Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-06

dbOul Oht-Nhilu VI uii tihpios SSo va 'hN
Government departments at Washing.
ton are females. Several receive over
$500 per annum. about % receive
81 800 per annum, 100 receive sl,400
per annum, $50 receive $1,000, 300 re.
ceive $1,000. and the remainder re.
ceive from $500 to 5000 per annum.
The Government employee at Wash.
ington is always regarded by the out.
slider with more or less envy. Every
little woman who cannot play the part
of one of Solomon's lilies of the field"
but must toll" or spin" looks with
jealous longing at what are supposed
to be the snaps" at Washington. The
snaps are just waiting to be picked
up-by the right people; and with that
coldblooded institution, the U. s. Civil
Service Commission, in prime working
order, the right people are very easily
selected. Just open the Manuel of
examinations for the Civil Service of
the United States, Revised to January
/, 1902" and glance over the table
showing the number of applicants ex.
amined, the number that passed and
the number appointed to Office during
the past three years. The male and
female are nicely classified, and just
at first there appears to be an appal.
ling array of blanks on the female
side. This goes to prove that woman
is not invading mans work as rapidly
as some have feared. Still she is do.
ing very well, and II is somewhat sur.
prising to find her represented oppo.
size such occupations as that of imml.
grant inspector. weather observer, and
deputy United States Marshals,. How
ever there are plenty Of positions In
the Government service that she never
will try for, because nature never in
tended she should do that particular
work.
Three Thousand Examined.
The Civil Service records for last
year show that 3,OS3 women were ex.
amined for the various positions open
| to them under the Civil Service. OF
these 2475 passed, and 444 were ap
pointed; 1851 of the applicants exam
ined came under the head OF skilled
labor" This is the easiest examina
ton given, and the lowest salaries are
paid to those appointed under II, the
remuneration amounting from % cents
an hour $3.50 to $40 per month"; to $50
a month. The higher salaries gener,
ally go to the men employed from this
class; the lowest salaries are paid to
tho charwomen.
The most popular examination for
the women is that for stenographers
and typewriters. Good stenograph,
ers' is the ceaseless demand OF the
Department oHicial-not mediocre
but good, par excellence. On steno
graphic examination days the big
dreary examination room at the Com
mission Is crowded with the trembling
applicants, Nowadays, the steno
grapher Is of necessity a typewriter
and the preliminary tinkle and click
reverberates from every known make
of writing machine. The men pre-
dominate. Last year they numbered
5G3, while the women had little more
than half that representation. or 307.
yet the average passing was larger
on the female side. But when II came
to the question OF appointment, SO out
OF the ia men who passed received
good positions; while only 13 out OF
the 100 women on the eligible list were
appointed. These positions carry a
salary of from 5000 to $1,000 a year;
the stenographers Of bureau chiefs re-
ceive $1,000, and those of the heads OF
departments, $1,000. The Commission,
er OF Pensions employs a woman stem,
ographer and many of the lower Off,
Gals refuse to have male stenoglaph.
ers in their Offices.
Preference Given to Men.
In those classes which are open to
the competition OF both men and wo.
men, the records show much greater
ability on the side of the latter. Last
year there were 1888 male applicants,
and 2,l75 female for these examina'
lions. The successful competitors
numbered 1885 male and. 1.Gl4 female
and yet three times as many men as
women were appointed. This prefer
ence for the male clerk in the Depart
ments will endure as long as the stern
er sex sit in the high places. thou
sand reasons are urged why men
should have the preference. The very
poorest is that woman in an Office
interferes with the freedom OF Its male
contingent. As freedom Is frequently
construed TO mean an absence OF coats
in warm weather, and an atmosphere
of plutonian density in cold weather
then by all means let us have the ''in
reference" The best reason offered
is that the average Government salary
is big enough for two, and therefore
should go to the head of family or tC
the prospective head. All very wei
and good as far as the present head o.
family goes-but as for the pros
pective head, he is apt to think a very
long time before he really confessei
that 500 a month divided by two, Oh