Executive Order 2121

Amending the Civil Service Rules.

Section 2 of Rule X is hereby revoked and the following promulgated in lieu thereof:

2. No person appointed without competitive examination to a position classified at the time of such appointment, and no person serving in an unclassified position, or in a position named in Schedule A or Schedule B, not appointed by competitive examination or by transfer or promotion from a competitive position, shall be transferred to a competitive position except as hereinafter provided in this rule and in Schedule A.

This amendment is promulgated upon the recommendation of the Civil Service Commission to make a definite prohibition upon the transfer of a person appointed through noncompetitive examination under Schedule B, and to indicate that there are exceptions from the general provisions of the section in other sections of the rules.

Section 12 of Rule X is hereby revoked and the following promulgated in lieu thereof:

12. A citizen of the United States in the service of the Panama Canal on or before January 1, 1915, in an excepted position other than that of clerk paying not more than $75 in gold per month may be transferred without examination to a position in the competitive classified service, provided:

(a) This section shall not apply to a person appointed to a competitive position in accordance with the civil service rules, his transfer to be governed by the general provisions of the rules.

(b) This section shall not apply to a person appointed without examination to perform the duties of clerk of any grade, bookkeeper, stenographer, typewriter, surgeon, physician, trained nurse, or draftsman.

(c) He must have rendered at least two years' service in a position above the grade of mere unskilled laborer in the service of the Panama Canal or of the Panama Railroad by transfer from the Canal.

(d) He may be transferred to a position of no higher grade requiring similar qualifications or to a position of a lower grade for which he is qualified.

(e) He must be specially recommended by the Governor of the Panama Canal by reason of efficient service and satisfactory conduct.

(f) If separated from the service the requisition for transfer must be made within three years from the date of separation, and if he has been separated more than one year evidence of continuing good character and efficiency may be required.

This order is promulgated upon the recommendation of the Secretary of War, the Governor of the Panama Canal, and the Civil Service Commission. It supersedes the Executive order of February 18, 1913, relating to the transfer of artisans from the service of the Panama Canal, which by Executive order of June 15, 1914, was included in section 12 of Rule X.

The effect of this order is to confer eligibility for transfer, subject to proper restrictions, upon employees of the Panama Canal who have rendered two years' satisfactory service in excepted positions and who have not had full opportunity for examination. Employees appointed through competitive examination and artisans only have been eligible for transfer, the force of engineers, foremen, trainmen and other persons not regarded as artisans, not being eligible.

Woodrow Wilson.

The White House, 19 January, 1915.