, 1889-05-02
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
AN EXAMINATION HELD IN sPO.
KANE FALLS.
And . High Omcisl Relates Some Inter
ssting fsots About Postal
AHairs.

4. B. Nivers, one Of the examiners oi
the civil service commission, whose dut,
it is to examine applicants for positions
in the railway postal service, and for de-
partmental positions in Washington, D.
c., arrived in this city yesterday, and
leaves this morning for Seattle. This
gentleman did not make this visit for the
purpose Of examining candidates for posi-.
tions as postoffice clerks, as many supposed
but for the departments as above stated
except in such postoffces as employed
City or more clerks aud there are only two
such on this coast, Portland and San Fran.
cisco.
A reporter spent An hour yesterday
chatting with Mr.. Nivers and obtained
many items Of interest connected with
the postal department which are
no doubt interesting TO the public. There
are four branches Of the civil service de-
I partuent, As follows: First, the classified
departmental service at Washington, ID.
c., which has the power Of filing 5000
places in that department at salaries rang.
ing from $500 to 81 300 q year. Second,
tie classified postal service, which includes
offices employing 6fty persons or upward.
All applicants for clerfships in such
oIC tAdmluCu tuC CtNti bCHNfSC COmuuIb-
sion. Third, the Classified customs serv-
ice, including custom houses. The col.
lectors OF each house must FIJI all vacancies
from the ranks Of those who have passed
examinations. There are 5000 places to
be filled by this department. Fourth,
this branch IL the railway mail service
and Ia in charge OF superintendent for
each division Of the department, to whom
all applications for positions in the rail-
way mail service must be made on recon-
mendation Of the civil service commission.
Five Thousand places is the number to be
kept filed under this head. The four diff.
ferent departments above enumerated
have %, 900 places TO keep filed by per.
sons who have passed examinations and
are competent.
An applicant for an appointment to any
Of the places to be filed must first write to
the civil service department at Washing
ton, ID. c., when he will be furnished with
blank to be filed out in the proper man.
ner and returned. This application must
be made not less than ten days
before the time set for the
examinations at the place where the ap-
plicant resides.
These appointments, though made in
effect the power of removals BY postmast.
ers. rs their power In this particular is un.
restricted, but vacancies can only be filled
by civil service commission.
Last year Ellensbur9h and Tacoma were
the places designated for holding these
examinations; this year II is Spokane
Falls and Seattle. The examination held
here yesterday was for the purpose of de-
termining the qualifications of applicants
for positions in the railway mail service.
and for department work at Washington,
ID. G. Only three persons were examined.
An applicant is required to be u fuIl.
hedged citizen, the first papers only Of u
foreigner not being sufficient.
Mr.. Nivers stated that ne was not o
postal inspector, as many supposed, and
had nothing whatever to do with that de.
partment, but on being asked for infor-
nation as to the method of remedying the
evils that exist in offices like the one in
this city, where the appropriation is too
small to secure sufficient number of
clerks. he stated that the power to make
the appropriations lies with congress, but
those taking I'm interest in bettering the
service should make their recommendations
and esti Inmates to the postal department at
Washington, where they would be laid
before the proper congressional COM
mittees.
Another fact developed during the in.
terview that may be new and of interest
to many ia that in 1884 when the
law came into force to reduce letter
postage from 3 to 2 cents. to a person not
posted 1t appeared ss though this law only
reduced the postal revenues one-third,
while at the same time the rates we've
changed from 6 cents to Q cents per ounce,
thus reducing the revenues twO-thirds.
Had the old rates been kept up the de-
partment would have been self-sustaining.
and there would have been no cause for
complaint like the Spokane Falls, and
other Offices have had from the rigid econ
omy that the department has had to prac.
tice.
Mr.. Nivers during this trip holds ex.
aminations at twenty.three postoffices, be.
ginning at Chicago April s. travelling
Westward over the Northern Pacific to
Seattle, thence to Portland and San Fran.
cisco, and from there East over the Gem
trail and Union Pacific. and completes his
work for the year ct Columbus, Ohio. June
4 He has been 10 the employ of the gov
ernment three and ons-half years, and was
detailed from the treasury department and
placed on the civil service commission two
years ago,
| Joius the Rush.