The Evening critic., 1884-02-11
AN INSIDE VIEW
OF Technical CIvlI-service Exam
ination 80 what Questions We're
Asked, ana How It Was Con-
sIuafaH

OF a Technical CivlI-Service Exam
ination - what Questions We're
Asked, ana How Ht Was Con-
ducted.
Not long ago It was announced that there
would be technical examination for clerk
in the Treasury Departmont-salary $1,000
per annum. Judge Lawrence, First Comp
troller, wanted an assistant TO give him points
for tho decision OF some OF the knotty problems
that como before him. A young lawyer, who
was an applicant, gave his experience as fol-
'First made out an application, stating
that had a little knowledge OF Blackstone,
Kent and Wedgwo0d that might be OF assist
ance to the civil department OF tho Govern.
ment, and addressed 1t TO the headquarters OF
the commission. In reply received an on
velopo with the usual heading, '0nloial bust.
tho payment OF postage on private matter
OF any kind will be subject to lne
OF I'VE hundred dollars. The envelope
dressed to appear before that august body,
the OWL Service Commission, for the purpose
OF being examined, as there was vacancy In
tho First Comptroller's of1ice requiring
como knowledge or the law, and was further
informed that the notification must BIO pro-
scented as authority to appear. When l saw
that technical examination was TO take
place for this position l concluded TO
take up oil tho books thought OF and read
law, which did until the morning OF oxamlna.
4
conclusion that knew nothing about law and
grew desperate, but would go before the Com
mission In spite OF the urgent entreatles OF
friends. The examination was fixed for
Thursday, the 31st OF January, and wont to
the place designated whore found number
OF others, and we handed our notln.
ncation papers TO tho genial secretary
OF the Commission. The examination papers
were printed by a typewriter, and there was
on each number OF questions, comparatively
easy ones. on each page each candidate
plurO1 hia unmhar rOrraannnIfnR To n
Der lnclosed In an envelope niled out previous
to the examination. That contained the party's
velope was sealed, with the number on the
outside. Besides the number he marked down
tho time he received the paper containing the
questions, and then, after answering the
question, he put down the time"
"what was that forf"
81 suppose to tell how long It took to answer
the question. After the several papers were
ton was through. AS they were finished the
sheets were passed to the three special exami-
ners, who, as they received them, looked them
over, remarking something about this, point.
ing to that and looking to the applicants as
they glanced over them"
"who were the examiners 2"
was represented on the said special examina-
ton, although none of his race were passing
through the Civil.Service ordeal.
''oan't you tell any OF the questions ?"
~ might remember some OF them. 'What 10
controct?' Define Res Adjudicdtd and Start
DeciSis; describe common law, statute law,
municipal law All easy questions enough,
that student could answer In his examlna.
ton for promotion to a senior class. The last
question was as near as l can recollect. 'When
is the Government justified IN exercising Its
right OF eminent domain 2 or words to that Of
feet. This was TO be addressed to the honor
able the First Comptroller OF the Treasury De-
partment in the form of letter.
"pid you have to go through any other OK
animation ?"
"0h, yes. There was tho regular compet-
tive examination. We wero first to write on
dictation a section OF the Civil Service bill; to
give q list OF twenty cities in the United states
to copy another section; then to write In flg-
them up; to write in words a number OK
pressed In figures; to do an example In long
division, examples In fractions, In interest,
commission, and an example like this: There
are a million OF letters taken up u day,
and the Government has given to tho post
ONCE two classes OF clerks, experienced and
new; there are ton OF each clase, aud the ex
pericnced class can sort i've times as many as
the new In one day, how many can each ex-
perienced and new clerk sort fn a day and
how many can each class sort . Some OF the
States are bounded on the south by the Ohio
River 2 Give ten cities on the Mississippi
River;' the States and Territories bordering
on the British poeseesions; the capitals OF
would pass through in going from Chicago to
the ocean,. The Constitutional question
was: what arc the qualifications OF a Sem
| ator and Representative p and the historic
questions wore: who, among the Presidents,
have died In ONCE and the length Of tint
| they were in ofIce?' Name ton battles OF thu
| Revolution Then a verse was required
| to be turned Into prose, and the examination
| ing 1t to tho Secretary of State, on a subIec
| mentioned. This finished II, and you may de
| pend upon It after the examination wa,
through with felt that all knowledge hat
| DaeHel Out of me-