1. All vacancies in the classified railway mail service above class 1,
unless among the places excepted from examination, shall be filled by
promotion, upon such tests of fitness as the Postmaster-General, with
the approval of the Commission, may prescribe: _Provided_, That a
vacancy occurring in a State or railway mail division in any grade may
be filled by the transfer of a clerk of the same grade from another
State or division, under such regulations as the Postmaster-General,
with the approval of the Commission, may prescribe, or by reappointment
under the provisions of Railway Mail Rule VI.
2. All vacancies in class 1, unless filled by transfer or reappointment
under Railway Mail Rule VI, shall be filled in the following manner:
(_a_) The general superintendent shall, in form and manner to be
prescribed by the Commission, request the certification to him of
eligibles from a State or Territory in which a vacancy then exists.
(_b_) The Commission shall certify from the register of the State
or Territory in which the vacancy exists the names of the three
eligibles thereon having the highest averages who have not been three
times certified: _Provided_, That if upon said register there are
the names of eligibles having a claim of preference under section 1754,
Revised Statutes, the names of such eligibles shall be certified before
the names of other eligibles of higher grade: _Provided further_;
That if there are not three eligibles upon the register of the State or
Territory in which the vacancy exists eligibles may be certified from
the register of any adjoining State or Territory.
(_c_) The name of an eligible shall not be certified more than
three times.
3. Of the three names certified to the general superintendent one shall
be selected and designated for appointment, and more than one may be if
there be more than one vacancy existing at the time.
4. Each person designated for appointment shall be notified, and upon
reporting to the proper officer shall be appointed for a probational
period of six months, at the end of which period, if his conduct and
capacity be satisfactory, he shall be absolutely appointed; but if his
conduct and capacity be not satisfactory he shall be so notified, and
such notice shall be his discharge from the service.
5. The general superintendent, with the approval of the
Postmaster-General, shall prescribe regulations under which each
probationer shall be observed and tested and a record kept of his
conduct and capacity, and such record shall determine his fitness for
the service and whether he shall be dropped during or at the end of
probation or be absolutely appointed.
6. There may be certified and appointed in each State and Territory, in
the manner provided for in this rule, such number of substitute clerks,
not exceeding the ratio of one substitute to twenty regular clerks, in
such State or Territory as the Post-master-General may authorize, and
any vacancies occurring in class 1 in any State or Territory in which
substitutes have been appointed shall be filled by the appointment
thereto of those substitutes in the order of their appointment as
substitutes without further certification. The time during which any
substitute is actually employed in the service shall be counted as a
part of his probation.