The morning times., 1895-08-20

The fact that every applicant for posi-
ton as pressman at the Government Print
ing office passed has attracted consider
able attention There is hardly another
instance on record of a civil service eXami-
nation where one hundred per cent of those
offering were successful.
Rev F. d. Bailey, who is in charge during
Chief Examiner Webster's absence, said
yesterday the snnusual success OF the press
men " as probably due u the fact that there
were comparatively few applica nts and the
examination was not very difficult He
thought, however, that the questions would
not be made more difficult until they had
been given a further test
To a suggestion that State boards OF edu-
cation were much troubled by having their
questions for examination stolen, Mr. Bal
ley said he thought nothing Of the kind
had ever occurred here.
QUESTIONS CAREFULLY GUARDED.
The questions are not printed at the GOV
crnment Printing office, but in one of the
Departments. Every precaution is taken
to prevent them from getting out before
hand Practically only two persons have
it in their power TO give all the questions 10
an outsider. The copy is given in small
takes" TO the compositors, so that no one
OF them ever sees all the questions.
On one or two OCCASIONS efforts have
been made to steal the questions, but they
have been reported by the persons who
were expected to betray the government
In one Of these instances an employe in
the department where the questions are
printed wished to take an examination.
He planned to get the questions before
hand. and thought he had corrupted two
colored messengers, one in his own divi-
sion aud the other where the printing was
/ done, to help him.
1 An was ready for him to put his hands
on the coveted proof slip. when be found
/ that the messengers had carried informa-
I ton OF his plot TO the Commissioners. He
/ was caught and punished.
DISTRICT MEMS CHANCES.
The age limit for applicants for posi-
/ tions in the Government Printing office
/ win be removed and residents OF the
District VIII be admitted to positions
/ there whenever there is a demand for
large increase Of the force. This much
/ Is assured, though official anuouncem ent
/ OF il has not yet been III ade.
The result VIII be, however, that no places
! VIII ever be open in the ordinary course for
/ citizens OF the District. They will be eX-
amined only for the emergency list of
I eligihles and their names viii never appear
on the ordinary elig ihlelist atall. The work
at the printing office is OF such nature,
however, that. unless there is great change
numerous calls VIII Toe made upon the
''emergcncy" list and once a person is ap-
pointed from this he is just assecurely placed
in the office as If be had come from the
ordinary ron and great deal better off
SO far as permanently of tenure is concerned
than he could ever have been under the
+ "spoiIs" system.
I The printer and binder and pressmanof the
District is thus much better OFF than the ap-
/ plicant for a clerkship or any other position
in the COVE Fnment service under civil service
rules: for, in all other cases, except for an
occasional expert, very hard TO find. the
resident OF the I~strict Is not admitted to
the examinations at al and there is no such
thing as an emergency list Of elgibles.
APPORTIONMENT IN THE WAY.
The apportionment of places to the States
iscarefuny followed and stne Districtquota
is always fun, the District citizen has no
chance whatever No examination has
been held here for some years and persons
holding residence elsewhere have been
obliged to go TO neiGhboring cities.
The line stating that residents of the
District VIII not be admitted TO the Print
ing Office examination, which has been so
bitterly complained Of, is one that ap-
! pears on almost every announcement Of
an examination made 10y the commission.
The report of the results in the recent
examinations for positions in the Print
ing Office svery complimentary tothe appli-
| cantS, many Of whom have worked in the
office IL shows that while on an average
of results not more than about forty ap-
/ pliCants out of a hundred pass and in many
| technical examinations to which these
really belong not more than fifteen out Of
hundred usually get through the averages,
were in this case very much higher. OF
! those who were examined as compositors
50 per cent. passed; for pressmen a. passed:
for bookbinders 81 per cent. went through
| and of skilled laborers 80 per cent.
/ H