The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-16
FRAUD CHECKED
IN CIVIL SERVICE
Photo Must Go With Ex-
animation Papers,
HANDWRITING SCRUTINIzED
Incompetent Applicants In the Philip
pines Baked In Scheme to Gst
Fat Berths.

In spite OF the ten thousand miles
intervening between Manila. uhere the
examination is taken. and Washington.
/ where IL is filed II is impossible for ap-
pIcants for positions ln the Philippine
| service to defraud the Government By
hiring some one else 20 take the exaui-
nation In their place.
Section 10 Of the marzzI OF evsnnfra-
ton Of the Civil Service Commission
/ completely bars any such scheme. Tor
il forces each application to bu accom-
panied BY photograph OF the person
/ taking the examination The ph0to
must be an unm0unted cabinet. les
I than three years old
The Regulation.
/ The section reads;
! Each applicant FOR the Philippine
! service viii be required 10 submit 70
the examiner, on the day he IS II.
amined, recent photograph. not more
I than three years old. OF himself. which
/ viii be filed with his examination papers
/ as means OF identification iu case he
/ receives appointment An unmounted
I photograph Is preferred. The date
! place, and kind Of examination, the ex-
I . =
name, and the year in which the pho-
/ tograph was taken should be indicated
/ on the photograph"
A profile Of the applicant viii NOT ba
/ accepted, nor viii group picture The
( photo must be full face. and single. and
! must also bear the iudosemeut OF the
I examiner, VINO, on his sheet for conf
/ Dental remarks. must certify that the
/ likeness Is good.
/ The specification is the direct result
OF a scheme which for several years
I was the means Of incompetent men
being employed by the Government at
/ nigh salaries One wishing TO take the
/ examination, yet doubling his ability TO
pass high enough 20 assure an appoint
ment. would employ some one 10 take
the examination IN his place. The re-
Enumeration would. OF course be agreed
/ on beforehand; in some cases a hxed
/ amount In advance, in others, which
I was more often the case, the stipend
I would be a certain fixed amount on
! each month's salary.
Widespread Fraud.
! The plan grew widespread. and in
1 every examining station a few men
/ were to be found who made a study or
/ civil service examinations and who
/ guaranteed To pass high, meaning
| that the appointment OF the original
] applicant would be assured
/ such a course became extremely p0pu-
/ lar with both applicants and examina-
j ton takers for it assured an easy living
/ TO both
/ There was one glazing fault with the
I plan. however, for IN nine cases out OF
Z ten the applicants who adopted such q
/ course were incompetent 20 MI the posi-
! tious 70 which they were appointed
The Government officials devised a
( plan 10 prevent the practice Of the
/ sChemei a close comparison OF the hand
/ writing on the examination papers and
/ that on the statement each empIoye
/ IS forced TO draw up just before receiv-
I ins an appointment In some cases the
plan worked 10 perfection and there
B was a noticeable decrease in the ap-
I p0intmeut Of incompetent men. In GER
+ tain eases, however, where the examina-
. ton was taken miles away and the
I papers forwarded 70 Washington for in
Z sIeCtiOu. there was hitch and the
4 officials again laid plans for checking
/ the substitution.
CrO0kedness Hats.
! The clause requiring that each appIi-
I cant submit hts or her photograph with
/ the application was finally hit upon, and
/ the crOokeduess came 10 an abrupt halt
! Unless the substitution Is worked by
/ twins the Government cannot be de-
! frauded. Even then sEeh a thing would
I be dimcults for the handwriting Is also
/ examined.
/ II. A Hess, an examiner at the Civil
4 Service Commission, said that he had
not heard OF a substitution being sue
! cessfully worked since the adoption Of
the photograph system On the other
hand Re stated that previously there
were many instances OF the examination
I being taken BY short rotund man OF
InlQole age while he who received 5ht
/ appointment would be tall thin, hollow
I chesLed. and cOHsumptlve looking,
Want Healthy Men.
/ The Commission has absolutely no use
/ for cOnsumpuves. for the. cannot stand
/ the climate Of the Philippines. and no
matter how competent mentally, they
I are soon incapaciJaued Tor work. APP
pointment of such men has been pre-
/ vented by the rule forcing each eEamin-
! CT 10 state I'm his confidential sheet a
/ complete description Of each applicant
] personal appearance and apparent
/ health. If he impresses the examiner
/ as c0nsumptive OF unhealthy in any
way he stands very little chance Of
/ appointment
/ The Government must be assured.
| FIRST that the man receiving the APP
/ pointment is the one who took the eN-
/ amina ton and. second. that he Is IN
[ good health and able 20 stand physic-
ally both the work and the climate 20
! which he may be assigned
IY. Nj. C. A. OFFICERS TO BE