Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-02
CLERKS ARE PUZZLED
Difficulty Experienced in Filling Out the
Blanks Recently Circulated.
neutrality-suspicious. of the Meaning Of
the QuestfOns-Models Suggest
ed for Guidance.

ury Department are having difficulty in
filling out that part of the bank recently
sent around which pertains to their biog-
raphies when called upon to state specifi-
cally how they entered the classified SER
vice, and there is much confusion. A great
humber of persons think that the term
classified service" refers to the old CLASH
fcation under section l6s of the Revised
Statutes, when in fact the term refers to
positions embraced within the service
classified under civil service rules With
that understanding, 1t is not difficult TO
answer the question specifically. Some OF
the employees think they are called upon
to give the names Of the members of Con-
gress who Endorsed them for appointment
and promotion. Nothing of the kind is
desired. and any information that discloses
that fact in the blank will be superfiuous,
inaccurate and not desired by the Secretary
of the Treasury.
Some persons were in the service at the
time the law went into effect, some in ex-
cepted places and some in places unexcept-
ed; some were in positinos not yet included
within the classified service; but all posi-
tons In the Treasury Department at the
present time, unless they are filed by per-
sors nominated by the President for con-
nrnlatlon by the Senate, or are employed
merely as laborers or workmen. are in TIL,
so-called classified service, no matter in
what capacity they are serving. Now they
must have passed into the classified service
pS executive action. which took in special
groups; by the growth of the service or
by the revision of or amendments to the
rules.
Suggested Forms.
In an interview to day with a Star re-
porter, one of the treasury officials who
has charge of the census, suggested the
following formulas as specially applying to
the majority of cases:
L was clerk of class 4, 81 500, in the
ONCE o. the Secretary of the Treasury,
DIVISION Oh loans and currency, and was
CLASSIFIED, with other persons of my grade
by executive order at the time the civil SER
vice law went into effect July l6 1881"
Or. If appointed to an excepted place, or
occupying position excepted by old rule
II of the first edition of the civil service
rules, they should say this:
Il was a chief of division, 81 800 in the
Office OF the Secretary of the Treasury and
was classified. with other persons of my
grade, by executive order when the civil
service law went into effect, on July ID
lSS'. but occupied an excepted place which
place was transferred from the excepted
list in the classified service to the non
excepted list in that service by the re-
vision of the rules of May g. 1885,
OF, IL j messenger, assistant messenger
or Waterman, they can say, if a messenger:
Il was messenger, $40 in the office of
the Secretary of the Treasury and was
classified. with other persons of my grade,
by the order of the President, dated No
vember 2, 1884,
Or they might state:
Il was employed as a laborer in the Of
flee of the Secretary of the Treasury but
was performing work which pertained 10
a CLASSIFIED place on the 9th day of May
1876, ana continued to be SO employed I'D to
June 10. 1896 when / was classified by or
der of the President on June To- 1856 bv
which order all positions whose occupants
were designated as laborers or workmen at
The time specified, and were then regularly
assigned to work of the same grade as that
performed by classified employees were
embraced within the service classified I'M
der civil service rules"
III the employees will carefully consider
the meaning Of the question they will have
no difficulty in giving a right answer; and
they should remember that an excepted
place is classified place. That is to say,
chiefs OF divisions. chief clerks. disbursing
clerks, confidential clerks, private secre-
taries, principal bookkeepers, bookkeepers,
superintendent, operatives in the secret
service, deputy controllers, deputy COM
missioners and bureau officers df not presi-
dentiaD, executive officers, tellers and cash
lers, were all in excepted places, but in the
classified service.
The private secretaries of the President
and of the cabinet are now in the classi-
fed service, but are in positions excepted
from examination.
Persons who entered the classified serv-
Ice by reason of certifcation from the
ci.SiuiS ISSiSteT oi the CIVIL service COM
mission could answer as follows:
Il was appointed to clerkship of class
d, $50, in the office OF the controller of
the currency, after cert:fcation by the
civil service commission of three eligibles,
being the one chosen"
Persons who entered through the old
back doors" could answer as follows:
Il was appointed to position that re-
CURED peculiar qualifications, and after
a service Of two years l was permitted to
take pass examination at the civil serv-
ice commission, and was then certified as
competent for and appointed to clerk
ship in the classified service"
Special Qualifications.
To the question, What is your special
line of study professional work." the
answer may vary, according to the facts
in the case. The department is aware of
the fact that many persons in its employ
Rave rare and desirable qualifications;
some are fine mathematicians, chemists,
metallurgists, civil engineers, craftsmen,
architects bockkeepers, linguists and sta
tisticisns, or they may be by education and
study lawyers or physicians, or accom-
piished in any of the arts or sciences.
The department is often compelled to
sc arch among it's employees for persons who
are skilled in certain lines, and If found
transfers can be made from unimportant
work to positions which require the APP
plication of qualities of mind that are
otherwise wasted. For instance. the Ques-
ton is asked, Why assign young univer-
sity man or woman to the inane work OF
redeemed money, or compel them
to take up that as q life work?