Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-21
ARE NOT ATTRACTED
GOVERNMENT SERVICE DEPRIv-
ED OF THE BEST ELIoIBLEs.
Interesting Feature Of the Annual Re.
port Of Chief Examiner Frank
M. Higgins.

The most interesting feature of the an
nuai report of Frank M. Higgins. the chief
examiner of the United States civil service
commission, Is the statement that numer-
GUS successfull applicants fer positions have
refused to take the places offered to them.
The report says: 1.-The positions under the
government are considered desirable, and 1t
Is generally supposed that the commission
has little difficulty In filling vacancies as
they occur. This, however Is not always
the case. While sufficient applicants enter
the general examinations, there are nuTner-
GUS declarations of appointments when ten
dered. especially TO positions in Washing
ton. Many Of the highest elgibles on the
registers decline appointment on account Of
the low salaries offered, which frequently
do not equal the salaries received by them
in private employment"
Attention Is Gained to the insufficient sup
rAy OF eligtbles on various registers. includ-
Ing the stenography and typewrtting; aid,
coast and geodetic survey; assistant tOpog-
rapher,' craftsman copyist, topographic;
craftsman, land Office: craftsman, tepo-
graphic; irrigation engineer, meat inspector,
physician, Indian service; assistant ex-
aminer farmer, farmer with knowledge of
irrigation; teacher, Indian service; indus
trial teacher, civM engineer and superin-
tendent Of construction, mechanical drafts
man. ordnance department, and engineer,
Indian service.
= 1t appears that since January 1877 appoint
ments were made from the clerk register.
Before these could be made 81 eligtbles who
were rendered appointment declined; from
the bockkeeper register 81 appointments
were made since December 10, 1904, but OF
eligibies declined before the positions were
niled; from the stenographer and typewriter
register $50 appointments were made since
October q. 1904, and 1856 eligibles declined
before the vacancies were filled. The re-
port says: These figures indicate that the
salaries offered are. in many cases, not a
sufficient tnducement for the best e!igibles
on the registers to enter the government
service. The prosperous times have directed
the attention OF many qualified eiigibles to
the advantages offered in private employ
ment. II larger salaries could be offered
by the government for the more important
positions. more applicants of higher grade
would enter the examinations, and there
would be fewer declarations by the highest
eiigfbies on the register when they are ten.
nered appointment. The government would
as result be the gamer, because the differ
ence In. the quality and quantity Of the
work performed by the eligibles who re-
celved the highest rating as compared with
those VINO barely passed the examinations
would more than Offset the difference in
saaaries.'
Examinations of the Year.
Over $50 different kinds of examinations
were given during the year, of which 23l
were educational and 419 nom educational
tests For all branches OF the service 49,
$50 persons were examined, 1908 passed
and Se.42 were appointed The number ex-
ahmed shows a gain of 10, 681 over the pre-
ceolng year, and was the largest in any one
year In the history Of the commission. The
principal increases were due to the holding
OF certain examinations during the year
which were not held in the preceding year
such as clerk. $500; printers assistant.
=. 100; Immigrant inspector 1908; tagger,
s5I: bookkeeper, reclamation service, PA,
and third grade (male). 1858. Several large
technical examinations were also held for
the isthmian canal service, in which nearly
5000 persons competed.
While there was an increase in the num-
Der examined. there was decrease OF
1851 in the number appointed, or &c. 2T as
compared with 1924 for the preceding
year. This decrease was due almost entire
ly to the falling Off in the number for the
rural carrier service and for the navy yard
service. There were fewer changes in the
rural carrier service owing principally to
the fact that the maximum salary of rural
carriers was increased on July l. 1904, from
500 to xt2O per annum. The reduction IN
appointments in the navy yard service was
due to variety f causes. The largest
number OF examinations and appointments
were for the following positions and serv-