THE BONDAGE OF CITIES - The Community Environmental Legal ...

LOCAL GOVEBNMENT BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE. 421employments, and establish "public, free, practical, competi-"tive examinations." Each appointment to the classifiedservice must be made from a list of three applicants having thehighest rank for excellence in the examinations for health,capacity and fitness for the duties of the position to which theyaspire. The appointmentis on probation for six months. Ator before the expiration of this period, the head of the departmentor office in which the candidate isemployed may, withthe consent of the commissioners, discharge him on assigningin writing to the commissioners his reason for so doing. Afterthe period of probation,the appointee "cannot be removed,"except for cause, upon written charges, and after an opportunityto be heard in his own defence," the trial to be beforethe commissioners, or some officer or board appointed by them."Laborers" are not examined, but appointed according topriority of application.The officers put in the classified service make a long list,including the county clerk, assessor, tax collector, sheriff,auditor, the board of public works, the police department, thefire department, the board of election commissioners, board ofof homehealth, and all boards or departments controlling public utilitiesȦ splendid charter: civil service, public ownership, initiativeand referendum, and a very substantial degreerule three cheers for San Francisco and yet some of thereformers of 'Frisco complain that the charter is imperfect;very well, friends, you have the initiative; educate the votersand perfectit. What more do you want than the initiative,and a free press? You have the future in your own handssubject only to the possible contingency of adverse legislation.The constitutions of California, "Washington, etc., andthe charters of many municipalitiescontain a clause declaringthat: "Any county, city,town or township may"make and enforce within its limits, all such local, police, sani-"tary, and other regulations as are not in conflict with general"laws." (Cal. Const. Art. XL, 11.) This gives municipalitiesconsiderable freedom, whether theyhave freeholdcharters or not; in fact, so far as regulations are concerned, it