employment in the Executive civil service with a view of securing skill and efficiency and of excluding other considerations.

The head of each department and independent executive office may designate one of its employees to serve as a member of a board of labor employment. The Civil Service Commission shall supervise and direct the work of the board, and its representative on the board, in the absence of other members, shall perform the duties of the board.

Applicants must be citizens of the United States, physically and mentally qualified, of good character and habits, and of requisite experience as attested by vouchers. Age limits may be prescribed by the Commission with the approval of appointing officers. Deception or fraud in any material fact shall be good cause for refusing the application or for removal from the service.

The ratings of applicants shall be based upon their relative ability to perform manual labor as shown by their physical condition, which shall be ascertained by physicians in the Federal service detailed therefor. An applicant away from Washington may be examined by his local physician in the manner prescribed by the board and the ratings based thereon; but after selection and before appointment the applicant must appear before the Government physician in Washington for remarking, and any serious discrepancy shall disqualify for appointment.

The board shall enter upon registers, showing the kind of labor in which proficient, the names of applicants rated at 70 or more in the order of their ratings, except that eligibles preferred under section 1754, Revised Statutes, rated at 70 or more, and honorably discharged veterans of the civil war rated at 85 or more, shall have priority. The period of eligibility shall be one year. Eligibles on existing labor registers shall be transferred in the order of their physical ratings to the new registers for the remaining period of eligibility.

When an appointment or employment of an unskilled laborer is to be made, the appointing officer shall request the board to certify eligibles, stating the principal duties of the position. If in the opinion of the board the duties are of the grade performed by classified employees, the facts shall be referred to the Civil Service Commission to determine the status of the position as classified or unclassified under section 3 of civil service Rule XIII, and the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with such finding.

If the status of the position is determined to be that of an unskilled laborer, the board shall certify from the proper register the names of the three persons at the head thereof having the requisite qualifications, which have not been three times certified, to the appointing officer. The appointing officer shall select one or more of such persons, unless he shall offer objections which the board, with the approval of the Commission, may deem sufficient, in which case a new certificate shall be issued omitting the names of those to whom objection has been made.

Appointment or employment for temporary service shall be made as far as practicable as appointments to permanent positions. Where the needs of the service require, the board may authorize the temporary appointment of any eligible or of a person whose name is not on any register; but no person shall render more than thirty days' temporary service in any period of twelve months where appointed out of his turn, or outside these regulations.

A laborer separated without misconduct shall be eligible to be restored to the register for his remaining period of eligibility, or for reinstatement in the same department or office upon certificate of the board, within one year from the date of separation.

An employee in good standing may be transferred to another department or office upon certificate of the board to any position requiring like qualifications.

Thirty days after the date hereof the board shall organize and be given all existing registers and all applications then in the possession of the existing board for rating and transfer to the new registers. Upon the establishment of such new registers the board shall notify appointing officers that it is prepared to certify eligibles, and thereafter no appointment or employment of an unskilled laborer shall be made, except in accordance with these regulations.

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 * November 15, 1904.