Evening star., 1909-09-02
CENSUS FORCE RULES
Number, Classes and Salaries
of New Employees.
THREE THOUSAND IN ALL
Examinations to Be Held in October
in Many Cities.
POSITIONS ARE TEMPORARY
None of New Employees to Be Eiigl-
BILE for Transfer Into the
Classified Service.


APPROXIMATELY three thousand tempo
rary- clerks will be appointed in the cen
..Sls bureau for the thirteenth decennlal
United States census, ard the date OF the
irst exam nation viii be october =; next.
throughout the United States at various
cities according 10 a circular announce
nent relative 10 the examinations and
appointments which will shortly be issued
Jointly BY the Department of Commerce
and Labor and the United States civil
service commission.
Blank application forms and the circular
of instructions may he obtained after
September 10 by addressing the civil serv
ice commission. Washington, d. c.: the
bureau Of the census. Washington, d. G.,
Of the secretary of the board OF examin.
crs at the following named places: Post
office Boston, Mass; Philadelphia. Pa:
Atlanta. Ga: Cincinnati oh .: Chicago.
H.: 81 Paul. Mimi; Denver Col; San
Francisco. Cal: custom house. New
York y. T.; New Orleans, La; old Gus
tom house. st. Louis. Mo.
VERY few appointments from the Octo-
Der examination will be made before Jan
nary | next and not many will be made
mt April. 1910. The maximum force
will be drawn about August. next year.
Salaries and Promotions.
These 5000 appointees will he given sal
aIies 81 about 5000 per annum at the be-
ginning. but promotions To 5000 per an
num- II least will be reasonably rapid
for those who render satisfactory serv-
ice. Al appointments viii be on proba-
lion. subject 10 termination at one month
or any later period if the appointee does
not come up to the requirements. In eN-
int Wi he -
f;iry and subject to termiTat the eXi-
sencies Of the service may require. All
expire by operat of law June 10, 1912.
The average tenure of office will p-ob-
. ably be about one year, but the general
duration VII range from six months to
two years. Not one of these clerks will
be elig bic for transfer into the classified
service.
The temporary positions with salaries
Of $1,000 and above. provided for ny the
thirteenth census law. will be filed for
the most part by the transfer of persons
already IN the permanent census office. 1t
being expected that the latter organiza-
ton will supply all other classes of clerks
except those mentioned below.
The work required of the 5000 tempo
rarv emDloyes is. according to the circu-
lar to consist of our casses: The opera
ton of card punching and card tabulating
machines: operation of typewriters. ad-
ling mach mes and combine d typewriter
adding machines. manuscript tabulatlon
and other clerical work; subclerical work,
such as that of messengers messenger
boy, watchmen and laborers. No one Will
be appo nted who is unwilling to work at
punching cards or tabulatfng cards or to
ne compensated on piece-pr'ce bass.
The salaries of subclerical employees will
be at the rates customarily paid in tire
government service.
Appointments to the permanent census
force viii be made as heretofore by trans
fer from other government departments
or by cert ficaton from the existing reg
ister Of the civil service commission.
Conditions of Application.
The conditions governing the formal ap-
plications and the special test examina-
tion require that the applicants must be
citizens of the United States, between
the ages of eighteen and fifty years, and
except boys over. sixteen and under eigh-
teen years of age, who, if passed, MI be
elgible TO appointment as messenger
boys only.
Deaf mutes will be admitted to the ex-
animation, and If their ma res are reach d
on the register will he offered employ
ment wherever that action is possible.
Each applicant must furnish medical
certificate as set forth in the application
form. and, il appointed may be subjected
to a physical examination when he reports
for duty. App intments will be made from
the eligible list in the order. of rating i'll
accordance with the law of civil service
apportionment. Only one. person can be
appointed from one family. 1t is an
nounced that few. IL any. of the sixty-day
emergency appointments will be made.
and none will be necessary before April.
1910
Form of Examination.
Only one kind of examination will be
given Tor. the temporary force, and it will
consist OF the following subjects and
weights:
: Spelling twenty words OF average diff
Gully in common use). 10: arithmetic ICON
sisting Of vertical and cross addition, per-
ce1tage and a simple exercise in tabu-
lationt. -: letter writing Ga letter of not
less than 10 words orr some subject of
general interest: competitors may select
either of two subjects givenl 90: penman-
ship 1.-THE handwriting of the competitor
in the subject of copying from plain copy
will be considered with special reference
TO the elements of legibility, rapidity
neatnesS, general appearance. etc) -:
copying from plain COPY "a simple test
II copying accurately in the competitors
handwriting a few printed lines, including
tabular ma'ter), 10; time CONSUMED in
eXaminationl -.
The time for the examination is four
and a half hours. aud in rating il a credit
OF 40 will be given those who fin sl
inside the time limit Other minor
credits are described in the circu ar. Upon
complet ng the examination competitors
viii he given an optional test in tyne
writing, consisting of an exercise in
tabulation. The intent on 10 Submit to
the latter examination must be stated
in the application, and the applicant
must bring his own typewriter to the
examination room. Those rated at 20 or
more will he made eligible
As a result OF the examination outlin-
ed above. five registers of eligibles wi
he prepared. and on each register the
names of the successful compet tors will
be arranged in the order Of rating The
genera! register Will contain those of
shteen years Of age and over who pass
From this, another will be made up Of
tine names of all who have had previous
exp rlence IN operat ng card-punchins
card-taoulatine or card-Sorting machines
In census work. The third register will
show those who make an average OF 10
in the test in typewriter tabulation
The fourth wi ] contain the names OF
those male eigibles, who are willing TO
be watchmen, messengers, assistant mes
sengers and unsk.lled laborers. The last
vii contain the names OF bows OF over
sixteen and under eighteen years OF age
eligible as messenger boys.
ToKeep Separate Registers.
Separate registers for men and
women will be maintained Persons oe-
string to become enumerators, enumer-
ators' cerks or interpreters should APP
nly 10 the supervisor Of the district i'm
which employment is sought The spe-
ciaI agents examination details VIII be
announced later.
The applicant must be examined in the