The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-04
AN EXAMINATION FEE.
For Civil Service Applicants Recon-
mended by the Commission.

Washington, Dec. 4.-The twenty-second
annual report of the United States civil
service commission, made public today,
contains recommendation that congress
should organize the collection of a fee
from applicants for examination for the
government service. Should the author
Ity be given the report states that the
commission will issue a manual giving
such detailed information regarding the
examinations as will make it Unnecessary
Tor the more intelligent applicants to
make special preparation for the exam
nation in some civil service school or in
stltuIon- The amount of the fee, it is
suggested, should be a small one. The ar
gument in its favor is that it would elm
4uale from the examination the large
number OF persons who take them out Of
curiosity or to secure a higher rating on
the eligible list through REORGANIZATION
1t is stated that 10000 persons were
examined last year, 10000 of whom Sc
cured positions During the year the num-
Der of competitive positions increased
from 154,o93 to III. S07
Touching on the order of President
Roosevelt of November II last, giving
autnorlty TO heads Of departments to sep
arate an employee from the service with
out notice, for delinquency or misconduct,
the report says:
1.-The new rule neither changes the au-
thortty to make removals, which existed
as fully under the former as under the
ton of the civil service commission, mere
~ making some changes in the proceed
ure in case of removal"
The order of Postmaster General Cor
telyou providing for the retention of
fourth class pOStmaSterS during SaUls-
factory service is regarded by the COM
mission as distinctly the most important
administrative reform effected within the
past year. The fourth class postnasters
constitute the largest class of employees
selected without examination of any
kind. For many years these positions
have been treated as political spells, and
appointments made to them with slight
regard to the best interests of the ser
vice"
Regarding appointments to the Panama
canal service the report states the COM
mission has experienced considerable DIFF
hculty in securing eligibles for positions
included in the outdoor service on the
isthmus AS to the Philippine service lit
tie difficulty has been experienced in pro-
viding sufficient eligibles.
Commenting on the desirability of posi-
lions in the government service the COM
mission says that the separations from
annually, and further:
THE great defect in the federal service
today is the lack Of opportunity for am
bilious, well educated young men. All of
the higher positions are outside of the
competitive classified service and no sys-
TEN has been established by which those
who have distinguished themselves in the
! service can be promoted to the more i'm
pOrtant offices and at the same time en-
| joy reasonable security of tenure. There
! is not sufficient induCement for the most
capable men to enter the examinations.
as they can do better by seeking employ
other institutions, where they can in time
/ command much higher salaries than they
/ can ever hope to secure in the govern
fnpuf service -