The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-04-11
Rules Which are TO Govern Appoint
nenls In the Census cfice.

III hLD WIZ - Ss+-'''
Director Merriam Of the census
bureau has completed the first draft Of
the rules which are to govern appoint
ments in the census Office They are
TO apply to any grade higher than that
Of laborer, aud are as follows
Examinations for appointments in the
census Office will not be competitive.
Any applicant who earns a marking
not less than - will be included in the
list # eligibles.
The act to provide for taking the
twelfth andssubsequent censuses. ap-
proved March 3, 1899. declares that no
examination shall be required in the
case Of enumerators or special agents
nor of employees below the grade Of
skilled laborers at $500 per annum
Each applicant admitted to examina-
tiou Will be notified II the time and
place Of holding the same, and will be
furnished with card Of introduction
70 the examiner, which must be sign
ed by the applicant. in order that be
or she may be identified by his or her
signature
All applicants for appointment
who may be directed to appear
before the examiner will be
examined in the following subjects :
Orthography, copying, penmanship,
arithmetic, elements of the English
language, letter writing, elements Of
geography, history and government Of
the United States, practical tests.
CHARACTER OF EXAMINATION.
The character Of the examination is
indicated below
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS simple
words in ordinary use twenty-five
words above average difficulty
Oopying-Oopying from plain copy
ten printed lines, to be copied in ap'
plicsnts handwriting writing from
| dlctatl0n, the same.
Penmanship-Marked on legibility,
neatness and general appearances.
Arithmetic-Fu damental rules,
fractions, percentages, ratios and aver
ages
Letter writing-Letter of not less
than 200 words to be written to the
director of the census, on any assigned
or voluntary topic, to test applicant
knowledge of simple English compost
tion and general intelligence.
Geography, history and government
of the United States-Such questions
will be asked as persons of ordinary
intelligence and information are sup
posed to be generally capable of an
swering.
Practical tests-Applicants for ap-
pointment will be given an apportuni.
ty to exhibit the degree of their fami'
lisrity with the punching machines
and electrical counting machines used
in the eleventh census also to demon
strate their ability to make calculations
by the aid of tables Of loRarithms, the
slide rule. etc, and to show familiari
ty with the arithmometer, or other ad
ding and calculating machines. Fol
proficiency in any Of these practica
tests separate marks will be given,
which will admit the applicant to
list of extra eligibles
sTENOGRAPHERs AND TYPEWRITERs
Applicants for appointment ss steno
graphers and typewriters will be re
quired to pass a supplemental examina
tion. which will fairly test their abili
ties for special work. In the case o
typewriters literary ability will receive
jnsideration. as well as manual dex
terity in the use Of the machine. Tht
examination of typewriters Will consist
of exercises from dictation, copying
tabulating and transcribing from rough
draft. The examination Of stenogra
pliers will consist Of exercises from
dictation taken in shorthand and writ
ten out in long hand, particular atten
tion being paid to the rate Of speed anC
the accuracy Of the copy.
For the purpose of marking, the ques
tions and exercises will be divided in
to thee groups. of which the first will
include arithmetical calculations, th'
second orthography and penmanshil
and the third general questions design
ed to test the information and intelIi
gence of the applicant. The weigh
allotted to the questions Of the nrs