Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-16
CIVIL SERVICE FACT S
Some Errors and Misrepresentation About
the Reform Corrected.
How Its Expected Extension to In
clule the Government Printing
Office Will Affect Employees.

Following the example of their brethren
in the main Office the printers engaged in
the Post Office Department branch OF the
government printing office have expressed
desire to see the protection OF the civil
service rules placed over them and yes
terday the civil service commission re-
ceived from them petition requesting that
their office be included in the classified
service. So far all the craftsmen employed
ers, have warmly favored the extension of
the civil service rules to the office. 1t is
said by those favoring the movement that
the bookbinders would not have opposed
it had they properly understood the man
Ter in which it would have worked alto
gether to their advantage. Some of them,
and especially the opponents to the intro
duction of civil service into the printing
office, appear to think that each book
binder now employed there would have to
submit to civil service examination in
order to hold a place under the proposed
new conditions. Even if they do not think
So they represent that such would be the
case to their fellow workmen and women,
and also add to the fear such statements
naturally inspire by declaring that such
examina tons will be intricate and SchOlaS-
tic in character.
Protective Rather Than Threatening.
These representations, it is claimed, are
tenure of Office is concerned. the present
employees of the government printing office.
it is asserted by the civil service reform
advocates, could not be made more secure
in the positions than by the extension of
the classified service SO as to include
them. A well-krown official and supporter
of civil service reform, speaking of the
matter to Star reporter today, said that
it should be remembered that civil service
orders not retroactive. When this or
that branch or department of the govern
ment is ordered by the President to be
managed in accordance with the civil ser
wee law. every employe then at work and
en- the rolls is made doubly secure in his
place. No examination is required of any
of them. and none ever will be. Their fit
ness to retain their positions. the reformer
said, will be aScertained entirely from the
way they do their work and demean
themselves while in office. Those persons
who apply for appointments after the civil
service is extended to an office must, OF
course, pass the requisite examination.
Errors Due to Popular Ignorance.
There is a great deal Of popular error
existing" The Star reporters informant
went on, ''in regard to the character and
scope of civil service examinations. and it
may all be attributed to the effect of the
Misrepresentation of the enemies of civil
service reform upon persons who are ig-
norant of its real worth and not interested
selves. Every now and then newspapers
allied to the propagation of the spoils sys-
tenn of government publish questions al
legged to have been asked of applicants
under the civil service and endeaVor to
cast ridicuie upon the system in this way.
In doing this they will take question ask
ed in a competition for some position need
ing expert technical knowledge on the part
of it's occupant, and declare the interroga-
tory was leveled at an applicant for a
simple clerkship. Then the public laughs
and considers the civil service a pretty
funny sort of a thing. while an examina-
ton is regarded as something frightful for
anyone else than a pedagogue to contem-
plate.
The System as 1t Really Is.
1.-The fact is. however" said the civil
service man, that the questions PROFOUND
ed in civil service examinations are prepar-
ed altogether with view of finding out the
fitness of each particular applicant for each
particular place. If the government print
ing Office were placed under civil service
rules, for instance, applicants for positions
there in the future would be Intercepted
chiefly upon their knowledge of the trades
they professed to understand They would
be required to answer correctly precisely
the same questions that would be PROFOUND
ed to them if they applied for work in
private establishment Printers would be
asked about the compositor's art; bookbind-
ers about their trade, electrotypers, Stereo-
typers and other tradesmen about their
particular kinds of work, and the result of
1t would be improvement in the class of
mechanics appointed, as well as in the
| character of the work done for the govern
ment.
1T is proper" remarked the official
that these facts should be known. par
ticularly by the employees of the govern
| ment printing Office, because there is no
doubt that the classified civil service will
be extended to that establishment in a
very short time The extension will not
mechanic, clerk or laborer now employed
there, and neither will any of the present
employees be required to undergo any eX-
animation in order to be retained