Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-07-24
Still Looking for Applicants.


Colorado, so new in fact that peo-
pie seeking employment are appar-
emily afraid of it. Under the old
regime, when appointments were
made at the pleasure of the heads Of
the various institutions, one often
heard the charge by disappointed ap-
plicants that "pull' did it all. But
now that the only way these posi-.
t;ons can be filled at all is by civil
service examination, open to all alike,
there seems to be a scarcity of good
material. This lack of applicants is
caused partially by the lingering hope
of the job seeker that there surely
must be some way of lodging the
examination and getting in by the
back door" in spite of the law. But
the commission is treating the law as
realty and not as a joke.
The position of nurse-attendant in
the state insane asylum at Pueblo
furnishes striking example of this.
There are four or FIVE vacancies at
the present time and not sufficient
applicants to fill them if they should
all pass. To be sure the salary is
not large, but when tits considered
that board, room and many incident
al living expenses are furnished free
which would otherwise cost from $50
to $40 per month. and that in addition
the appointee receives a salary of
from Se5 to SIS per month at the
very start. the compensation is fair.
The examination given ought to be
the least of an applicants troubles,
as any school boy or girl of sixteen
would consider it SNAP" as far as
the scholastic part is concerned; that
IS spelling, arithmetic and writing.
Besides these, two subjects are given,
requiring that sometimes uncommon
qualification, common sense In one
the candidate listens while the ex-
aminer reads an order to do some
thing which he, as nurse-attendant,
might have to do. Then he writes
down the substance OF that order. In
the other subject the candidate an
swers questions in regard to the tasks
and duties of the position he seeks.
The asylum deires the service of
those who have had at least six
months previous experience.
There are two more positions seek
ing applicants. experienced nurse. and
matron. The duties of the first are
caring for the sick, at a salary OF
about $50 per month and mainte-
nance. The salary is not large but
the commission does not expcct 20
secure trained or registered nurses
although such would be practically
certain OF appointment. MANY of the
institutions need a practical nurse to
care Tor minor cases and look after
the sick when there are any, under
the direction of n physician. The
work IS pleasant and the duties US
ually light.
Almost all the state institutions
employ matrons of one kind or an
other: These positions all require
knowledge of housekeeping. Besides
this. at the Boys Industrial school |
candidate must understand bows
and how to manage them, even the |
real bad ones, while at the Girls In
dustrial school one must know how /
to manage girls of all classes and |
conditions. At the Children's Home
the matron has both sexes to deal |
with at ages ranging from those
Just arrived to sixteen or seven
teen years. Likewise such position ,
AT the Insane asylum requires knowl-
edge OF and contact with the Grim
inal. Salaries range from SEQ to $50
per month and maintenance, there
being very few beginning with less
than $50. Two vacancies now exist.
The commission reports that the
number of applicants is constantly in
creasing. and this is to be expected.
As New York and Illinois they
often have ten times as many appli.
cants as there are positions to be
filled, when applicants come to un-
derstand the advantage of positions
that are permanent and where pro.
motion is assured. the same thing
will undoubtedly happen here. Al
present, however, 4 competent appli-
can't is almost sure of a position.
The Civil Service commission at
the state capitol in Denver will mail
anyone an application blank on re-
quest. Those interested in these or