The Detroit times., 1910-10-24


service law. Last year the positions
subject to competitive examination I'M
der the civil service rules numbered
234 1910. an increase OF 2S.303 over the
previous year or the 1925 persons
not subject TO the rules of the com
mission the president appointed ap-
proximately 10000.
The civil service commission was
created by what is known as the Civil
Service Act OF 1883. Under the old
spoils system every change In the
presidency carried with II almost a
clean sweep OF the employees In the
executive service. This system pro-
duced so many obnoxious results that
IL was universally agreed that sub
ordinate positions ought no longer be
distributed as part OF the spoils OF
political warfare. but should be dis
tributed under appointments for merit
and held during good behavior
Since that time each succeeding
president Of the United States has.eX-
tended the number OF positions under
civil service rules. until today nearly
q quarter OF q million men and wo-
men hold their positions In the gov
ment service by virtue OF those laws.
That there are plenty OF aspirants FOR
government positions under civil SER
vice rules IL shown by the records OF
examinations duringf the year 1909.
The commission during that year ex-
amined $4,000 applicants. or these
$4,000 succeeded In having their
names placed upon the list OF eligibles
for appointment The number OF ap-
pointments aggregated 41,000. In other
er words. one applicant out Of four
secured an appointment, while one
eligible out OF three was successful.
The saying that In the government
service few die and none resign. does
not hold true, for nearly the entire A.
900 appointments were made TO Nil
vacancies.
The administration Of the civil SER
vice law Is being made more effective
each year Every few months sees
the issuance Of an order by the pres
ident transferring positions from the
unclassifed to the classified service
Last year more than 10000 employees
and the positions they held were
transferred TO the classified service.
Upward Of $4,000 OF these were the
fourth class postmasters in fourteen
OF the states OF the Union. President
Taft has already transferred 5000 pos
tai employees this year.
A large list OF eligibles is main-
tained by the civil service commits
sion at all times. Examinations are
held regularly In various parts or the
United States each year, and the ap-
licant is expected TO set forth In his
application the position he desires TO
ALL In addition to these regular ex-
aminations at stated periods, there are
special examinations held TO fill spe-
cial vacancies. One may easily con-
ceive the wide range OF governmental
activities when IT Is stated that In
the course OF a year examinations are
! held for nearly 500 different kinds OF
positions. In 1909, 301 OF the positions
to be filled required educational tests
and 1876 non-educational tests. In the
positions requiring educational tests
the ordinary examination Is about as
! difficult as that for q school teacher
In the common schools OF the aver
age city.
There are many examinations, how
ever. for positions Of unusual require
ments. The reclamation service needs
civil and hydraulic engineers; the
geological survey requires the services
OF the coal.mining engineers; the navy
department must have an electrical
expert in wireless telegraphy and tel
ephony; the department Of agriculture
asks for q chemical biologist. chief
veterinarian, and a chief OF the cattle
and grain Investigation laboratory
all these and other highly technical
| positions are filled from list of
eligibles made up by examination un-
| der the civil service. It is plain that
the ordinary government examiner is
not able to mark the papers In such
examinations. Consequently, the SER
vices of specialists In branches of
scientific. professional. and technical
knowledge are occasionally required.
There are exceptions to the rule