New-York tribune., 1886-01-01
HORDES OF OFOFFICE-SEEKERS.
THOUSANDS WHO WANT THE SOFT PLACES.
MORE WOMEN THAN MEN IN THE ARMY or APPL'-


| CANTs-EFFORTs TO CHECK THE SCRAMBLE.
WAsHINGToN Dec. 31.-Commissioncr Eaton
has just made the following report relative to applicants
from the Civil Service records: /" It was anticipated
when the Civil Service examinations were provided lor
that the time would when for various states III"
Offices there would be great and needless number
OF applicants to make necessary some lmltatoh vi
the time they should be allowed to retain their places
upon the record books kept those seeking 20 be exam
ined.
"As the Commission is required. with certain small
exceptions inform oil applicants for examination III
the order of the entry OF their upon these recor
it is plain that large numbers might In snort time
have their entered therein 10 prevent Tor years
perhaps any other persons being reached for examna-
ton TO enable the Commission to prevent so uDreason
able monopoly. Rule 13 authorizes 1t to provide by
regulation for dropping from the records the applicants
whose have been thereon for SIX months or more
without having reached in due course for eAamina
tion. regulation OF thai Kind wnle preventing such
a monopoly, would allow equal chances TO all for
being examined. II any OF those dropped desire another
of being reached for examination they can maze
new application aud be entered upon the foot OF the
record
ut hardly need stated that the object OF the exam
nations not primarily TO examine all OF those VINO may
apply however excessive their numbers but to give all
applicants equal opportunities for examination ana 10
examine many OF them required to secure sur
foient number from whom 10 make the selections OF
competent for filling the vacancies in the puDc
service The number examined il sure be many times
greater than the number appointed. IL would obviously
be a Of the time OF the examiners and needless
labor to go with unlimited examinations regardless
of the pu needs by which the chances OF every one
examined for an Office would DO made and moro
mote.
at may take some time to supply and demand
in the matter Of the examinations aud appointments ht-
y adjust themselves each other but. with proper
regulation for dropping applicants from the record II
need not be doubted ha. In this matter as in all Others
such an adjustment will before long be reached.
In most OF the States thus far the number OF applicants
has not been beyond the nunbcr needed at the eAanh
atiOns wlo In of them. and also at several OF the
Offices and Offices, and in the District OF
Columbia especially, tho excess has become considera-
bic. II natural that solicitation Tor places. and
skill in securing them, should be developed in To-
caltcs Washington. The natural result has been
that IN these localities tho number OF appcantS Ia most
excessive The primary object OF tile provision IN the
civil Service Act that appointments Hereunder shall DC
apportioned among the States and Territories In the
ratio OF population doubtless to prevent the natu-
raj consequences Office seeking habits the
Capital but 1t Is in spirit the less applicable to eA
ccssve Office seeking in other states.
"On November / the records Of the Commission
showed the following facts TO applicants: The Dis
trict OF Columbia entitled to only four appointments
out OF 1900 IT had 25J applicants seeking cNanina
tion being than any public requires 20 DO
examined In the noxt i've years. Maryland which Is !
entitled 20 nineteen appointments odt Ot l. OOo |
had 2si applicants ON the records, more |
than twice the number from the Fix Ncw-England |
States with NewJerseJ and Dol1wHic added Virginia,
which Is entitled to thirty appointments ont OF loo
had 2Gl applicants, or more than twice as many as al
those Texas aud all the other states bordering ON
tho Gulf OF Mexico with those from South Carolina
added Delaware which ~ entitled To three appoint
Deus out of lOOO had more applicants than WISCONSIN,,
Minnesota. Florida and Vermont combined.
But there other states not so near WASHINGTON
from which the excess is considerable Pennsylvania
which Is entitled 10 oightysN appointments out OF
had applicants, thirtYuiuc than New
York which entitled 10 lO2 appointments ont Of OOO
Ohio which Is entitled sKtyfOur Hppoiutm nt- Out OF
900 had 232 applicants on the records being almost
there from the states OF Michigan,
Wisconsin. Minnesota Iowa. Missouri and kansas lndi-
ana which entitled to forty appointments out OF OOO
had 1872 applicants on the records which exceeds all
those from the six states ast named. West virginia and
Kontucky the next states from which The applicants
most tend TO an excess.
Few persons think. regard II just TO all Of
those who have nceiesy crowded on 10 these records
mOnopOze all the opportunities OF being called Tor
examination for the long dine which must olap,c before
they will all be examined Where all who
may present Themselves cannot be examined u seems
plain that each should have fair ana equal chance. ard
II reached. they should give way to others abso
lutey II they prefer 10 the loot OF the record for
"A second opportunity.
"It Is especially worthy Of notice that the excess Of
female applicants much greater than that OF males
Columbia and also Of those from Maryland are frmaIes
There 81 female applicants from Nirxnia 20 from {
and ~ from Oho. But
a rs males females requested |
by the Departments for appointment and the
Commission has no authority whatever on tho subject
such facts may well be considered by persons who are
attend the examination and OF complaining because
no places can bo found for them"
The report accepted and a regulation has been
adopted Tor carrying It's recommendations into effect