Evening journal., 1906-08-08
WANT PLACES
WITH UNCLE SAM
Thousands Of Young Men
and Women Ready For
Civil Service Exams
WILL BEGIN NEXT MONTH

The announcement of the fall exami-
nations throughout the country for
places in the civil service Of the Gov
ernment apparently has awakened
widespread interest. The service is re-
cruited from year to year largely from
the ranks Of school teachers; and in
thousands of homes young men and
women who have been teaching, as a
| stepping-stone to something better,
are studying for these examinations.
The examinations will be held during
! September and October; and, in order
that everybody may have an opportun-
ity to try for a place, they will be held
at from one to five cities in every
State in the Union.
The Civil Service Commission never
has any trouble keeping on hand a
supply of elgibies for places in the
service. The popular fancy is that the
government is an easy taskmaster ana
a good paymaster, so far as civil po-
sitions are concerned. It is not so
easy 10 get men for the army and navy.
! Each of these departments of the gov
ernment- is compelled to resort to fam
ing posters. and finds it necessary to
keep recruiting squads on the road the
year round drumming up men for the
service.
Visions of comparatively easy work
with fairly good pay that is always
certain to come. regularly. undoubtedly
lead many young men and women to
seek places in the civil service Of the
! Government: but the prospect of per-
manent employment is the great in
centive. "Once in office, always in Of
fee" is the rule under the civil service
law. And there are not many excep-
tions to it. Many of the employees en-
ter the service with the idea Of staying
| in only a few years-just long enough
| to get something ahead and find a
| good place on the outside-'but most OF
: them get lodged in a rut and stav there
The inside advice is to keep out-noi
because the places do not afford a fair.
ly good living, nor because it is no
an honorable thing TO be in the emplo,
l,of ones country, but because the ser
vice units one for the active business
) of life outside the service. Most mem
= bers Of Congress VIII ohave been here
long enough to see the insideof thl
/ service will advise young men anC
young women to take their chances il
. life outside the public service. Some
3 thing like $4,000 clerks are now EN-
= rloyed in the departments here a
] the Capital, and they are not a happ.
lot. All things considered, the pay Il
/ not large It will average about 500
/ a year for each person. and that il
rneagre remuneration in what is nov
/ regarded as the most expensive city il
E the United States in which TO live.
The coming fall examination will cal
ID for a good many specialists for place
that are really worth seeking. Year b.
year the Government is finding NOR
and more work for men Of specia
training in the sciences. The Agricul
tural Department and the Geological
Survey, under the Interior Department
are gradually branching out in man.
lines that require special talent of
, high order. These places pay fror
$500 to S250O a year. and they affor
men opportunities to accomplish re
suits that frequently lead to opening
in private business that are wort
while. It is not always easy to retail
the best men in these high-grad
= places. As soon a sa young man ha
established a reputation some privat
= concern is likely to want him. Durin
! = the last year the Geological Survey ha
: with great difficulty retained its fore
= OF civil engineers engaged on the irri
cation works in the West The dc
mand for first-class engineers is s
great and the outside pay so muc
better than that of the .Governmer
that the employees in the Governmen
service are constantly dropping out I
take positions that are more remun
: erative.