The evening times., 1899-11-01
A civil SERVICE REPORT
Chief Examiner Serven Submits an
Account of the Years Work.
Examinations Held and Their Re-
sults-Preparing for the Tests-LO-
cal Boards-Decrease of OppOrtuni-
ties-Attempts mt Frauds-RecOm-
ncndations to the Commission.

his annual report to the Commission. The
report is an exhaustive one. and describes
in detail the work performed under the
supervision of the examiner during the
year ended June 80, 1899. The report, in
part, says:
Examinations were arranged for. ap-
plications inspected, and competitors exam-
ined at 2,619 different times and places.
which required the preparation of tests
for determining the qualifications OF appli-
cants in 2S3 different kinds of examina-
tions. At these examinations 4S.503 per-
sons were examined for original entrance
to the different branches of the service,
as follows: Departmental, 30,5S5; Govern
ment Printing ONCE, 631; postoffice, TO-
5o9; custom house, 6,121; internal reve-
nue., $751; During the same period 52I per-
sons already in the service were examined
for promotion, and 145 for transfer from
one classified position to another. Making
total of 49, IT'S persons examined in order
to meet the needs Of the service.
The number of persons becoming eligi-
BILE for appointment from these examina-
tions was as follows: Departmental service,
23,60S; Government Printing ONCE. $50;
postoffice, 6S52; custom house. 4.44s: in
ternal revenue, 3SS; making total Of 3d.
SS5, or 74.3 per cent, who passed-the ex-
aminations. as against 1855, or 25.I per
cent who failed to attain a passing aver
age Of those examined for promotion in
the classified service, $40, or 65 per cent,
passed as against 1S5 who were unsuccess-
full OF the persons examined for transfer,
l04 or 1T per cent, passed. and Al failed.
BY comparison with the figures for the
preceding year it will be noted that 3.721
more persons were examined for original
entrance and Il more for transfer. during
the past year while 335 less were examined
for promotion. The number who were Sue
cessful in the examinations shows an in
crease of 5,73l. and the number who failed
shows a decrease of 2,26S.
In addition to the 49, 1I5 persons exam
ined for the classified service during the
past year, ) examinations were held at the
request Of the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, in which persons were
examined for the position Of bookkeeper
and 80 for policeman. making grand total
of 49.2S0 persons examined for all pur-
poses during the year.
Preparing the Examinations.
''In addition to the fact that there were
eighty more kinds Of examinations required
than in the previous year, the work OF the
chief examiners Office was further increas-
ed for the reason that nearly one-hah of
all the examinations were specially ar
ranged for and held because the Commits
sion was not supplied with eligIoIes pos
sessing the qualifications demanded by the
departments. In examinations of this
character the questions and tests are usu
ually OF a professional scientific. or tech
nical character, and are specially prepared
for the one examination, while the tests
used for the examinations that are held
at regular intervals are of such a character
as to be much more easily and readily
prepared. When 1t is remembered that the
Commission was called upon to supply ELI
gibles possessing nearly 800 different COM
binations of qualifications, perhaps the
difficulties and exactions upon this Office
may be more fully realized. There is no
educational or other Institution in the
country whose duties require so diversified
an array Of talent in order to meet the
demands upon 1t with even the most mod
crate degree of success.
over 100000 sets of printed questions
were required. covering the various subjects
in the examinations, in order to test the
persons who have competed for appoint
ment to the classified service during the
year. In preparing for all competitive ex-
aminations it is the practice of the Com
mission TO arrange for the printing and for
warding of questions TO points outside OF
Washington so that they may arrive at the
places of examination with as short an in
terval as possible between the time of ar
rival and of distribution TO the candidates
This course has been adopted in order to
prevent, as far as il can be done, the fur
nishing of an opportunity to any Of the
competitors, through fraudulent means, or
otherwise, of obtaining a knowledge of the
questions before they are submitted TO the
entire class. 1t therefore requires the
closest attention and care to accomplish
this result without delaying examinations
by the nonarrival of the questions Our ex-
perience during the past year has been so |
satisfactory that ] desire to specially COM
mend those who are responsible for the |
printing of the questions and the accuracy
OF the shipments. The fact that in nearly |
every instance these papers, shipped with |
so small margin of time allowance have |
reached their destinations in time for use, |
affords the strongest testimonial to the ex- !
cellence Of the service performed by the /
postal employees of the Government.
Local BOards of Exnminers
AT the present time there are about
1000 local civil service boards of exam
iners. who are stationed at the different
free delivery postoffices, custom houses,
and other points where necessity for their
services exists. A considerable amount OF
Wofk performed under the chief examin-
ers supervision consists of furnishing in
formation to these boards concerning the
different examinations which are held by
the Commission and of such other mat
ters as may arise in connection with their
work
Among the new boards organized and
instructed during the year were 81
located at postoffices newly classified be-
cause of the introduction of the free de-
livery service
Notwithstanding the efficient servic-
rendered by most Of its local boards, tn.
Commission has deemed 1t wise to abolish
all OF the internal revenue boards of exam
lners. because of the circumstances sur
rounding that service and the experience
1t has had in examinations supervised by
persons who were employees of that service.
Therefore, the examinations which were
formerly held by these boards for the In
ternal Revenue Service will hereafter gen.
orally be conducted by examiners from
Washington. who visit each State and Ter
ritory for the purpose OF supervising the
regular semi-annual examinations.
Opportunities Decreased.
Owing to the increased demand upon the
Commission for examinations to test. spe-
ciai or unusual qualifications, while Con-
gress has not granted any increase in the
appropriation for expenses Of this charac-
Ter, II mas been necessary to provide for
holding the ordinary examinations for the