Evening star., 1902-04-26
THE CIVIL SERVICE
Chance Of Appointment Under
Present Conditions.
AN ARMY OF CLERKS
WHY WASHINGTON Is THEIR DE-
SIRED GOAL.
Uncle Sam a Generous Employer-His
Enormous Pay Roll-Tenure
Of Office.
AN ARMY OF CLERKS

Of Office.
Copyright, 1902 by John Elfreth Watkins, jrJ
Written for The Evening Star
They tell me at the civil service commits
sion that of the 1890 hopeful individuals
who have taken the governments examina-
tions this spring and last fall, about Sc 600
have passed, and that of these latter no more
than 11O00 will be appointed. Only from
SIX to seven per cent of those appointed
will be women. In these figures you can
read the horoscope of your chances of
reaching a government desk
The public i'll appreciates the tremen-
dousness of this struggle for Uncle Sans
minor offices, waged spring and fall each
year Within the past decade a vast army
of 212,0OO men and 24OO0 women have sue
cessfully run the gauntlet Of the civil serv-
ice examiners, so far as the mere honor of
becoming "eligibles'' is concerned. But cf
those who have seen the word passed
noted opposite their names only one in
four of the men and one in seven of the
women nave actually realized the exquisite
pleasure of drawing a government salary
1here need be no wonderment at this
greed for a government berth from him
VINO VINO, reailzes e, what a colossal employer
Incle Sam Is He is now paying 30 coo
Office employees. all Included in what is
commonly called the civil service If all
OF these should mass. they would form a
vast city very nearly as populous as Wash
ington itself. One hundred and nine 1hon.
sand of these hold positions which can he
rehlcd only through these semi-annual ex-
aminations.
Uncle Sans Pay Roll
Uncle Sans civil pay roll amounts now
10 Hi5l,ooo.oCO a year. If he would shut
down his big mill for twelve months and
invest this vast sum at per cent the in
terest would thereafter suffice to create six
mlilonalres per annum. But Uncle Sans
great mill never shuts down. He is "sure
pay and his wages are handed out at the
mlddie and end Of each month in brand
new sreenbacks, fresh from the bureau of
engraving; sometimes in gold pieces
Those who will be appointed to clerical
positions as a result of this springs ex-
animation will begin work probably at a
salary OF $500 year, or $40 month. This
IS the usual entrance salary, although $40
$50 or even 5000 is sometimes given at the
outset.
Washington employees fare better as to
pay than those outside. The average sal
capital is about S1129 a year. But the
average salary paid in his entire civil
establishment is but S557.24 per annum
No wonder, then, that Washington is the
vice contestant is striving. 1t is, indeed,
a vast city of clerks. One out of every
fourteen of its population holds civil office
under the federal government. In fact, its
government clerks could establish for them
selves a city as populous Austin Texas
And yet for every civil employe situated
here Uncle Sam pays eleven outside
The President now has the privilege of
personally appointing but 500 officials
under him Only fifth of these are stu-
ated here at the capital
Largest Department..
Postmaster General Payne can brag of
having under him the largest civil force
working in a single department. His en-
ployes, numbering 10000, would form a
body greater than the army as now organ
lied, and might form for themselves a city
more populous than Denver. Over half of
these are fourth-class postmasters. Secre-
tary Of the Treasury Shaw comes next, with
$1,000 civil assistants, while Secretary of
War Root ranks third with q 600. But
even adding the standing army of 100000
Secretary Roots entire force, civil and
military, IS still less than the Postmaster
Generals. The Navy Department ranks
fourth as to number of employees having
over 1900, and following it comes the
interior Department. with nearly 10000. At
the foot of the numerical list are the Agri-
cultural Department, with 3.40O; Depart
ment of Justice, with 901 and the Depart
ment of State, with a few less than this
last number. In the White House offices
there are but twenty-eight employees.
Men and women who enlist in the civil
service now are practically as sure Of re-
tanning their positions as those who enter
any other esta bliShment in the country
While Uncle Sam is giving office work
through eXamination-to so new persons
each year, he is discharging men and Wo-
men of the classified service at the rate of
only sixty-three per annum. In other
words, the chances of staying in are nine
to one. Although there were but 800 civil
employees of the government at the time
Andrew Jackson during his first year in
the White House removed 1000
That year was a reign Of terror for de-
partment clerks. John Quincy Adams In
his diary observed that one HenshaW a
War Department clerk. cut his throat from
ear to ear from the mere terror Of being
dismissed and that Lnneus Smith,
State Department clerk, went "raving dis
tracted," while many others were threat
ened with the same calamity"
Age Of Clerks.
Uncle Sam is appointing boys as young as
fourteen to such positions as page, messen-
ger boy, apprentice and student in various
departments. But he employs no clerks
stenographers or typewriters under twenty
In the departments here there are 14O
employees still in their teens" 254 in their
seventies, thirty-three in their eighties. One
employe of the treasury has remained there
siXty-four years. Another in the Navy
Department. has seen fifty-two years of
service. He entered when twenty-one years
old, and is now Citing $1,SO0 a year. The
Nestor Of the Interior Department has kept
his place forty-nne years; that of the De-
partment Of Agriculture, forty-one years;
that of the Department of Justice, thirty
six years; that of the State Department,
thirty-five years. A great majority of the
entire departmental service have seen at
least ten years of continuous service.
1t costs Uncle Sam about $1450 for each
appointment which he makes through the
civil service commission. If a reasonable
percentage of those examined We're to re-
ceive appointments this expense would, of
course, be insignificant. AS 1t Is, the civil
service commission comprises a personnel
of only sixty-seven clerks. This year they
conducted examinations in 1856 cities.
The government now has in complete run
ming order separate civil service board at
Manila, which Is holding examinations in
this country during the present spring.
This board Is entirely distinct from the
civil service commission here and among
its peculiar restrictions is that applicants
must furnish medical certificates setting
forth that they fully qualified to work
in that enervating, tropical climate. They
must be between the ages of eighteen and
forty years In Hawaii Uncle Sam has an
other civil service board. while he is max