charge as they become acquainted with the ability displayed by each man. In recommending promotion of employees the policy of the service, regarding smaller and more frequent increases in salary, should be followed whenever practicable. Recommendations made by any official for promotion of subordinates should be made to the next higher officer. Promotion during the probationary period is prohibited without prior approval by the Civil Service Commission.

17. Influence. Recommendations for promotion from persons outside the service are expressly forbidden, as shown by section 3, of civil-service rule XI, as follows:

No recommendation for the promotion of a classified employee shall be considered by any officer concerned in making promotions, unless it be made by the person under whose supervision such employee has served; and such recommendation by any other person, if made with the knowledge and consent of the employee, shall be sufficient cause for debarring him from the promotion proposed, and a repetition of the offense shall be sufficient cause for removing him from the service.

18. Promotion, importunities for. Importunities on the part of employees for promotion are strictly prohibited. All violations of the above order shall be reported. The supervising officers are thoroughly informed and competent to judge of the qualifications of those under their direction, and will endeavor to do justice in all cases. It is not to be understood that employees are forbidden to appeal to the director on the ground of unjust discrimination against them or to report unfair or improper treatment. Such an appeal, however, shall be in writing, shall state explicitly some substantial ground of complaint and may be forwarded direct to the director.

19. Promotions, when made.-Promotions of educational employees at salaries less than $3,000 per annum can be made only after three months' service in any position from date of appointment or previous promotion, and promotion shall not exceed $10 per month or its equivalent at one time or $240 per year or its equivalent in any one year, without the specific approval of the Secretary. In positions carrying salaries at $3,000 per annum or over, promotions can be made only after six months' service from date of appointment or previous promotion, and shall not be more than $300 per year in any one year except by special authority of the Secretary. The rates paid to employees on annual or monthly bases shall conform to the salary schedule in the following paragraph.

20. Salary grades. Officers making recommendations for appointments or promotions will, whenever practicable, conform to the following schedule:

Assistant examiner grades are $1,740 per annum and under and examiner grades are $1,800 per annum and over.

21. Reductions.-Reductions are made in accordance with the necessary changes in occupation, where, through completion of important or onerous work, employees formerly engaged upon it are assigned to less exacting duties. They may also be made when the employee's work shows less merit, or as a matter of discipline, or in order to enforce observance of regulations. For example, where a disbursing agent has intrusted checks signed in blank to his assistant, and this is the first offense, he may, instead of being dismissed from the service be reduced in grade.

22. Availability for transfer.-When the work on which the employee whose furlough is contemplated is about to be completed or there is some reason other than that his services have been unsatisfactory, which would necessitate removal from his present assignment, the chief of construction should be so informed. He will in turn

notify the other officers in the field with a view to transfer to some other project or division. Such information should be sent to the chief of construction in ample time prior to separation either by furlough or resignation to permit of full consideration on the part of other engineers in connection with an assignment.

23. Separations from the service.-Separations from educational positions filled by the Secretary or director may be effected through resignation, transfer to another service or department, dismissal, or death.

24. Resignation, procedure in submitting.-Each resignation of educational employees should be in writing, addressed to the director and should be forwarded at least 30 days, whenever practicable, prior to the date of effect thereof through the project manager and chief of construction, with their recommendations, to the director for action. In transmitting a resignation the cause should be stated and a concise statement furnished of the work on which the employee has been engaged and of his qualifications for other assignment. The employee's future address and a brief statement of his proposed plans, if these are known, should be given. Resignations transmitted for acceptance should be prepared so as to indicate specifically the last day of service. It is preferred that the words "effective at the close of" be used. The acceptance of a resignation implies that the employee leaves the service in good standing, and a refusal to accept a resignation leaves him with a discredited official standing.

25. Requirements preliminary to the acceptance of a resignation.— For obvious reasons no resignation will be definitely acted upon and final payment of the salary of the person resigning will be withheld until a certificate has been made by the engineer in charge covering the following facts: (a) That all notebooks, maps, or official data have been or will be completed to the extent of the responsibility of the resigner; (b) that all fiscal matters, outstanding accounts, or indebtedness, for which the resigner is responsible, have been properly certified or satisfactory written explanations thereof made; and (c) that all public property in the custody of the resigner has been accounted for, and that the property returns and transfers have been signed and the property delivered after inspection to the new custodian. Fiscal agents and certifying officers will be held responsible if payments are made without complete evidence that these requirements have been complied with. In all cases of doubt the matter should be referred to the Washington office for final settlement. A fiscal agent's resignation should be tendered a sufficient time in advance for a successor to be appointed and bonded, and if possible he should not leave the project until his successor has qualified.

26. Resigning to enter service of contractor.-It is generally inadvisable and opposed to sound professional ethics for an engineer or

other responsible employee to enter the service of a contractor over whose work he has had supervision. In case of the resignation of such an employee for this purpose the relations between the contractor and the employee prior to the resignation will be carefully scrutinized before its acceptance. If the facts indicate the existence of questionable relations the resignation will not be accepted.

27. Transfers from the Service. The provisions relating to resignations apply in general to transfers to other branches of the civil service. The rules governing such transfers are issued by the Civil Service Commission, and for information on these points the civil service rules may be consulted. In connection with transfers it is necessary to establish a date of effect or last day of service, and in case of the transfer of a field employee the last day of pay should be reported to the Washington office by the officer in charge. Upon receipt by the director of a request for transfer of a field employee the field office concerned is communicated with and action taken in accordance with recommendation from that office.

28. Removals. Relating to this point, civil-service Rule XII reads as follows:

(a) Section 6 of the act of August 24, 1912 (37 Stat., 555), provides "That no person in the classified civil service of the United States shall be removed therefrom except for such cause as will promote the efficiency of said service and for reasons given in writing, and the person whose removal is sought shall have notice of the same and of any charges preferred against him, and be furnished with a copy thereof, and also be allowed a reasonable time for personally answering the same in writing; and affidavits in support thereof; but no examination of witnesses nor any trial or hearing shall be required except in the discretion of the officer making the removal; and copies of charges, notice of hearing, answer, reasons for removal, and of the order of removal shall be made a part of the records of the proper department or office, as shall also the reasons for reduction in rank or compensation; and copies of the same shall be furnished to the person affected upon request, and the Civil Service Commission also shall, upon request, be furnished copies of the same:

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(b) In making removals or reductions, and in other punishment, like penalties shall be imposed for like offenses, and no discrimination shall be exercised for political or religious reasons.

(c) Pending action under section (a) of this rule, or for disciplinary reasons, a person may be suspended for a period not to exceed 90 days, but the reasons for such suspension shall at the time of the suspension be filed in the records of the proper department or office and copies shall be furnished the commission upon request. The period of suspension may be extended beyond 90 days with the prior consent of the commission.

Recommendations for removal should state the reasons therefor clearly and in detail. In cases where inefficiency or disqualification is the only cause, reasonable notice should be given to the employee. A removal requires a date of effect or last day on which the employee is in the service, and this date should be reported with the recommendation for removal.

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29. Death. The death of an educational employee should be reported to the Washington office, giving the date and cause of death and any other pertinent facts.

30. Furloughs. When a reduction is required in the number of officials or employees whose duties are of a scientific, technical, or professional character, and it is believed that it may be advantageous to the service to recall such employees to duty at some future time, they may be furloughed without pay upon approval of the director, for the good of the service, and such furlough will render them eligible for reemployment in their respective positions under this department for a period equal to the life of their furlough, which in no case shall exceed three years, without further examination or appointment. Persons while on furlough shall not engage in work which conflicts with or is inimical to the interests of the Government. To do so will be sufficient cause for the prompt termination of the furlough and separation from the service.

31. Railroad fares, paying of. The comptroller's decision of August 14, 1907, holds that under the provisions of the reclamation act the Secretary is authorized to incorporate into contracts of employment of laborers and mechanics as a part of the consideration for the services to be rendered thereunder a provision for the payment of the expenses of transportation of such employees from the places of their entering into contract to the place where their services are to be rendered. (Citing 1 Comp. Dec. 106; 4 id. 632; 5 id. 663).

When new appointees, other than laborers and mechanics, are engaged, memorandum of employment should be prepared, showing the position for which employed, rate of compensation, date of first payment for services and whether traveling expenses will be allowed or not. The following rules will, in general, govern in these matters:

(a) Educational positions, new appointments.-Railroad and Pullman fares will be allowed from point of employment to designated headquarters via the shortest route. Salary will begin upon beginning of said travel.

(b) Educational positions, reinstatements.-Railroad and Pullman fares will be allowed from point of employment to designated headquarters via the shortest route. Salary will begin upon beginning of said travel.

(c) Educational positions, transfers from one project to another.-Railroad and Pullman fares will be allowed and actual personal expenses not to exceed $3.50 per day while en route from point of transfer to new assignment via the shortest route. Salary will be allowed while traveling and should be charged to the project to which employee is transferred.

(d) Registered positions, new appointments.-Railroad and Pullman fares will be allowed from point of employment to designated head