Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-15
Civil Service Rule Intended to Let
Him In.
THE UNION WILL. DISCUSS IT
The Civil Service Commission De-
sired No Age Limit.
W H AT, T he Y S A Y

| SiTeQ TO DISCUSS some ledLuFSS VI t1AS ihAS'
recently adopted governing the application
of civil service principles to the ofilce'a Inc
ore which they chiefly desired to consider
was that fixing the age of forty-flve as the
maximum limit of age for applicants This
age limit was not proposed by the COM
missioners, and they do not now regard it
as necessary feature of the rules. Inc
limit was the suggestion Of the printers
themselves, and It was supported by the
public printer The idea was to secure
young men, as the trade was regarded as
requiring able-bodied and capable en-
ployes: The idea was that the office should
be entitled to the proficiency which an old
employe might acquire through long
period of service on its force But II alo
not seem desirable to seek to put IN ne"
employees who might have reacheu an du-
vanced age outside of the office under CON
ditions that would not add to their avail
ability.
',.- The Opposition.
The opposition to the application of the
civil service rules to the government print
ing office has appeared again, although the
office has been placed under the rules ana
it is we'll known that the President cannot
recede from the action he has taken, even
if he were convinced that it would be adj
visable to do So Sunday Columbia Typo
graphical Union will hold a meeting to con-
slider a memorial to be presented by ex-
President Kennedy. The cause of the
movement against the civil service rules is
that the first examinations did not secure a
sufficiently large list of eligibles for the po-
sitions of compositors, pressmen and eiec-
trotypers. This fact, it is said. was tele-
graphed over the country, and printers are
going to flock in here, pass the eXamina-
lions and flood the government pruning
office. All this will happen when there are
hundreds of printers in Washington VINO
are barred by the age limit from taxing
the examinations or are unable TO pass
although young enough to come within the
rule. 1t is proposed to offer and pass, II
possible a resolution informing typo
graphical unions in other cities that there
are printers enough here TO do all the work
Congress and the government departments
nay put upon the printing office 1t is also
expected that an effort Will be MADE 10
authorize a request to the civil service
commission to discontinue the scholastic
examinations and require only the pfactlcai
tests. b
What Commissioners Harlow Says.
Commissioner Harlow, when seen by
Star reporter, said:i Il have noticed that
Mr. Kennedy intends to bring mp before the
Typographical Union the question whether
the age limit and, the scholastic eNamina-
ton cannot he dispensed with. l have 10
hesitation in saying that the age limit
was not insisted upon by the COMMISSION
and, indeed, wasInut desired by them 30
far as my experience and oosefN atton go,
other things equal, age, up 10 perhaps sixty
wears adds rather than lakes from the
efficiency of the printer. SO long as ne IS
able to get into the office and get up on MS
stool he is able. to set as inuon type, ana
that as accuva: ely, as Il young man. OF
course it is obvi ous that large corporations
and also the government service would nat
urally desire young employees. With the ldea
that as time passed, and they gained elf1-
cheney the government might have the
benefit OF their improvement. And there Is
also this to be considered, that more or
less discussion has been current ABOUT lne
use of typesetting machines IN the gov
eminent printing office, and believe am
right in saying that as rule the Old print
ers have been averse to learning the use
of these machines. All, or very rearly all,
OF the operators on typesstting machines
today are young men, with whom amDl-
ton is still an abiding factor in their daily
work.
care to say that it is of such a simple char
acter that it seems to me no printer of any
ordinary intelligence ought to shrink from
it. 1t is not formidable enough TO fiuster'
MIN, and hardly more than enough to test
mis- proficiency in the ordinary branches of
a common education. The commission
would have no power to discon tinue this
examination, and may add also that it is
now beyond the power of the President to
undo the action he has taken in placing
the government printing office under the
civil service rules.
Commissioner Procter's Views.
Commissioner Proctor said: 1.-The prob
lem was of course more or less complicated
which confronted us in the governme nt
printing office, but think it was fairly well
met and of course some of the rules can
be modified and ought to be. The commits
sion did not desire the age limit and will
be prompt in abolishng it If the printers
themselves desire it.. The civil service rules
were not forced upon the government
printing office, and the President in signing
the order did so only al the request OF the
printers themselves. This age limit was
proposed by the printers committee and
for the reason that it was deemed advisable
to secure young rather than aged employees
I do not think this sufficient ground for
barring out the older printers. The cordi-
lions Of the prin ting trade today are such
that there is probably very much larger
proportion Of aged printers than Of young
ones and these are especially at disad-
vantage with the typesetting machines.
For the present at least, no disadvantage
would be likely to follow in the government
printing office if the age limit were remov-
ed AS a matter of fact in the general de-
detrimental service it is not often that the
appointment of an elderly applicant is I'M
ayoidable. I have had our clerks look
through the lists OF certlncat1OnS ana IL nus
never occurred in the history of the COM
mission that an executive official in any of
the departments has had three old persons,
all of whom were over forty-five years old,
certified to him so that he was compelled to
appoint an applicant over that age. The
scholastic examination cannot be done
away with. There Is this to be said, also,
that for one year the public printer can re-
instate any discharged printer and for three
months after the rules go into effect. in
case the list of eligibles is not sufficient to
meet the labor requirements of the office,
he may appoint any fit person without any
examination.
Civil Service , In the Government
Printing Office.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Now that the government printing office
has been placed under the sheltering wing
of the civil service law, it is no doubt the
intent of the members of the commission
to do Justice to those without as well as
those within the Office, and not to place
any unnecessary obstacles in the way OF
competent and worthy applicants obtain
ing employment in that great workshop.
To be eligible for the preliminary examna-
ton the departmental blank must be filled
out. accompanied by the vouchers of two
residents of the same state, certifying to