Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-09
APPLICANTS PAPERS
Annual Report Of the Civil Service
Chief Examiner.
OVER FIFTY THOUSAND CANDIDATES
No Educational Qualifications Re-
CURED in Many Cases.
AUTHORS OF ESTIONS
AUTHORS OF QUESTIONS

Chief Examiner A. r. Server OF the civil
service commission has made his annual
report to the commission. recountine the
work performed by his office during the
past fiscal year.
The report discloses the res.on. ,,r ~.
accumulation OF work during the Last fev
months. 1t shows that while during the
nscal year ending June go 1896. the total
rumber OF persons examined amounted 80
only Sl'l3e, during the last ten months
there has been an average Of over bos,
persons examined each month while there
mao peeh no increase of the force available
ior doing the work. Notwithstanding this
increase In the work, there were on hand
"" the 4th instant only l., $50 unmarked
papers OF applicants. most OF whom were
eNoiiheu curing September anSActober
DufHis Tie year ended June 80 last In
FORMATION concerning examination was fur.
Ilshed to 23t,VU correspondents. 81 los of
"hoIn applied TO be examined In order to
accommodate them IL was recessarv 40
arrange for 2.59l different examinationa
iieiu IA an parts OF the country. OF these
examinations 800 were held for the gov
ernh'ent departments and the government
printing office, ,333 for the difY.ran, -,
ohces, ia for the custom houses and I3I
lof Inc internal revenue districts Fifty
thousand hve hundred and eighty-seyen
dpphcahts presented themselves for ex-
animation.
No Educational QunIlfcntIon.
OF the total number examined a7e ue-a
Tor traces positions in which no educa-
uonal qualifications were required. and the
examinations consisted merely OF an in
vestlgation Of their experience and pbvsi.
cal ability to perform the duties ~ ,ha
ment. Soo'
While considerable complaint has been
reserved ABOUT the delay in notifying COM
PsutOls Oh their standing, attention is call
ed TO the fact that at the time OF the las,
change OF administra tion. although less
IMAM 2o.oO were examined during the wear
the commission in its annual report made
special mention of the hardship TO COM
petltors by reason of the six montbs' DELAY
In marking the papers. Daring the last six
months most OF the places filled by an
polntment from the commissions registers
nave peen oy reinstatement instead Of by
oertlilcation- This fact will result in an
advantage to those who have taken ey
ANN IONS ana whose papers have not
teen promptly pass ed upon, as IL extends
The time of their eligibility as most of The
places TO be filed by reinstatement have
been disposed Of ana in the future nearly
an appointments will made from eili-
gible lists. Nearly all of the reinstata
ments referred to have been of ex-Uufon
soldiers or widows of ex-JJnion soldiers
during the year the examiners have been
Y
animation of applicants for positions in
the branches of the service classified un-
der the extension authorized by the Pres
idents order of Nav g. lSI8 Attention g.
called TO the fact that the earlier e1tan-
sions of the classified service were made
OF places for which examination were
easily prepared, while the branches last
included were almost entirely for places
requiring special peculiar qualifications
and difficult to handle.
Responsibility for Questions.
The report states that in ARRANGING OF.
aminations al the departments had rem
dered the commission cordial support IL IL
suggested that, as all the examinations are
prepared in accordance with the susges-
tons OF departmental officers, any criticism
OF the scope and character OF the questions
asked is aimed at these officers rather than
the commission. Suggestions Of these de-
partmental officers are acted upon the re-
port states. because they regarded as
the ones best qualified to judge of the re-
qufrements necessary on the part of those
to be employed under them. 1t Us claimed
that the aim of all examinations is to an
ply the same tests and rules in the selec-
ton OF employees for the government sery-
Ice as are now employed with the best
results in the management of the most
successful Private business concerns
DnrinS tee past year many OF the exam
nations have included a careful investiga-
ton into the business experience and ca
pacity of the competitors The results have
been so satisfactory that the subject CT ex-
perience is now being introduced into all
examinations where il is of material value
in determining the ability of the competi-
tors. Recently number of the very I'M
portant examinations have been composed
almost entirely of such investiga ton.
1t is proposed that in the future the full
Industrial history of each competitor shall
be obtained for the purpose of affordng as
complete information possible to the
commission and to the ppo-nting officers
Special questions have been prepared and
will be used hereafter IN each examination
to bring out the history of applicants.
To Ascertain Qualifications.
new feature In a large number Of the
examinations is referred to as a means of
reducing the number of persons examined
and restricting examinations largely to
those who demonstrate that they possess
many OF the main qualifications desired.
For instance, in examinations for the life
saving service. capacity for physical en-
durance to high degree must be shown
by applicants before they VIII be admitted
to a further test OF fitness.
During the last year about a hundred
leading men in various businesses have
been. consulted with view to Ascertain
what qualifications they consider most i'm
portant in their employees and the methods
they employ in making selections. These
suggestions have been OF very great value
to the commission. and all persons having
knowledge of this kind are invited to make