Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-24
MANY APPLICANTS.
1889 Quests for 80 Jobs in Boston
Custom House.

Boston. June 23.-Never in the history OF
the civil service has there been such
rush for Government positions. Last year
was record breaker in this respect, Wnen
examined for service in the custom house,
and 1883 came to take examinations for
the postal service, and these numbers
were so far above the records of former
years that there was reason for believing
the limit has been reached. considering
the small number of positions to be hiled
the limit. For several weeks now appli,
cations have literally poured into the local
civil service office. People from all over
the State are struggling with problems for
positions in the customs service: they
have declared their intentions to take the
examinations which begin on July IL. and
are hard at work on their textbooks,
studying the subjects in which they are
to be examined. More than 1860 men and
wOmen-twice as many as last year-have
registered; 1t will take seventeen days
for the local examiners to examine them
all, as the room in the Federal Building
used for this purpose accommodates only
100: and probably 200 of them will pass
the examination. Should there be a cor
responding increase in the applications for
post Office positions next November when
the annual examination machinery for
not be sufficient for one examination
alone. and the office Is crowded already
with work. Hardly day passes but there
come from Washington announcements OF
various parts of the country, and the
island possessions.
What are the causes for this quest for
custom house positions. unprecedented in
the history of the office? recent publicity
given to the affairs of the off1ce would
seem to have the opposite erect, beca
were not particularly elated over their
lot. but rather uncertain and detected.
The positions offered are not particularly
renumerative, and even if they were the
| a homeless
for about 1900 of the 1888 registered can
didates, as it is very improbable that
more than twenty or thrf ye Will on nf sf yen
lowing the creation of the new list of ell
gibles Then all the other names will be
dropped from the list and nothing short OF
another successful examination Will place
the unfortunate candidates i'll line again
for custom house work. This enormous
demand for positions is pointed out as an
Indication of a growing confidence IN the
civil service system. People begin TO feel
more than ever that it is worth trying
for, as it rewards superior skill and re-
of the politician. 1t is an almost unheard
of thing that employee in the Boston
Custom House loses his position for any
thing short of habitual drunkenness or
gross negligence of duty
Though it creates an enormous amount
of work for the examination board. more
than it had anticipated. and results in a
great deal of disappointment. it has the
bright side, from the Government point of
view, that it gives the Government a
wider range within which to select en-
ployees. 1t naturally guarantees more
efficient corps of employees than if the
choice We're narrowed down to a group
| only slightly larger than the number OF
employees needed. as was the case at the
| beginning of the system. 1t furnishes the
department with an almost perfect class
of employees-men and women who come
close to the 100 mark in most OF the
studies required.
The positions at the custom house within
| the classified service. and the salaries
given at the beginning are as follows:
Classified laborers, 800 a year; mes
sengers. 500 a year; clerks. $40 a year;
| day inspectors, 81 per day; samplers, slool
a year; assistant weighers "a a day; night
inspectors, So a night; watchmen, 81 a
day: attendants, $500 year; openers and
| packers, $50 a year: Deputy officers
| usually get their positions by promotions.
Promotions are possible in positions car
rying annual salaries. but they come very
slow. There are clerks in the building
who entered as clerks eight to ten years
ago at $40 and have no more today.