The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-21

The next appropriation made by con-
gress for the Seattle assay office will prob
ably be adequate to its needs and permit
OF a large increase in the clerical force
This Is the opinion of A. X. Server, chief
examiner of the civil service commission
at Washington, who arrived in the city
last night. While at the head of the civil
service department Mr.. Server has for
many years been connected with the treas
Try department and at the request of A.
sistant Secretary of the Treasury Wander
lip, Is now on a tour of inspection of
the mints and assay Offices with the view
of schooling the executive heads on the
mint civil service regulations and looking
into the needs OF each office.
Another duty assigned to him by the
department while in Seattle Is to confer
with Maj. Bingham, Of the military de-
partment of Alaska, regarding the civil
clerical force to be employed in the far
north. These matters he Will take up to-
day and after disposiny of them will pro-
coed to Portland to examine the assay Of
flee there.
seattle Is Second.
"Mints and assay Offices" he said last
night at the Butler. while hardly in my
present department. are familiar to ne on
account of my service In the treasury de-
partment. New York has the largest as
say office in the United States, and every,
body in the treasury department. is proud
TO say that Seattle Is second. The import
ance OF the Seattle office was only estab-
lished at Washington last year. When II
was first started no one connected with
the department gave 1t much thought. 1t
was not considered worth It, When its
appropriation come around congress was
not much impressed with its worth, and
consequently made appropriation far
short of what has been needed. LAST
year IT - eloped and tremendous amount
of work mas had to be done here Dy a
small force of clerks. The present force
Is far short of the needs. but when me
new appropriation is made by congress Il
VIII permit of an increase of the pre- sent
force In keeping with the Importance of the
office.
THE mint civil service regulations ere
sometimes hard to understand. and that
they may be properly administered is one
OF my missions to Seattle at this time. 1t
Is the general belief that the Seattle mint
has not reached It's full Importance yet.
The deposits for the fiscal year ending
June 30 next, / am Informed since reach
ing here, are expected to pass sib,oooei.
They are close on to that mark now, with
May and June receipts yet to como. With
this showing there Ia no good reason why
the force should not be increased in the
same proDortion to- the amount OF business
done The progress made by the office
here II being closely watched and the gen
eral opinion is that the department made
no mistake in locating an ONCE IN Seattle.
Help for st. Michael.
Tomorrow / shall Talk over with Mai.
bingham the matter of civil clerks to be
employed at st, Michael There was some
talk among the commissioners regarding
the taking of these employees from the civil
service list. in order to facilitate matters.
AS the station Is remote and II takes long
time TO communicate with the department
to get ratings of those who have taken
the examinations this course was thought
a good one. However the president has
not yet done so and should he not the
positions viii have to be flled largely from
the classified lists. What will he required
by Mai Bingham. ! suppose will be prin-
cipally clerks stenographers and typewrit-
ers and bookkeepers. II they are taken
from the classified lists II is most probable
that those persons who have taken the
examinations in Washington and Oregon
will be selected to fill the positions.
I'm cases OF emergency Mai Bingham
has power to secure temporary help, to ne
employed for not more than thirty lays.
but while his department Is In the lists all
permanent positions must be filled from
those who have taken the examination.
Recently we nut an additional paper
before those taking the examination. in
which The question was asked whether or