Evening star., 1900-02-14
TRANSFERS TO TREASURY
Calling on the Force of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing.
Examinations to BE Made Prior to
Making Desired Detail for Count
and ManipuIators of Money.

The civil service commission has just con-
Quoted an examination at the Treasury
Department, in the room of the board of
examiners, for the promotion of some thir-
teen clerks from positions below to posi-
tions above clerical grades; and for the
| transfer of certain persons from the non
apportoned to the apportioned force of the
department. Examinations of this kind are
unusual at the Treasury Department as
they have been held usually at the civil
service commission.
The positions of printers assistant, skilled
helper and operative in the bureau of en-
craving and printing in the force not
subject 20 the law of apportionment while
all clerical positions in the department
proper arc subject to that law.
There are many positions in the office of
the treasurer of the United States, such
as feeder and separator and expert counter
where the pay is SO low that it has not
always been possible to find persons on the
civil service eligible registers that were
willing to accept the positions unless pro-
motion in the near future could be expected
TO occur.
For this reason. and by reason of the
nature of the work, it has been found in
the interests of good administration to
transfer from the bureau of engraving and
printing persons skilled, by reason of much
practice and thorough discipline, in the
manipulation of paper, newly printed
money and other securities of the United
States.
The persons upon the eligible registers
In distant states not so available for
this work as the persons in the bureau of
engraving and printing, and the depart
ment in supplying the currency notes at
the treasury, and by reason of a lack of
appropriation has been compelled to de-
tail from the force of the bureau of en-
craving and printing competent persons to
keep UP the work. with permanent trans
fer In view to the treasury rolls as the
vacancies occur.
1t has been found by experience that
persons with great skill in counting and
manipulating paper often lack the educa-
tional training for clerical places, and do
not pass the academic examinations re-
duired for such transfer by the civil serv-
ice commission.
The department has now adopted the pol
Icy that when details are necessary the
persons shall be examined by the commits
sion prior to such detail, so that their
qualifications may be determined complete
ly and the question of residence in con-
formity with the law of apportionment can
be settled with satisfaction to the commits
sion. 50 that there will be no obstacle to
Instant transfer when vacancies are avail
able
1t is believed at the department that for
such positions as paper counters, counters,
expert counters. feeders, separators and
money order assorters and positions like in
character the bureau of engraving and
printing is the best and only training school
the government has. And it has been OBJ
served that young women can do the work
more rapidly and more accurately than
men. be they old or young. They have the
patience and dexterty so necessary for the
work, and the opinion is current in the de-
partment that it will be economical to en-
plOy them.