The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-22

Washington, Jan. 2-Tne sixteenth an
nual report of the United States civil
service commission has been presented
to the president.
The report opens with a preliminary
statement III regard ito the extent Of the
classified and unclassifed service. from
which IL appears that there are apDTOx-
iMateiy 75u9 classified positions and
10000 unclassifled positions. Of the latter
1907 are occupied by fourth class post
masters. There are 19, 445 positions III the
executive service in the DISTRICT of Co
lumhla, and more than 1eg. go distributed
among the states and territories.
The commission states that the exDendi-
lures for salaries for the entire service
CLASSIFIED and uncIasslhed, IS approximate
Isl Slu4VJ0VJo per annum, q large increase
having resulted from the war with Spain.
Common School Education Sufficient.
OF the positions classified, Y per cent
are subject TO examination for which a
coed common school education is q suffi-
Gent training, such as CLERKS in the de-
partmental, DOst0fflce and customs sery-
ices and railway mail clerks; p per cent
are subject TO registration tests, iRclud-
ing no educational examination, but re-
curing applicants To furnish evidence as
10 their ability az workmen experience.
physical qJalitlca dons and age. The posi-
tons Of fireman, Waterman janitOr, as
well as various positions iaelu3ed in the
mechanical trades are filled in this way
Only S per cent of the classified posi-
lions are subject to technical examina-
Iions. requiring special or technical
knowledgezin addition 10 a general edu-
cation, such as patent office examiner.
stenOgTapher and typewriter. drdughts-
man and nautical expert This leaves "a
per cent OF the positions dn the classified
services which can be fills0 acceptabiy by
persons who have received a good com
mon school education, which is "a surpris-
ing showing IN view Of the misleading
statements that are frequently made in
regard to the character of the commits
si0n's examinations.
During the year q. 956 persons were ex-
aminGd Tor all branches of f,he service an
Increase of IA over last year. Of this
number IS, 6S2 passed and 1l.274 failed.
Total Number of Appointments.
The total number of appointments
made during the year on certificates of
Vhe commission was 9056. In addition,
8, f2# appointments were Inade from differ
ent medical examinations to various
branches Of the service. Certificates We're
also ISSUED Tor promotion, through exam
nation 10 seventy Eight De1'sOns: for re-
instatement of 76S, and for transfer of
SO from different positions, making 10 AS
persons appointed promoted reinstated
and transferred upon certificates Of the
coHlmissIon-Jhe largest number in its
history.
Alleged Investigations.
The report contains a statement of the
work done by the commission during the
year in investigating charges of VIOLA
tiOns of the civil service-act and rules. A
serious case of fraud in an examination
vestigatl0n Of which resulted in the re-
movai from the service Of the parties i'm
piicated.
Reference is also made to the results of
the commissions investigations of charges
of political assessments, in which cOnnec-
ton attention is called to extra cts in the
appendix to the report of debates in con-
gress at the time of the passage of the
a ia II
ii was the intention of congress to pre-
vent solicitations, either IN person or in
writing, Of persons in the public service,
and also 10 prevent members of either
house of congress and persons in the pub
lie service from soliciting other positions
ln the public service, either directly or
indirectly.
The commission discusses the question
OF providing a retirement OF superannu-
ated employees.
Gratifying progress is shown in the re- /.
markedly small per cent of removals now
being made from the classified service.
The order of the president @. July q 1897,
preventing removals from Competitive po-
sitiOns except for Just cause. and reQuiF-
ing that the reasons for removals shall
be given in writing and made a part of
the records of the office. has had a most
salutary effect.
Aims at the President.
The commission contrasts me small per
cent Of removals from the classified serv-
ne Witu TIE 4di16 per Ititl lIuNl tlle uti-
classified service, and makes this sig
nitlCant comment:
IF the removals from the unclassffied
positions We're made because the Occu-
pants were incompetent. it was a con-
demnau0n Of the system under which
they were appointed. On the other hand,
if the removals were made for other rea-
sons than unf1Jness, the welfare of the
service could not have been tae basis for
such action
From the figures the conclusion must be
drawn That either the P--Sons brought in
through examination are tar more gffi-
cient than the others, or the renewals
from the unclassified positions have been
made for other cause Elan the good Of
the service.
London Eronau Market-