The Washington times., 1903-06-17
Commissioner Evans Niece
Made a Sl,600 Clerk
Merely by Passing a Nom
Competitive Examination.
A Wonderful Rise.
Civil Service Commission
Divided as to Legality Of
Such APPOINTMENTS Mr..
Proctor Strongly Opposed
to Them.

An investigation Of the records OF the
Civil Service Commission. prompted BY
the disclosures IN Nj. Procter's reporr
on the Washington city postofice, has
developed the fact that unclassified post
Offices were Used as channel for evad-
iEs the limitations OF the civil service
elsewhere than in tie Postohice De-
oartEe=t-
The showing in the case OF one wo-
man-and the Instance is reported by
Civil Service Commission officials 10 De
only one OF many-is that a niece % II
Clay Evans was placed in 81. 600 posi-
ton in the Pension Bureau, within the
protection Of the civil service. By means
OF the tOrtuous route followed BY Mr..
Heath's appointees 10 the Postoface De-
Dartment-
Oficials Of the commission said. fur
,her. that the case OF this woman. Nellie
G. Terry. private secretary To the Com
missioner q Pensions. presents this
complication that the appointee is now
protected by civil service law, and is
consequently beyond the control of the
Civil Service Commission.
ReStS With President.
The circumstances Of Miss Terry's
appointment and the fact that unelassi-
fed postofIices have been made the
gateway for numerous other appoint
ments OF the same sort are entirely IA
milIar 70 the Civil Service Commission.
The commission has. moreover, already
exhausted its power TO prevent or hin
der the practice \ further investiga-
tion OF the circumstances attending the
round about appointments would there
fcre. be time wasted
But members OF the oflce force Who
know from association with him the
Presidents purpose TO keep within the
spirit of civil service laws have ex-
pressed every confidence that the il
vestigatiOn. begun N the postofflce, VIII
not cease while similar abuses prevail
in the Pension Bureau and elsewhere.
A Wonderful Rise.
Miss Terry is a niece or II. Clay Ev-
ans. former First Assistant Postmaster
General, former Pension Commissioner.
and now United States consul general to
London. England She entered the pub
lie service through the postofice at
Weilsville. y. Y. September /. 1909. at
salary Of S4c0. Today. thirty-three
and OHe-hah months later. she IS draw
ing S16o0 a year. and is one OF the
nighesf priced female clerks in the en-
ploy OF the Government
She went into the postoflee at Wells
Vile September l. 1900. and. according to
the records OF the Civil Service Com
mission, the Office was classified Just
one month later. October l. 1900. On
November q. 1900. she requested a
transfer to the Pension Bureau. To
this end she was required TO take a pro
forma non-cCmPetitive examination. and
she passed with an average Of S4.55.
The certificate Of transfer was issued
December II, 1900. and on December Il,
three days later. she was transferred
TO the Pension Office. Her salary in ths
latter bureau was fixed al $500. She
was assigned 10 duty as a copyisr-
lust Passed rs Stenograpker.
After serving in that capacity three
months she took another -competi-
tive examination as stenographer and
passed with an average q fraction LOovs
"A. The way having thus been paved, on
April Il. 1901. she was made stenog-
rapher 10 the Pension Commissioner
at her present salary OF S1.600.
From the date OF her first appointments
"a the Office al Wellsville at a salary
of $500 until Miss Terry was appointed
stenographer to the Commissioner was
period Of FIVE and half months In
that time her salary was advanced
$1,000. which is considered one Of ths
most remarkable instances on record OF
the appreciation by a great people OF
the services and abilities OF an indus
Jrious young woman.
A Divided Commission.
The interesting fact is revealed By her
record at the Civil Service Commission
that Civil Service Commissioner Proc
ter voted No" On her application for
transfer from KTf1lavf1lo "a fha parufon