Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-08

ceptions to the revised rules are several
which present II peg upon which to
hang hope. One. in high favor with
the torlorn regiment of ex-clerks, reads
as follows: ANY person who has
served In the military or naval service
of the U. S. in the late war of the re-
bcllion and was honorably discharged
therefrom, or the widow of any such
person. may be re-instated in the posi-
ton from which he or she has resigned
or been removed, without undergoing
examination"
Naturally, many persons would not
hesitate to play trick on the govern
ment In order to get into Office. y dis
honest examiner, who had full control
OF the papers. could loan them in adj
vance to his friends who wished to
study up the questions, or even make a
penny by selling copies of them; and 1t
sometimes happens that Il man who
took the examination in one city and
thus learned the examiners schedule,
sent copy Of the questions to some-
body in another city who WINS going
to take the same. But all these frauds
nave been rendered impossible by the
new system of civil service. The COM
mission Is composed Of three men, Sc
lected by the President of the United
States and confirmed by the Senate;
and these are assisted in the details OF
their duties by large corps of examine
ers and clerks. 1t is impossible for all
the details connected with the examine
alton, markings and gradings of the
papers. Certificutlon and appointments
OF candidate to be kept In the hands
Of any one man. These details, in each
case probably pass through the hands
! of fifty men, and this vetoes the chance
of doing anything against the law, be-
| cause no fifty men could be found who
would SO trust each other. The exam
| liners, going from city to city where ex-
| aminatiOns are to be held, are not
| trusted to carry their own papers. The
| sets of questions which he is to use UNI
| der regular conditions are mailed from
| Washington to the office at which the
/ examination is to be held, and win not
| see them until the hour they are to be
| used. Different sets of examination pa
pers are prepared for use ON different
| days, although the same papers are
| used on the same day in every city
! where examinations are being held. A
| Philadelphia judge has just handed
| down legal opinion which makes
| cheating in civil service examinations
a punishable oifense. Hitherto a dis
honest applicants papers We're confis-
| Gated and he was simply dlsbarred
| from eligibility; but n couple of would
be post office clerks in Philadelphia.
| charged with conspiracy to defraud the
U. $. by presenting false writings, were
| sent to Jail.
After the ordeal of examination day
is over, the candidates generally go
| home light at heart. sure OF success.
, to wait for the official report of the
| result. This comes in the course of five
or six weeks, the work Of inspecting
and rating papers and making entries
on the eligible list being apparently de-
| liberate.
The mills of the gods grind slowly.
but they grind exceedingly small. II
the candidate has passed" the next
step is certiflcatlon for appointment
and another slow and tedious business.
| during which he must possess his soul
in patience as best he can, with the
| outcome yet in doubt. And so must we
| leave him until another week, when we
| will follow the successful candidate
through the rest of the labyrinth of red
tape, safely into office.
| FANNIE BROUGHAM.