The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-13
TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT
Applicants for Positions Of Fire
and Police ChiefA
WILL DC EXAMINED TO-DAY.
4 IAck of Applicants 1bF Cfvn service
Positions Date. Of Various
ExaminAttou0.
WILL DC EXAMINED TODAY

The exnmsrasfons n the various branches
OF the city civil service win be heic as loi-
lows. Today tina; for the labor and san'tor
service. This examination win be entirely
oral except that for fremen and tanitors
. ngh, written examination viii be held
nj o'clcck On May Is. for the mechanical
aad civil engineering service; on the istn.
for clerical service. on hes2eth. for horary
service; on the list. for the electrical ser
vice: on the "a. for the inspection SERVICE
on the I'd. miscellaneous
The efme for making applications for the
pending examinations for mechan,ca. and
c.vii exineerinx and for clerical positions
has closed. The number OF applicants for
these branches Of the service has been e1-
ceec.ngiy Light. IN view OF the cact that All
OF the present employees Of the city In those
positions viii take the examination. For
the mechanical engineering service. includ-
ing engine firensn, there are . applicants,
for the civil engineering service .. and for
clerical service g.
The board held q special meeting last
accepted the tender made them by the Sc
personnel OF the examining board for the
mechanical engineering service. but did not
make final selections Mr.. Coiman. Of the
board. viii act As one. and II is expected
20 secure the services Of three other me-
chaaicai engineer experts to SIT with him.
The board at its meeting last evening
accepted the etnder made them by the Sc
attic Athletic Club for the use of their
rooms and apparatus for the physical tests
TO be made OF applicants. ard VIII avail
themselves Of the services Of Prof. Trena-
man In the work The physical examina-
tons Of the candidates for chief OF police
and chief OF the fire department will ac-
cordngly be made at the 8. A. c. rooms
today and the medical examination at the
sane place. Other examinations viii fol-
low a. rapidly as possible.
Txr~ g. So So -. IL.
ton IL In the limited number OF applicants
for the various positions. For example. for
the So positions Gnelud.ng substitutes) in
the fire department there were but IS appli-
cants. and for the 90 positions in the
police department there were but "a eppli-
cants. 1t would be singular IL so large a
percentage OF the applicants as is required
to I'LL the positions should successfully
pass both physical and mental tests and
II Is practically certain that a new examI-
nation win have 10 be ordered shortly to
fill the departments up to their full
strength.
Probably one reason why the number OF
applicants for positions has been small Is
due to q popular misunderstanding on the
subject 1t has been the general impress
sion that all the present employees Of the
city who successfully pass their exarniaa-
tons viii be retained In Office as a matter
OF course. and that outside applicants Will
simply get an opportunity 10 fill such va
cancies as may occur by reason Of present
tncumbents failing to pass
This view was held on account Of the
provisions OF section Is. article XVI. Of the
new charter, which provides that "au per-
sons holding Office or employment
under the city at the time OF the adoption
OF this charter shall be required by the
civil service commission 10 take the civH
service examination. ANY person who shall
not take the civil service examination
within six months after the adoption Of this
charter shall be removed by the appoint
ing power" etc
The apparent construction Of this rro-
vision was that present employees who took
the civil service examination within six
months successfully would not be removed.
while those who did not do 50 would
The civil service commissioners conxsrua
the law otherwise. and hold that the exam
nation or all, present employees and others,
must be competitive. and that all the posi-
tons must be filled by those recommended
by the commission in the order OF their
standing as developed by the examination
In other words. that present .ncurnbents
and outsiders are precisely on the same
footing. This ruling has also been accepted
by the heads OF the various departments.
As result. the new applicant who chances
TO pass better examination than any OF
the present fncumhents OF the offices will
get the position. If this fact had been gen.
orally known II Is probable the number o,
applicants would have been larger than
II Is