The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-07

year. The demands for the government
barrister are growing annually, and Uncle
Sam now realizes that much expense in
litigation is saved by placing in each bu-
reau of each department a bright legal
mind which can sift all knotty problems
passing through the mill. The legal mind
is more and more needed in all government
work from day to day, and the lawyer
seems 10 enjoy more rapid promotion than
any other specialist.
Men and women well versed in both Span
ish and English in great demand. Tn
Gle Sam needs them badly as translators
TO work both in the home departments and
in the federal institutions being scattered
widely among our insular possessions.
Their tasks will be responsible inasmuch
as they are to be the mouthpeces through
which we are to talk to our new wards
Not only Spanish, but Tagalog. is a quail
flcation for translators. One versed in the
Philippine tongue lately commenced his
government career at s., 200 year.
MOST TEMPTING PLUMS.
Perhaps the most tempting plums to be
plucked through the autumn civil-service
examinations are the Offices to be opened
to many so-called department assistants in
similar to that which England has adopted
for her East Indian service.
Any young men who have taken an ad-
vanced course of study may qualify
through the preliminary examinations. The
applicant will find on the programme many
branches OF learning He who qualities in
the work will receive the highest entrance
salary. In the last regular examinations
held for this grade a young man who
passed in seven studies was offered S12OO
but refused. Then Uncle Sam raised il to
$500, but that was sneered it. Finally he
was tempted with $500 and yielded This
but illustrates the demand in the public
service for young men with knowledge
The purpose of the system is to obtain a
large number of well-educated. bright, keen
young fellows who are willing to enter
the permanent Philippine service and work
their way up. There is no fixed salary
but those who enter with the poorest ex-
animation marks never receive less than
$1,000 to begin with.
Uncle Sam is convinced that he misses
many good man, just patterned for his
needs, through the public's ignorance of
the modus operandi of civil-service exam
ination appears not to have decided on the
position for which he desires to compete
He simply wishes to take 1.-THE civil-service
examination" Inasmuch as over 500 diff
ferent forms of examination, regular and
special, are now given in a year this re-
quest is a trifie indefinite The commits
sion's first step is to mail the applicant a
manual Of examinations, which costs him
nothing. This generally forms the basis
Of selection which, after a volume of cor
respondence, is eventually expressed in
definite terms. Then the proper applica-
ton blank is sent TO the applicant
ATTEMPTS TO BRIBE.
The application blank when returned is
received In the application room" Here
1t is carefully reviewed and in many cases
1t has to be returned because OF Improper
or insufficient information If ii is found
acceptable a card of authority to be
eventually presented to the examiners. is
mailed to the prospective government en-
ploye. This card is the ticket of admission
to the local examination room
All examination questions are prepared in
Washington, and the papers containing
them are packed in envelopes, sealed in
wax with the great seal of the commission
and locked away in the question room"
Previous TO the examination the only per-
sons who know what questions are TO be
asked are the chief OF the examination di-
vision, the clerk in charge of the question
room and the shipping clerk who places
the seal on the envelope containing the pa
pers. There never was a known case of
disclosure within the Washington office. al
though one official was visited by a man
who offered bride of 800 for advance in
formation and another was put In a position
to make SIS for such dishonesty Not long
ago Colorado lawyer who desired his son
appointed stated that he would pay gener-
ously for any extra effort certain official
of the commission might make in his favor
All such applicants are Immediately placed
on blacklist OF persons ineligible for ex-
animation. and Aagrant cases are reported
to the Department OF Justice for prosecu-
ton.
Previous to the local examinations the
sealed questions are mailed 10 the examln-
ing boards in the various cities. They must
be held until the first day Of the contest
and then the seal must be broken I'm the
presence OF the board and of the contest
ants. The commission detected one ease
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