Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
READY FOR APPLICANTS
For PHILIPPINE
CIVIL ssEKtrcE.
Purpose of the Act-Preparins the
Questions-salaries and the
Cost q L,lIns.

The civil service commission is now
ready to receive applications and hold ex-
aminations for the government service in
the Philippine Islafids.S Gdvance copies of
the pamphlet of information for applicants
have been received from the Philippine
civil service board and the commission Is
now preparing the questions to be used
and organizing the other necessary ma
chinery for holding the examinations.
Examinations for translator and depart
ment assistant at Washington, Baltimore
and Richmond on April %.
Examinations for the positions of stenog-
rapher, typewriter stenographer and type
writer stenographer, typewriter and junior
translator. and stenographer, typewriter
and translator will be held at Washington
April 81; Baltimore, April q; Richmond;
20.
The examinations for the Philippine ser
vice are to be separate and distinct from
those for the United States service, the
civil service commission acting merely as
the agent of the Philippine civil service
board. The Philippine civil service board
Is composed of three members, ana It's Oh
flee is in Manila, and the examinations IN
the Philippine Islands will be conducted by
that board.
Little Demand for Americana.
In its manual the Philippine board says:
ut Is probable that there will be little
demand for Americans for clerical or
other positions which natives of the islands
are competent to fill; in fact, it will not be
advisable for Americans to seek positions
in the Philippine civil service unless they
have professional, technical or sc1entlhc
qualifications, or special clerical ability.
There will be a demand for Americans for
such positions stenographers and type
writer's, Spanish interpreters and trans!a-
tors, bookkeepers to a limited extent, IN
SpectorS In the customs service, financial
agents and department assistants. Inc
salaries for junior and under clerks and
for messengers, watchmen. laborers ana
other minor positions will not be sufficient
to warrant Americans in coming to the
islands to seek such positions, and exami-
nations to fill vacancies in them will not
he held in the United States"
Applicants must be at least eighteen and
not more than forty years of age at the
time of the examination, and they are re-
quired to undergo an examination by a
physician for the purpose of ascertaining
whether they physically capable OF
performing efficient service In the Pnlllp-
pine Islands.
Three kinds of examinations will be held
in the United States this spring, namely,
for department assistants, stenographers
and typewriters and Spanish translators
The object of the department assistant
examination, says the Philippine board, is
to provide a method of entrance TO the
Philippine civil service for honest, ener-
getic and well-educated persons, and they
will be preferred in promotions to the
nlSner administrative Oi1ceS uHleSS IL
should appear that employees who have
not passed this examination possess ex-
ceptional or technical qualifications re-
qnired in the positions to be filled by pro-
motion which are not possessed by any
of those who have entered the service
through the examination mentioned. The
Philippine civil service law provides that
vacancies occurring in the higher admin
istrative positions are to be filled from a
class to be composed of the first, second
and third assistants, without regard to
the offices in which the assistants may be
employed. The entrance salary for de-
partment assistant, will no the less than
81, 200 year, and it Is expected that with
In a few months a number of them will
be appointed at salaries of about $1,000 a
year from among those who have passed
the examination and demonstrated their
proficiency in bookkeeping and finance as
well as the other Subjects of the examina-
Preliminary Examination.
The preliminary or required subjects Of
the department Observation-Disclosures are:
Thesis Of 500 words on a given subject, cor
rection Of rough draft manuscript, math-
ematics, including arithmetic, algebra and
plane geometry; history, Constitution, gov
eminent and geography of the United
States, commerce and industrial resources
of the United States, general history and
geography, territorial government and adj
ministration, political economy and con-
sideration of education and experience. In
addition to these required subjects COM
petitors will be allowed to select one or
more optional subjects
The Stenography and typewriting eXami-
nation is practical one. and is similar to
that given by the United States civil SER
vice commission. The entrance salaries for
stenographers and typewriters will be
from 5000 to 1920 year. In recent
letter to the civil service commission the
Philippine board says There will be a
demand for stenographers and typewriters
as vacancies occur, and it is probable that
many appointments will be made from
these registers. Those who have a knowl-
edge of Spanish will be preferred The
extent Of the competitors knowledge of
Spanish will be determined by tests in
translating from Spanish into English from
English into Spanish.
There will also, it is said, be a demand
for clerks who have good knowledge of
the Spanish language and who are able to
translate readily and accurately from one
language to the other.
Preference Given FiIipinOs,
The Philippine civil service act provides
that in making appointments preference
shall be given to natives of the Philippine
Islands, where other qualifications are
equal.
Persons residing in the United States who
are appointed to the Philippine service will
be required to pay their travelling expenses
from their places of residence in the United
States to San Francisco, but their travel
ing expenses from San Francisco to Ma
Mia will be borne by the insular govern
ment, and they will be allowed half salary
from the date of embarkation at San Fran
cisco and full salary from the date of ar
rival In the islands, provided they proceed
directly to the islands; otherwise half sal
airy will be allowed only for such time as
is ordinarily required to make the journey
between the points named. A person en-
ployed in the Philippine civil service for
three years more after the passage Of
the civil service law. will, If he retfres
from the service, be furnished transporta-
ton from Manila ia. San Francisco and
half salary for thirty days, in addition to
full salary. for any leave of absence to
which he may be entitled under the law.
Cost of Living I'm Manila.
At the present time. 1t is said, the cost
of living in Manila is, somewhat higher
than in the United States Prices for board
range from s35 a, month upward The
government, however. Ia contemplating the
erection of number of houses for tho