Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-23
STILL UNDER FIRE
Civil Service Examinations for La
borers Criticised.
some COMMENTS ON TIE LAST ORDER
Civil Service Officials Say It Pro-
tects and Strengthens the System.
SOME ADVICE SUGGESTED

A communication has been received at
The Star Office upon the recent order of
the civil service commission in regard to
the examination Of employees in the execu-
tive departments, which Is as follows:
The large number Of persons who have
gone to the trouble and expense of under
gong civil service examination at the
designated points in their respective states
IN the hope Of getting an appointment
should they reach the top Of the eligible
list and their state quota be not already
filled will be astonished, if they should get
slSht or the article in The Star headed IA
Cnance for Promotion" that the admins
tration mas found way to circumvent the
CIVIL service rules as to enable 1t to fill
all vacancies for some time to come with
out any recourse TO that eligible list. AS
IS wen known, owing to the great compe-
tltion for clerical positions. and the large
numbers examined all over this country,
any one making less than 80 per cent has
virtually no chance to be appointed. Again,
tue neadS or departments are restricted in
inelr selection to the three highest on the
list, ana II the states quota be already
luii they cannot even select among these.
consequently every year numbers Of per-
Sons VINO have made as high as 95 per
cent 1ali to get appointments and their
names are dropped from the eligible list
AS these examinations are strictly on
merit this list has been a stumbling block
70 appointments by favor. But at last a
way mas been found. although somewhat
.orIuous, TO get around this difficulty. 1t is
wen known here that within the last two
years taere has been a great discharge of
employees in the then unclassified service
especially among elevator men and messen-
gers; experienced employees were summari-
ly discharged without any reason being
gwen; THIS gave members OF Congress and
otheIs an opportunity to get their favorites
appolnted to these places. which they of
course' seized. By stroke Of the pen
THESE classes of employees were put under
civil service rules. 1t was noticed that
most OF them were above their situation
anu looked forward to lettering their con-
uition. AND the opportunity came, for be-
mold these are now eligible to promotion
tnat word being chosen in preference to the
proper word: that is appointment in fiat
eontravention of the civil service rules under
whlcn thousands of eligibles were placed
on and are still ON the eligible list They
are TO be examined by special departmental
boards, composed chiefly of political ap-
polhtees, under the present administration
VINO were themselves appointed by favor
ana VINO know personally every one of the
applicants. II these applicants reach a
minimum OF seventy per cent in an exam
nation prepared by the head of the de-
partment who desires to secure them cler-
lcal positions, they will thus receive them
over the heads of persons who made over
ninety per cent in non-partisan examina-
ton, held under the strict rules of the
civil service commission in competition with
thousands of persons examined all over the
country. Neither does the fact that the
state quota is full which fact shut out SO
many OF the last-named class, cut any
inquire. Any one looking the list of
names of persons constituting these depart
mental boards can rest assured that they
Will do their masters bidding, so that
none VINO are really wanted will fail to
mi Yiptat, .,fs
separate register, that it, register
separate from that kept by the civil service
commission, Is to be kept, on which this
new class of eligibles will be borne and
make appointments. A more barefaced
circumventon of civil Service law was
never yet Matched out, but, like similar
hypocritical performances. this extension
of the civil service will no doubt be hailed
with applause by the few mugwumps who
still believe that the heads of the depart
ments of the present administration are
par excellence the friends of non-partsan
appoin tments"
According to the civil service commits
sion. the above writer Is in error in assum-
Ing that boards of promotion control the
examinations. These boards have nothing
to do with the preparation or marking of
the questions. the establishment Of the reg
listers Of eligibles the certiications for
appointment. The civil service commission
as Star reporter was informed at the Of
procedures and performs this work itself
by Its officers. Thus the action he COM
plains OF provides test Of fitness for pro-
motion. which was not heretofore required
when the lower lire Of the classified SER
vice was from time to time extended
1t Is claimed to be good thing that the
lower boundary of the classified service
should be distinctly protected against OBJ
hque manipulation by the heads Of depart
ments bureaus. The following proviso
in the order issued by the Secretary of the
Treasury in obedience to the Presidents
last OWL service rule, 1t is held makes it
clear that one very broad political avenue
to government service has Teen effectually
closed:
1T is provided that this classification
shall not include persons appointed to an
office by and with the advice and consent
of the Senate, nor persons employed as
mere laborers or workmen; but all posi-
tons whose occupants are DESIGNATED as la
borers or workmen. and who WERE prior to
May 6, 1896 and are now, regularly as
signed to work OF the same grade as that
performed by classified employees; shall be
included within this classification Here
after no person who is appointed as a Ia
borer or workman, without examination
under the civil service rules shall be as
signed to work Of the same grade as that
performed by classified employees
"It is also order ed that no person shall
be admitted into any place not excepted
from examination by the civil service
rules, III any Ol the classes above deStg-
mated, until he shall have passed an appro-
pirate examination prepal ed by the United
States civil service commission and his ELI
gibility has been certified to this depart
ment by said commission"
Under the revision of the civil service
rules, approved May 6, 1885, the President
directed each head of department to amend
the classification Of his department to in
clude within the service covered by the ex-
aminations all persons above the grade of
mere laborer or workman" and below the
presidential places. The classified service
was thus extended to cover laborers who
are employed upon the work of the classi-
fled service, such as the work of messengers
watchmen and clerks. Vacancies occurring
in these places of laborers can now only
be filled from the registers of elieibles kent
by the commission.
Similar action was taken in 1888 nv Presi-
dent Cleveland in extending the lower lire
of the classified service to include 1900 or
1900 additional places. The persons added
to the classified service in 1888 were rem
dered eligible by this inclusion to places in
the clerical grades without examination
The present action, however. is an inn
provement on the action Of 1888, inasmuch
as these persons just brought in can only go
to the higher places upon q competitive ex-
animation for promotion.
Indirectly, a civil service official ex-
planned to a Star reporter, there may be an
advantage to persons who want to get into
government employ, and discover that their
ol.o 1r1lt Had