Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-31

The Secretary of the Navy is undergoing an
experience seldom known among cabinet off,
GERS. 1t is the usual fate Of such officials to be
practically besieged by Office seekers from the
moment they take possession Of their port
folios until four years later they relinquish
their grasp on the handle. In the Navy De-
partment, however, at the present time, this
state Of things seems to have been reversed.
One month ago the promotion Of q typewriter
and clerk in the Bureau Of Steam Engineering
left $500 vacancy to be filed. The Civil
Service Commission was called upon to furnish
list Of eligibles for the selection Of a clerk to
fill the place. A name was fixed upon and the
-usually-fOrtunate man was notified Of his
usually-good luck. Somewhat to the surprise
Of the Department he refused, giving the ex-
cuse that
THE SALARY WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH.
Another name was quickly drawn and another
letter written. The surprice was somewhat
increased when the second man notified the
Department that in view of the low salary
which the place offered he could not accept
the appointment. A third man was selected but
with the same result. Things began to assume
an unheard of hue, and the Department Off
cials were at q loss to understand why they
could not find man for the place. The
fourth, fifth and sixth selection met with
perhaps the lucky seventh would accept.
He, too, declined. Appointments and
declinations were now being made in
lightning order, and to-day telegraphic dec
Hopes are entertained that in the course of
events some one will fall into the trap. The
duties of the position are comparatively light,
and there is nothing about the place to discOur-
age any applicant except the salary, which has
been the objection in every one Of the twelve
cases.
SIMILAR EXPERIENCE
on slightly smaller scale is being undergone
in filling position at $3.50 in the Naval War
Records Office. Nine ladies have refused the
appointment, and the tenth has Just been noti-
fed of her selection. OF course there is a good
chance of promotion for such an appointee, but
there seems to be q most unusual hesitation
among the ofice-seekers This repeated re-
fusal to accept the places offered is particularly
have all passed the preliminary civil-service
examination.
AT THE CIvIL-sERyICE ROOMS.
While STAR reporter was at the Civil Serv-
ice Commission rooms to-day five letters were
placed on the desk of Secretary Doyle. These
letters were from the Navy Department, notify
ing the Commission that the five persons
named in the five letters had declined appoint
ment. The situation, as learned by The STAR
reporter, was somewhat different from the view
obtained through the Navy Department spec
tacles. The call upon the Commission was for
Of $780,
Mr.. Doyle said that well-qualifed stenog-
raphers or type-writers could not easily be in
dnced to enter the public service at the same
salary received by ordinary clerks Of the lower
grade. Persons at all expert as stenographers
or type-writers could earn more money ontside.
CALLING FOR sTENoaRAPHERs AND rYPRwRITERs.
Mr.. Doyle said that persons Of technical
| training, such as stenographers, bookkeepers
| and typewriters, who passed civil-service ex-
| aminations received appointments almost i'm
mediately. He examined two stenographers
in New York on the 11th inst, and before two
weeks had passed they had both received ap-
pointments in the Departments in this city.
1t had become smomewhat a practice, he
said, for Department Officials to call for q
.'stenographer and typewriter" to fill places
that were know to law only as clerical places.
The appropriation acts provide for clerks
only, and the Department chiefs call
for stenographers or typewriters, men
who, in addition to ordinary clerical
qualifications possessed technical knowledge
and had technical training. Thus the list Of
eligibles Of stenographers was constantly ex-
hausted. Department officials found that as
rule, persons with such requirements were more
efficient. As good stenographers and type
writer's however, can generally obtain en-
plOyment it difficult to fill clerical places of
low grade with such persons.