New-York tribune., 1902-02-03
FOR TENEMENT INSPECTORS
FIFTEEN HUNDRED WILL TAKE THE
EXAMINATIONS THIS WEEK-TALh
WITH DE FOREST.

Robert w De Forest. Tenement House COM
missioner Yesterday gave a talk to the reporters
n regard to the organization of this department
He said: - -.
The organization OF the Tenement house USE DS re,
The Municipal Civil Service Commission AIIn9sr S
all the positions in the departmenf9 9S CONF fer ex
Civil Service rules. and can only De neG 4
amnations have been held and eligible hs'S liiaue
The exainations for sanitary inspectors apG mt
spectors of light and ventliaI99h 9 I'M Ia 'e eak viii
think be a supreme test OF the aplnly an pL r nv
Civil Service in the hands Of its friends to NIL prop
The number of applicants is nnPTecedenteary pre-
nT the 3iyii Service Commission almost fifteen
stop are entirely inadequate for such an exam
nation. and the Grand Central Palace 6 LAs f fbe
ave and FOrtv-third-st. has been leased Ior lIie
nurnose The date is fixed for February at 10
a NJ and understand that applications viii be be
Broadway up TO and including EebruATy, % ~
ans o5portunity for civil service for the double
aappIv and to make it apparent that competition
viii be keen as 10 make II useless 1 i%r n tb diss
are not qualified to subject themselves 10 inc
The work of the Tenement House Department;
dealing as IT does with the home conditions ana mo
life Of OF the poor ana most sot sn,rd az,
classes requires large measure OF aiIcaroTnd TInd
common sense. The qualifications OF so-caIIeo
sanitary inspectors IN the Ieneent ooSe oS mere
partment in peculiar degree outSlaT 0I NEST tf
technical knowledge, and the examihatioh t +o arSe
s.sanftarv Inspector is in some respects, a mis-
nomer for the duties Of these inspeStoTs aeiant t
10 every question in connection with tenement
houses after they are completed, and only part
insnecfors require in marked degree sound judg-
ment and tact in dealing with people OF an ku5 mos
men and women and with people of many national
tiles and national habits Their hlgheSt t icb
educational as detective. for much of the SHINING
norance and until it is manifest that direction
correct these evils. punishment siiUuq d "a
To test bY civil Service examinations the com
,son sense and tact Of applicants l would wish to
q possession OF those QUALITIES BhS1'
est weight and the highest mark; g.. r-,o-
Moreover, there must be some lnspect8[s i tUp In
caI parts Of the city, who can speak iorelgn GIN IAN
quire German Yiddish; Bohemian ana II, iIaar. s a ~
also that some eolored men VIII apply 45 LOT 4p
The oficiai notice sent out by the Civil Service
Commission applicants for the position OF SAM
tary Inspector reads as follows -, ,4, %
sanitary inspector in the Tenement House DepaTt
weights in this examination will be as follows;
Technical knowledge ArithmetG hnti,;1
To prevent misrepresentation and disappo1ntI1neeII e
It should be clearly understood that the P3siti0n
calls for high grade OF integehIGe ana S St s tba
head Of technical Knowledge will be o. knowl.
tbe s9nitaTy Code and of the principles of santa
son and 60 general Information on Ie1eHex beyer
not only TO show their knowledge of the language
ttv TO apply these provisions and their knowledge
OF the principles Of sanitato9 10 Pr9DeS ss fney
will prove more helpful in assuring to candldates
names for appointment than viii their general IN
formation merely. Candidates Will be expected 10
anrear promptly at 10 o'clock at the examination
rooms and to furnish their own pens and ink
1 do not know any greater opportunity for use
fulness than the position Of sanitary inspector"
affords. 1 venture TO say that there Is no charity
worker or charity visitor in the city who could not
increase his sphere of opportunity by becoming one
provided always his zeal is tempered and enlfght-
ened by knowledge. The inspectors badge should
be as honorable q decoration as the Red Cross.
One point in this examination should be empha-
sized Applications appear to have been filed in
Discriminatory for the position Of sanitary inspec,
tor and inspector of light and ventilation, and
there are nearly as many filed for one position as
the other. There than one hundred Sani-
tary inspectorships, and only about sixteen Of
the other class. How this came about is imma-
terial What material is for all applicants to
know that they will have at the time of the exam
iation the opportunity TO elect which examination
10 take without fling any application and ir-
respective Of the particular nspectorship for which
their apulication reads This l learn from the
secretary and chief examiner OF the Civil Service
Commission, and I wish the widest publicity given
10 II.
Mr. De Forest further said that number of
men in the Buildings Department had filed appli-
cations and that the Tenement House Depart
rnent would use some of the members Of the
sanitary SQUAD who are members of the Police
Department. These men, he thought would
prove Of great value inspectors