Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-04

/ Dawes Immediately hen THESE are ouI VI
the way, it will be Of small consequence
whether Congress completes any other lcgls-
lation or not and there will be no occasion
for a session of any length after the 18th of
March
WASHINGTON.
The President 5 father, who is postmaster
at Covington, Ky is spending the holidays
at the White House. lie is very proud Of
UIv-ses, as he calls the President.
/ Mrs. Belknap, wife Of the Secretary of
War. died here last Thursday. She was a
most estimable and lovely woman, and was
much admired by those who had the pleasure
Of her acquaintance. Last winter, at the
Seeretarys reception, she was the observed
of all observers.
Mrs. James ) Corcoran, a daughter of
representative Beck Of kentucky, died here
few days ago, and her decease has thrown
a gloom over the society in which she moved.
She had been a belle in Washington society
for several winters. and was married only
three weeks since.
The people in Washington are just now
somewhat excited over an effort John II
Surratt Is making to deliver his lecture here.
Thus Tar he has been unable to get an eligible
hall His lecture is circumstentid ac-
count Of his connection with the conspiracy
t. abIuet Pres.d dent Lincoln. but he denies
having anything to do with the assassination.
lie has expected to make "a sensation, but
Ire failed IS hen he made the effort in New
York. scarcely any one going to hear him,
AMI he wouldu' 30 better here lie should
20 further South
CIVIL SERVICE reform is TIE TREASURY DIX
rARTuE>T.
Tin, resignation of Mr.. Cox as Secretary OF
the Interior, ha- called public attention
largely u the subject of d reform in the civil
scryIee,gnd more especially IN the methods Of
appointing and promoting clerks in the de-
partmcute. Correspondents have taken up
TIE matter in'thclr usual way. Some, ridi-
culiug the lIcg thar the examinations are AT
all strict. have given what they would have
believed II be lair specimens OF them. com
meneiug with, W here were you BORN and
ending With. What line # railroad did YOU
take IN coming t. the city? II the aPpli-
cant was clear and decided on these points
he always passed Others have seemed 70
think that such pile OF requirements has
been lesIed up. and go vigorous are the
board IN insisting upon them that cierkshiVs
are aencyf1rtl to Doe reward only for diStiu-
gui-Hed learning The truth of course lies
between the Two.
In tie Treasury Department, under the
Old regulations. the examinations, If ever
thorough bad gradually lost all their viSJr,
and resignation hv member Of Congress
4..t,.e grtito Igr,f IN Ia %
irrespective 81 ability or fitness. A political
influence declacd the appointments, - ID did
10 most cases the promotions and dsml>sals :,
80 that clerks as rule were made To feel
that tho tonuro of their Offices depended on
circumstances which had nothing 70 DO with
the iathluluc-e or ability with which they
filled them. In July last an order was L.
sued - en- rally modifying the whole system.
The substance ot II was that the board of
examiners should consist OF three the chief
% the bureau % which the clcrk L. assigned
tile chief clerk of the department. and f.
Il Elliott. E>q of the office OF the Secretary
OF the Treasury that the examinations
should bee more thorough, and the answers
be given Iu writing. since that time IL has
neither been easy for person who was
plainly incompetent nor difficult for one who
was reasonably wcll-iuiormed o. get certji-
Gates from the Secretary. \ fair specimen
Of the examination in thus department. would
be az follows Tho applicant is asked to
write a letter to the Secretary Of the Treas
.ury, giving IA short sketch OF his life with
particular reference to his education, busi-
ness experience, habits, etc. When tins is
done he is handed a paper IN Arithmetic
containing from eight % ten questions. In
order TO answer them he must be familiar
with fractions, decimals, compound numbers.
interest, etc. Then he IL furnish ed with an
account OF "A merchant OF dISbursing agent
which he il to balance. This problem is
constructed 50 as TO involve percentage and
discount and show the persons knowledge
OF book keeping. He is next furnished with
TWO or three papers in Grammar. Tie has
letters full of common errors 70 correct, sen
fences TO anIyze and questions in syntax to
answer. His attention u next invited TO
Geography, principally that OF our own
country, and lastly to History. with the lead
ing events OF which he Is required to be
acquainted. The time spent in writing will
be from four TO eight hours. After the chief
OF the bureau and the chief clerk have cx-
amined his papers they are sent to Mr.. Ell
lott who looks them over critically, and per
haps subjects the applicant to still further
examination.
Thus it will be seen that the requirements
are sufficient To insure the department
against incompetent persons, however strong
" backed by influential friends And it is
not fact as has been stated, that though
the examinations may be severe enough, 1t
makes not the slightest difference whether a
= person answers one question or twenty with
regard to his being finally admitted 1t has
been no uncommon thing to reject applicants,
and particularly those from the south, where
the principles of a common school education
have not been 50 generally diffused.
But such an examination would be valua-
bic, even if every one were admitted, in de-
ternining the class of duties to which q
clerk should be assigned. 4 written exam
nation OF several hours will inevitably give
tile examiners the means of estimating pretty
exactly the applicants general ability anc
the particular branch in which he will be
likely to excel. There is as wide range il
: the duties and responsible of clerks il
r the departments as there is among people
outside. Some are called upon TO exercise
the discretion and judgment of lawyers
while others, like machines, do to-day ex
actiy what they have done for days anC
weeks past Ii becomes, therefore, matter
of much Importance TO know, not only in &
, general sense, that persons qualified, but
in what respect and in what degree they art
best fitted for their work. This information
the present examination affords.
Another excellent feature of the new ar
rangement is the rule that no clerk shall bt
promoted who has not passed satisfactorily
another written examination more severe
and comprehensive than the first. Beside
being questioned again in the principles o
: Arithmetic, Grammar, Geography and His
tory. the proficiency of the competitors il
: thoroughly tested in the class Of duties will