The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-19


tor Pritchard. who addressed his in
quiries to Mr. E. r Bailey. chief clerk
to the chief examiner of the Civil Ser
! vice Commission.
Mr.. Bailey stated In answer to ques-
ton from Mr. Proctor, that he did not
! think the commission was prepared to
! properly handle all the positions which
were brought under the act of May 6.
| 1896, and that ii threw on the commits
| sion large amount of extra work.
Mr.. Pritchard wanted to know if the
| commission had a regular organized
| bureau.
Yes" said Mr.. Bailey, lit is organ
| ICED in this manner-there are two gem
eral divisions and four subordinate di-
| visions. The secretaries work is con-
| Quoted under one division"
I'm what departments of the service
were the most appointments made at
ter the extensions asked Mr.. Pritch-
ard.
In the Light House and Marine Hos
pital Service" answered Mr.. Bailey.
The fact was brought out that the ell
lSiDit liSA hdS liltltctSiiiE NtIy ldDlhiy
each year.
Mr.. Pritchard again brought up the
subject of continuing eligibles on the
list for appointment for longer period
than one year. and asked for the wit
ness personal opinion on the matter.
In answer Mr.. Bailey stated that he
thought il would save the commission
d great amount of work If eligibles
tad a he Of t-a., p
to renew their eligibility by filing
new application stating their legal
residence and present occupation and
any other points in their original APP
plication in which changes would be
likely To occur.
II think" continued the witness,
that before such q step is taken. how
ever. there should be Reconsideration
of the service based upon the character
of the work. The present classical
ton rests simply on the basis of sal
airy. | believe the whole service might
be divided into five groups or grades,
beginning with the subordinate places
below the grade of clerk such as mes
SengeTS. watchmen, elevator conduct
ors, skilled laborers and other places
that are semi-cierical; the next grade
to contain the force of the Railway Mail
Service, postoffices and some other
classes of the service, where the high
est grade of clerical work is not requir-
ed
The next class should be the strict
ly clerical class. which perhaps should
include more than one-half Of the en-
tire service. There should be still an
other class including technical and
scientific places. 1 believe there ought
to be examinations to fit each of these
grades. The examinations for the low
eT class should test the moral fitness
as we'll as the educational qualifica-
lions and general Intelligence When
the list of persons who are eligible has
been prepared. / think that subse-
quenty any test which is essential to
determine their fitness for the specific
places, could be applied. The next
grade should have a list of eligibles
made in TIE same mauner. and where
there are places requiring special quail
ifications there should be supplemental
tests. | believe this classification
would result in bringing out the fitness
or unfitness of the applicant much
better than at present. We have this
system now to a very limited extent.
In regard TO the period of eligibility.
| think there were good reasons to
begin with for limiting that period to
one year. Since then the conditions
has greatly increased, the variety of
examinations is much greater than it
used to be and the commissions
knowledge Is much more fixed, so that
the time has come when this period
of eligibility could be renewed from
year TO year for three if not four
years, and that it would result in
great saving to the commission from
the fact that a great many persons
]
think the percentage of re-eXamina-
tons is %.
4 believe the application. or some
thing connected with the application,
could we'll be made part of the exam
nation. and that applicants who prove
their utter incapacity for the work they
seek could be rejected on the basis of
the APPLICATION itself. As it is now no
account is taken of the work done in
the application
In the matter of transfers, Mr.. Bailey
said he had been unable to reconcile
the acts of the commissioners in
great many cases with the rules gov
erning these transfers. and that the
commissioners had not acted uniform
ly, but that he thought the commits
sioners would be the ones to answer
that question. In answer to the ques-
ton as to whether any brances ought
to be excluded from the classified list,
Mr.. Bailey said that before answering
that question he would like to state
that he had the utmost confidence in
the ability of the commissioners, I'M
der the merit system to handle any
and all services under the govern
ment. He had great admiration for the
general system and had always believ-
ed in it thoroughly. and had not seen
it fail at any point where it had free
opportunity to be applied.
While he did not believe any
branches of the service should be eX-
cluded from the classified list on ac-
count of any inability of that list yet
there were some conditions, relative to
the peculiar nature of certain depart
ments which he thought might with
advantage, cause the latter to be eX-
cluded from the list. This list included
the Engineers Department at large,
Custodian Service, Examiners of Pen
sions. Deputy Internal Revenue Col
lectors, and Deputy Marshals.
The committee will meet again at 10
l. >,.s