Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-03-29
Au STA.
cIv71 SER VICE REF0RK.

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CIVIL SER VICE REFORM i
The reform in the civil service which
was inaugurated few months since has
grown into fair proportions. 1t has been
carried into operation in most Of the de-
partments Mt Washington and the Custom
House Mt New York. The Board OF Ex.
aminers for the Treasury Department give
in a recent report important information
asto changes which have been effected,
and how the system works.
Within the last ten months the Treasury
examiners have held twenty-eight exam
nations, seven Of candidates for admis- !
sion to the service, twenty-one Of candi-
dates for promotion. The candidates of
both classes numbered 6l3, and 140 va
cancies have been filed. The method of
conducting the examinations is described
very fully, and all its features are careful
" explained by the examiners. An indi-
cation Of the spirit with which the exam
iners have to contend is found in their ex-
perience in attempting, as authorized by
The rules, to select from verylarge num-
Der OF candidates tor examination num-
Der which it was practicable to deal with.
< .'It was soon found" says the report,
s'that, Notwithstanding the repeated warnings
of the inefacacy Of personal importantly,
: snd the assurance that only manifest merit
conld secure . summons for examination,
the member Of the board we're 90 besieged
BY applicants and their personal and political
friends, for the purpose of SECURING notifca-
tions to appear for examination, that but little
time was left for the performance Of their
customary duties"
So the Board, in despair, examined all
the applicants. They have since adhered
= to this rule.
= The entire number of questions was ar
ranged in such way that the answering
them within the six hours should be . fair
test Of general capacity for work at thu
desk. The Board says that It is believe,
that the ability to pass the complete ex
animation in the time fixed, is, of itself
prima taeie evidence Of ability to do tn
general work Of almost any first elias
clerk in the department. The question
were grouped, and each group was place,
upon separate sheet, which were give
out in succession to the applicants. Their
are eleven sheets in all. Five Of then
contain questions in arithmetical calcu,a
ton, devised to test the capacity of tn,
applicant to perform the actual duties o
tho Office he applies for. Most of the ex
amples are furnished by the heads Of the
bureaus in which vacancies exist, and de.
scribe actual transactions that will come
within the business Of applicants 1t sue.
cessful. Of this rule, the examiners say
SIT il precisely at this point that persons
fresh from school and those without thorough
knowledge, who have prepared themselve,
especially for examination, fail. 1t 10 an easy
matter to learn a simple rule, such ~ that FOL
the multiplication or division of common OF
decimal fractions. and to apply it to An sb
stract exercise, but it is different and . mucl
more difficult matter to acquire, without thor
ough training and practical experience, tn
power to analyze . concrete problem, and de
tsrmine by what rules 1t should be solved. An,
this power of analysis 10 usually found to ex
lot only in those who have had some practi
cal business training and experience"
tons in history, government, and geogra.
ply. These are general in their nature,
and emprace only two or three questions
under each head. The result of the ex-
aminations as to Government is not flat
tering. They shave brought to light an
amazing degree of ignorance, on the part
of many of the most general features Of
the Constitution" But the examiners as
sert with confidence that knowledge on
these subjects has gone hand in hand with
efficiency in the practical details, and they
say, what we hope there are few hardy
enough to question, that ''it would be q
wise requirement to exact from the Gov.
eminent, under the civil service rules,
familiarity with the provisions of the Con-
stitution of the United States as a condi-
ton precedent to his admission to the
competitive examination
Two sheets are designed to test the can
didate's ability to spell and write ordinary
sentences in the English language cor
rectly. The questions are purposely made
extremely simple, and the answers have
considerable weight attached to them.
And here it may be remarked of the ele-
mentary subjects embraced in the examin-
alton. that it is found that those who
know these best are also best informed
in the technical part of the examination.
In every case general intelligence and
information are the best guarantees of ca
pacity for clerical services"
The examiners have at every point
striven to make the examinations the test
of the capacity to do the work, and not of
mere book knowledge. This has been
sought, not only by examining candidates
as to calculations taken from the actual
transactions OF the department. but also
in the case Of promotions, by giving due
weight to the report of the head of the
bureau in which the applicant has been