Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-16

Doyle WAS hldle stenographer to that body.
While engaged in the New York office Mr.
Doyle had not neglected his studies. of which
law was the chief. and when he came to this
city he entered the law school of Columbian
university. A year later he graduated with
hOnors. In August, 1886. President Cleveland
promoted him to be secretary. which position
he now holds. Secretary Doyle is a democrat
civil service reformer of very advanced
type and an obhglng official; always ready to
give such information as he may have for dis
tribution.
THE sECRETARy's ASSISTANTS.
In the same room as Secretary Doyle are two
other laborers i'll the civil service vineyard
Alexander c. Campbell and Orville s. Swank.
the former a receiver and registrar of mail
and general dispenser of application blanks
the latter engaged i'll never-ending struggle
with the stenographic and typewritng work of
the entire commission.
Beyond the secretary's fenced-in sanctum,
on the northern side, Is the stationery room
an apartment which was once used as a private
Office by some OF the mayors. In this room are
the papers In the cases of those who have not
yet been appointed, but who ''are opes" The
big file cases are full even to overlooking and
there Is pressing need for more accommoda-
tons and increased clerical force. This de-
partment is operated by Mr.. Matthew f. Hal
loran, who Is another example of practical re-
form. When the commission was organzed-
more than six years agO-he was its messenger
He Is now doing the complicated work OF keep
ing III perfect order the list of eligibles and
making the certificates as they are called for
by the various departments.
IL THE CHIEF EXAMINERS DEPARTMENT
The inquisitorial department is on the second
floor. There Chief Examiner Webster and his
force lay traps for the candidates and they bag
a good many of the unwary and unprepared.
There Is nothing ornate about the furnishing
OF the rooms. but they are more homelike aud
comfortable than the Offices of any other gov
eminent clerks in the city. They are per-
haps, a little crowded but the crowding has no.
vet reached a dangerous stage. When there is
big examination going on and the examine
ton room Is occupied with applicants there is
less elbow room i'll the offices than there ought
to be, but such troubles only temporary.
There is good deal of machinery in Col Web
sters department. and 1T keeps the little force
pretty busy to operate 1t. Few people realize
what an amount of work is necessary before a
certitication can be made to a department
When any one sends TO the commission for an
application blank it is at once forwarded with
very specific instructions and apositive man
date that there must not be in the application
any discld (lre OF religious belief or political
utilization.
TIE FUN OF THE THING.
Some OF these application blanks when
filled out by applicants furnish very amusing
reading, but a rule the humor is entirely I'M
conscious. The first question is What is your
name? Give full Christian name and full sur
name" That the term Christian name" is
not understood by everybody has been proven
by several replies. Some people supposed it
meant religious belief, and one man filled in
the reply Presbyterian Jackson Crosby" and
woman ventured the answer Methodist
Mary Farrar." great many of the applicants
are compelled to admit that they are citizens
of other countries and of course are disquali-
fed. but the females almost always undertake
to argue the case. and no amount of facts or
reasoning will convince them that they ought
to be naturaliZed before they enter the serv-
vices of the United States Before the organ
ization of the commission q great many who
were not citizens secured appointments.
LEFT TO THE APPOINTING POWER TO SETTLE.
One of the questions calls for Information as
| to whether other members Of the applicants
| family are in Uncle Sans service and large
proportion of those who want to be admitted
have been preceded by relatives. The rule is
that there shall not be more than two members
of any one family in Office at the same time
but the commission takes no cognzance of the
| question OF relationship until after the appIi-
cant has been examined and Is certified for
| appointment The department to which tho
certltication has been made is then notified and
the matter is left in the hands OF the Secretary
! Tor adjudication. The lines of relationship are
very nne and 1t Is sometimes difficult to tell
| what family an applicant belongs to. In re-
4 Spouse to the question: Have you ever been
| convicted of, or are you under indictment for
] any crime?' very many affirmative replies have
| been received. Where it is evident that the
crimes have been serious the commission re-
| fuses to receive the application; if, however
il is a matter of small consequence the appIi-
| cant is examined and the facts in his case are
reported when he is III he ever isl certified for
| appointment. OF all the thousands who have
/ filed application blanks not one ever confessed
| that he or she used intoxicating liquors to ex-
1 cess. and while a number of them ADMIT physi-
cal disabilities they all insist that they are ca
pablo of fully discharging the duties of the po-
| sitions to which they seek appointment A con.
siderable proportion OF those who are after gov.
| ernment appointments have been in the public
| service before, and while there are Other
causes they all claim that they were dismissed
for political reasons; that is the universal plea
Only few persons in the army or navy make
applications for examination, for they must
first secure the consent of the Secretary in con
| troll OF the department. they happen to be sub
! ordinate to. Retired officers NAV, however
| be examined without that Formally
THE APPOINTMENT OF Ex-soLDIERs
noteworthy fact il the one that there are
more ex-soldiers in the service of the United
States today than there ever was before thu
commission was organized, and this ID believed