The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-10
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION,

Thus far the system of open competition
has been applied only to the minor places
in the Departments in Washing ton, and to
the offices of the Treasury Department in
the city Of New York. The information
from all sources agrees that it has been as
successful as could be hoped, while the
salaries of the places are so low, and popu-
lar distrust of the sincerity of the reform
is so great, and that it is surely winning
its way to complete success against the
clamors and Misrepresentation of prejudice
and ignorance, and the active opposition
of all grades of politicians who see in the
threatened downfall of the old system an
end to their political hopes and schemes
That the success of the system has been so
great is largely due to the wisdom which
has been shown by the Boards of Examin-
ers-composed of practical men selected
from the officers of the departments-in
conducting their examinations.
Thanks to the restless opposit ion of Gen.
Butler, who, unable to understand how
men intrusted with duties so responsible
could be honest, and, hopeful of unearth-
ing some evidence of trickery or chicanery,
persuaded the House of Representatives to
call for copies of all the questions used in
the civil service examinations, the Boards
have been enabled to place their examina-
ton papers before the public, and SO to
vindicate the wisdom and fairness of the
examinations. Unlike the English exami-
ners who seem concerned to secure for
the civil service persons of the requisite
social standing rather than practical bust
ness capacity, and who have therefore set
up so high standard that only University
men or others of equally high training can
hope to pass it, the Boards appear to have
been careful to so shape their examinations
as to test actual present capacity for the
public service rather than mere scholastic
or literary attachments. The candidate is
seated at a desk, and confronted with a
days work, in the shape of an examination
quite equal in difficulty to that of any place
to which he is likely to be assigned. If he
passes the ordeal he cannot fail to be equal
to the duties required of him in the de-
partment. The examinations for admis-
| sion to the service are confined to element
airy subjects, embracing arithmetic as far
as percentage, tho elements of book keep
ing, photography, syntax, punctuation,
English composition, precise or briefng,
and general questions concerning the con-
stitution, geography, and history of the
United States, all embodied, as far as poss-
ible, in concrete as, practical exercises,
judiciously chosen. In the examinations
for promotion the same range of element
airy topics is preserved, with the addition
of technical questions pertaining to the
organization, practice, and duties of the
Office, and increasing in difficulty with the
rank of the place to be filled. These last
mentioned questions demand from the ex-
aminers thorough knowledge and good
Judgements demand to which the Board
seem to have been fully equal. Great care
appears to have been taken to shape the
examinations with reference to the places
10 be filled, and to exclude useless, absurd,
OR catch questions. -Scri6ner's for May.