Evening star., 1903-12-21
TESTING APPLICANTS
Examination by Civil Service
Commission.
VASTINCREASEINWORK
REPORT OF CHIEF EXAMINER,
FRANK N. HIGGINS.
Over 112,OOO Persons Sought to Sur
vtve the Ordeal Imposed by
the Government.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Frank M. Higgins. chief examiner of the
| CIVIL service commission, has submitted to
| the commission his report for the last fiscal
| year.
| At the outset the chief examiner states
that practically all of the examining work
| OF the year was done under the direction of
Mr.. A. r. Serven, who resigned the posi-
| ton OF chief examiner June 8 last, and
| that to him and his subordinates credit is
due for the results accomplished during the
year.
After general discussion of the work
done during the year the report gives an
| analysis Of the statistics of examina tlons
| and appointments. showing the great in
| crease In the examining work as well as
! IN the number Of appointments through
| examinations. The variety and extent of
| the examining work. the practical char
acter of examinations, the difficulties of
securing sufficient eligibles in some cases,
the examinations held for the Philippines
ana Porto Rico. the reorganization Of local
civil service boards and the centraliZng
| of their work. the need Of better facilities
| Tor transacttng the examining work and
| the recent reorganization Of the examining
force OF the commission made possible by
an increased appropriation, are the prin-
c1pal topics touched upon.
!" YIN Va CAauuAcIS 0IcdL6SLs
The report. in part, follows:
THE work Of approving or rejecting ap.
plications, holding examinations and prepar-
| Ing and rating examination papers, has been
the greatest in the history of the commission
During the year the commission was called
upon to give 654 examinations requiring
dillerent tests of fitness of winch number
2SS were educational and 368 non-educa-
tlOnal examinations. For the convenience
OF applicants these examinations were
given at over one thousand places through
out the country where the commission has
local boards of examiners. The total num-
ber OF persons examined was S5, 749, as
against 6O.55S for the preceding fiscal year.
There were in addition 24,0S0 persons eX-
amined under navy yard regulations,
branch of the classified service not covered
in previous reports, which raises the total
number Of persons examined for the classi-
fled service to 1O9,S2 In the preceding
fiscal year there were 1884 appointments.
while during the last year there were 1856
appointments, including 9,781 to positions
of carrier in the rural free delivery service
and 14.0SO to the navy yard service, ap-
pointm ents to which two branches Of the
service were not given in previous reports"
Tables showing the number examined for
original entrance. for promotion, for trans
fer and for reinstatement then given,
from which 1t appears that O3S persons
were examined fol promotion, of whom $50
passed and 404 were promoted; 243 persons
were transferred. and one person was ex
amined for reinstatement, who passed.
Thus the total number appointed. promoted.
transferred or reinstated is 4O,267.
BY the addition of b34 persons examined
for the Philippine service, 0O4 for the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia, 434
for midshipman in the Naval Academy
and 1.757 who were given physical exami-
nations for positions of unsIilled laborer in
the various departments, the Total number
examined is increased to 112,624.-
Vast Increase in Examinations.
"An analysis of the statistics Of exami-
nations and appointments shows that the
classified service covers wide field and
that the work of the commission Is not con-
fined. as many suppose, to the filing OF
clerical positions. In 1888. when
the commission was organized, 3,542 per-
sons were examined, principally for clerical
positions in the departmental, customs and
post office services, and 616 appointments
were made in those services. From July
16, 1883. to June 80, 1892, covering the first
nine years of theI commissions work. there
were 1922 persons examined and 29,547
persons appointed for all branches Of the
classified service During the last fiscal
year. however, there were 112,64 persons
examined and 1923 appointments to all
branches Of the service
A table Is submitted with the report,
showing that 32 per cent Of those examined
applied for clerical positions, 20 per cent
for carrier positions in the rural free de-
livery service Fl per cent for positions in
the navy yards per cent for professional,
scientific and technical positions, 8 per cent
for mocha mcal positions requiring some ed
ucational qualifications, such compositor
In the government printing office, etc, "a
per cent for mechanical positions requiring
no educational qualifications and per cent
for such positions as surfman IN the life
saving service. attendant in the public
health and marine hospital service, etc, to
whom no educational test was given. The
report shows that of the appointments
made. "a per cent We're to purely clerical
positions, per cent to professional, tech
nical or scientific positions, 3S per cent to
mechanical positions requiring no educa-
tonal examination, and per cent to skilled
laborer positions, not exactly mechanical
in their character, but requiring no educa-
tional examination. OF all those examined,
nearly so per cent passed, and 46 per cent
of those who passed were appointed so
that SO per cent Of all examined were sue
cessful in securing appointment, showing
that the examining work is greatly diversi-
fed and that the Information concerning
applicants according to the needs Of the
service.
Practical Character Of Examinations.
The report states that an experience OF
twenty years has enabled the examining
branch of the commission to reduce the ex-
aminatdous to essential tests Of fitness In
some examinat tions the element of expert
ence and training in similar work Is con-
sidered and rated as part Of the examina-
ton, with excellent results. The sugges-
ton Is made that the element of dme con-
sumed by competitors be considered to
some extent in the ratings of clerical ex-
aminations, this suggestion being based
upon inquiries showing the clerks VINO
finish their examinations early are, as
rule, more rapid and efficient In their work
after appointment than those who consume
more time in the examinations.
Difficulty of Securing Eligibles.
Some difficulty has been experienced in
securing sufficient eligibles from certain
professional, technical and scientific exam
nations to meet the needs of the service.
This is especially true in regard to exam
nations for aid in the coast and geodetic
survey, civil engineer, craftsman. meat in
ter