Evening star., 1905-11-11
MUST BE EXAMINED
EXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDING
CANDIDATES FOR coNsULATEs.

The new rule for the improvement of the
consular service, adopted by the President
amends the existing rule, which requires
the examination OF such consular officers
as are limited in compensation to the maxi
mum of g., 900 per annum and a minimum
Of $1,000. In President Cleveland's admins
tration an effort was made to examine all
applicants for consular positions but this
was soon abandoned, and the Limitation
now in vogue was adopted. The purpose of
the President and Secretary Root is to take
the consular service away from political
preferment and to make promotion as well
as appointment dependent upon absolute
merit These things are aimed at in the
following executive order:
With view to further Increasing the
einclency OF the consular service by extend
ing the method now employed for ascertain
ing the qualifications possessed by candi-
dates for appointment In that service:
II is hereby ordered that the executive
order OF September 20, 1895, in regard to
examinations for the consular service he
and 1t Is hereby, amended and extended to
include all consulates general, consulates.
commercial agencies and consular agencies
,he annual compensation of which is not
less than $1,000. Said order therefore will
feao' as amended, as follows:
The Order.
1t being of great Importance that the
consular officers Of the United States shall
possess the proper qualifications for their
respective positions to be ascertained either
through satisfactory record of previous
actual service under the Department of
state s' or through an appropriate examna-
uon' 1t is hereby ordered that any va
cancy in a consulate general consulate.
commercial or consular agency now or
Ie.edIter Le. existing, the salary of which is
not less than $1,000 or the compensa ton
OF which, if derived from official fees. ex-
elusive of notarial and other unofficial re-
celpts, does not fall below 81 600, Shall be
ililed by transfer or promotion from
some other position under the Department
OF state of character tending to qualify
the incumbent for the position to be filed
or by appointment of a person not under
the Department of State, but having pre-
Vlously served hereunder to its satisfac-
tion In capacity tending to qualify him
for the position ODE filled; or by the ap-
pointment OF person who, having fur
nished satisfactory evidence of character
responsibility and capacity, and being
thereupon selected by the President for ex-
animation, is found, upon such examination,
to be qualified for the position
For the purpose of this order notarlal
and unofficial fees shall not be regarded
but the compensation of an office shall be
ascertained, If the office is salaried, by
reference to the last preceding appropria-
ton act, and IL the office is not salaried, by
reference to the returns of official fees
for the last preceding fiscal year.
THE examination hereinbefore provided
for shall be by q board Of three persons
designated by the Secretary of State who
shall also prescribe the subjects to which
such examinations shall relate and the gen.
eral mode Of conducting the same by the
board
"A vacancy In a consulate will be filed
at discretion only when suitable appoint
ment cannot be made in any of the modes
indicated in the second paragraph of this
order.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
"The White House, November 10, 1905"