Gilpin observer., 1902-09-11

captain hOSenlll, VINO undertook 10 lay
claim to Marcus island and take pos
session. arrived on that island July Both
last He was met by Japanese war
ship, the commander Of which handed
to him the letters addressed by the
State Department, pointing out the ad-
visibility of his avoiding any forcible
demonstration to support his claim.
The captain accepted these letters as
sufficient and left the island about a
week later. He has not lost any right
he might have had, according to the
State Department., and if he has any
just claim 1t may be pursued to a con-
clusion in the usual diplomatic chan
mel.
Concerning the preference given to
United States soldiers and sailors hon.
orably discharged for disability in
CURED In line of duty the report of the
civil service commission says: With
view to securing to those honorably dis
charged from the military or naval ser
vice by reason of disability incurred in
line of duty the benefits granted by Sec
ton 1854 Of the Revised Statutes, the
civu service rules give preference to
sucE persons in examinations by re-
quiring them to obtain an average of
only sixty-five in order to pass, GER
tification by placing their names at the
head of the register before all 9TH
ers not veterans, and in exempting
them from all age limitations. The
preference thus conferred extends to all
who have at any time been discharged
from the military or naval service by
reason Of disability incurred in the linz
of duty, and is not confined to those
who have served during a war. A ta-
BILE accompanying shows that forty-five
appointments of preference claimaL-s
were made during the year, most of
these being to positions in the depart
ments at Washington. The average
age of these preference claims was less
than fifty years. In the appendix to
the report the preference given TO hon.
orably discharged veterans of the war
of the Rebellion and the Spanish-Amer
lean war in the matter of reinstatement
to the civil service is mentioned. Such
veterans, their widows, and army
nurses of either. of these wars may be
reinstated without regard to the length
Of time they have been separated from
the civil service. That this is a sub
stantial benefit appears from the fact
that during the fiscal year covered by
the report 131 such persons were rein
stated, or over fifteen per cent. of the
entire number of reinstatements.
An interesting portion Of the report
Of the Civil Service Commission is
headed: Opportunities for Appoint
ment' in the report Of the chief exam
iner An abstract of this is as follows:
For men the best opportunities are Of
fered through the stenography and the
typewriting examinations, which are
given twice a year. For several years
all men who have passed in both of
these branches have been offered ap-
pointments except those who placed
the minimum salary they were willing
to accept at SO large figure as to pre-
clude their appointment. About fifty
per cent. Of the men passing the book
keeper examination receive appoint
ments. For some time past all the eli
gibles from the examination for aid in
the coast and geodetic surveys, which
examination requires fair knowledge
Of higher mathematics, mathematical
astronomy and physics, surveying, and
some knowledge of modern European
languages, have been offered appoint
ment. Other examinations for the de-
partmental service which offer good op-
portunities for appointment to men are
that for inspector of meats in the bu-
reau of animal industry, and that for
Junior civil engineer In the railway
mail service from 700 to 800 appoint
ments year have been made for the
last four or five years, at an entrance
salary Of $500 per annum. Most of the
eligibles from the different teacher ex-
aminations for the Indian service are
usually appointed at entrance salaries
Of from 5000 to 5000 per annum. Per-
sons who pass the examinations for
bookbinder, pressman. electrotype fin
isher. electrotype molder and stereo-
typer for the government printing Of
flee have very good opportunity for
appointment. The supply of compositor
eligibles. on the otherhand, is usually in
excess Of the demand.
The annual report OF the Civil Ser
vice Commission is largely statistical.
1t opens with the statement that Al ,O75
persons were examined during the
year, Of whom 21.O2S were examined
for the department service. This ser
vice does not include merely the de-
partIlents at Washington, but all the
federal classified services outside of
Washington, with the exception of the
postal customs, internal revenue and
government printing services. Thus,
the railway mail and Indian services
are divisions of the departmental SER
vices. Nearly 21.O0O- persons were ex-
amined for the postofiice service. or
little over n thousand less than the
number examined for the department
al service. About sIxty-nlne per cent.
or 49, 739. of those taking examinations
passed. and 1850 failed. Compared
with the year previous. this represent
ed an increase Of 2,i12 In the number
Of persons examined. decrease of L.
POS In the number who passed, and an
increase of 3,41O in the number who
failed. The total number OF persons re-
ceIvlng appointment, excluding the
Philippine service and the municipal
service OF the District OF Columbia,
neither OF which is subject to the pro-
visions of the civil service act, was o.