Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-07-22
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A bulletin issued by the census Du-
reau gives the total number or en-
ployes in the executive civil service of
the United States as 150,3S3. These
figures include only those employees
who are required to take an examlna-
lion. so that about $4,000 postmasters
and employees of small postoalces are
excluded, as are about 10000 employees
with small salaries in the field branch
es of the War Department, about To-
600 employees at navy yards, who are
classified, but appointed under navy
ward regulations. and a few thousands
in other parts of the service. OF the
15O,3S3 given, 25,675 are employed IN
the District of Columbia; 131O61 are
males 1859 are native born, and
lO2, 431 are engaged in clerical work.
OF the entire number, 46, 1872 are be-
tween the ages of 80 and 40 years;
9.21s between 20 and 80, and 30,394
between 40 and so. One hundred and
one are over so, and 3,422 below 20
wears of age More than one-third OF
the number have been employed for
less than five years, and more than
fifth for less than year. Only 32S
have occupied places for more than
forty years. Those who receive sal
aries of $500 or more number SOL;
less than $500, 50,001-
The new salary schedule for rural
mail carriers has been completed, to
| apply from July /. The last Congress
raised the maximum salary from 5000
to $720 a year. 1t was found that the
| maximum route was q miles long and
| to carriers on routes of this length,
numbering about 10000, the maximum
salary will be paid. The salaries of
for each mile less than twentyfour.
carriers Oh routes shorter than the
maximum was fixed by deducting SIS
The net result has been that slightly
over two-thirdS of the whole force of
24500 rural carriers have received in
creases of 500 a year in their salaries.
The remaining carriers have received
increases of less than this amount.
This schedule takes into consideration
the expenses for equipment, and makes
what is stated to be a liberal allow
ance for such expense to carriers ON
routes less than the maximum length.
It leaves about the same appropriation
available for new service during the
coming year that the department had
during the last fiscal year.
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The eagerness with which men seek
appointive positions under the govern
ment almost amounts to a craze, and
like all craZes it is not readily eX-
plainable. In Boston, for example,
where examinations for custom house
employees are about to begin, there are
1889 applicants for 80 possible APP
pointments. These figures are some
what exceptional, to be sure, but in
other large cities there is always a
marked disproportion Of applicants to
places The Isthmian Canal Commits
sion has already had a hundred appli-
cations for every position it is author
lied to fill. Yet the salaries are not
large, rarely exceeding $1,000 a year;
and though the civil service law may
give some assurance of permanency of
tenure, there is little assurance of pro-
motion. That there should be such
eagerness for the appointments is not |
creditable to the seekers. Men with
even an average equipment of ability
and enterprise can find much more
promising careers
The National Civil Service Commits
sion has recently arranged to open
branch headquarters in Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Washington, At
lanta, Cincinnati, Chicago, st. Paul,
st. Louis, New Orleans, Denver, Port
land and San Francisco Each of
these thirteen cities will be the CEN
ter to which the civil service boards
in the districts surrounding them will
refer all matters which they cannot
decide for themselves. Heretofore it
has been necessary to communicate
directly with Washington when vacan-
cies were to be filed in the classified
service This has occasioned DELAY
especially in cities distant from the
capital. Under the new system the
Washington Office will be relieved of
practically all the detail of preparing
for examinations, and the national
commissioners will be able to devote
themselves more fully to the enforce
ment of the spirit of the civil service
reform laws.
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In decreeing that the Washington DO
licemen must give up the use of tooth
picks while on duty, Major Sylvester,
the chief of the capital police force, has
established new record in rules gov
erning the men The order reads as