Evening star., 1899-04-04
CENSUS OFFICE RULES
Those Which Are to Govern Appointments
in That Bureau.
Plan for Examination of Applicants
and the Character of Ques-
tiOns to BE Asked.

Director Merriam of the census bureau
has completed the first draft of the rules
which are to govern appointments in the
census Office. They are to apply to any
grade higher than that of laborer, and are
as follows:
Examinations for appointment in the GEN.
sus office will not be competitive. Any ap-
plicant who earns a marking not less than
IS will be included In the list of eligibles.
The act to provide for taking the twelfth
and subsequent censuses, approved 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 arnum
Each applicant admitted to examination
will be notified of the time and place of
holding the same. and will be furnished
with card of Introduction to the examiner,
which must be signed by the applicant in
order that he or she may be identified by
his her signature. &c.
All applicants for appointment who may
be directed to appear before the examiner
will be examined in the following subjects:
Orthography, copying, penmanship, arith-
metic. elements of the English language,
letter writing, elements of geography his
tory and government of the United States,
practical tests.
Character of Examination.
The character of the examination is indi-
Gated below:
Orthography-Twenty-t simple words
IN ordinary use; twenty-five words slightly
above average difficulty.
Copying-Copying from plain copy ten
printed lines, to be copied In applicant S
handwriting; writing from dictation, the
same.
Penmanship-Ma on legibility. neat
ness and general appearance.
Ar1thmetic-Fundament rules, fractions
DercHnt1RPS
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 applicants knowledge of sim
piesEnglish composition and general intel
ligence.
Geography, history and government of
the United States-Such questions will be
asked as persons of ordinary intelligence
and information are supposed to be gener-
ally capable of answering.
Practical tests-Applcants for appoint
ment will be given an opportunity to ex-
hibit the degree of their familiarity with
the punching machines and electrical count
ing machines used In the eleventh census:
also to demonstrate their ability to make
calculations by the aid of tables of log
arithms. the slide rule, etc, and to show
familiarity with the arithmometer or other
adding and calculating machines. For pro-
ticiency in any of these practical tests,
separate marks will be given, which will
admit the applicant to a list of extra ell
gibles.
StenOgraphers and Typewriters.
Applicants for appointment as stenogra-
pliers and typewriters will be required to
pass a supplemental examination, which
will fairly test their abilities for special
work. In the case Of typewriters literary
ability Will receive consideration, as Well as
manual dexterity in the use of the machine.
The examination of typewriters will consist
of exercises from dictation, copying, tabll-
lating and transcribing from rough draft.
The examination of stenographers will con-
sist Of exercises from dictation taken in
shorthand and written out in long hand
particular attention being paid to the rate
of speed and the accuracy of the copy.
For the purpose of marking, the questions
and exercises will be divided into three
groups of which the first will include arith-
metical calculations, the second orthogra-
ply and penmanship and the third general
questions designed to test the information
and intelligence of the applicant. The
weight allotted to the questions of the first
group will be 30: to those of the second, 30,
and to those of the third, 20. Each average
will be multiplied by the number indicating
the relative weight of any subject or class,
and the sum of the products will be divided
by the sum of the relative weights; the
quotient will determine the candidate s
standing in the examination.
The time allowed for each subject of ex-
| animation will be specified on the examina-
ton papers, and in no case will the time
allowed for the entire examination exceed
six hours.
The examination papers of, each appli-
cant will be retained and filed with his ap-
plication.
A card catalogue will be prepared Of the
applicants examined. in the order of their
standing, as determined by their marking,
for the use of the director of the census.
Any applicant who receives marking of
less than 70 will be placed in the list Of
rejected applicants and will be Ineligible
for appointment in the office. All others
will be placed in the list Of elgibles.
No applicant who shall fail to pass the
first examination will be allowed to present
himself again for examination until after
at least ninety days shall have elapsed
obtain the special permission Of the direc-
tor Of the census authorizing him so to
appear.