The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-05-03
THE PREACHER AND
THE EMPTY PEW
The Civil Service.

inspired III the first place by very
sincere desire to benefit the public ser.
vice, il must bc conceded that the civil
service has perpetrated some remark
able developments, aud that il asks
some fearful and wonderful things.
which | have seen, for example. note
that the service wants translutOrs. The
specifications are modest Applicants
must he able tO freely translate into
English, Dutch, Swcdishs Dano. Nor.
weginn, Russian, Portuguese, French,
German, Italian and Spanish. Accord.
ing Ia my count that requires n schol
r's knowledge Of ten languages, an at
tainment that is possible to about one
person in 100000. no matter what the
opportunities of the other 5000 may
have been, for the requirement of such
Dukes Mixture of languages is n
stated gift, which is both born and
made. The nearest approach we have
ever had TO one in the Pecos Valley
was the late Capt. Martini Mnncini, of
the New Mexico Military Institute. who
had IA speaking and writing flucncy IN
five languages, just half what the gov.
crnmcut asks for. Normally it takes
two years 10 acquire u language. That
would call for twenty years of study.
For the services of such genius the
government is willing to pay the munl
iiccnt sum of l,S0O per year, for the
services tn he put in at the musty old
Patent Office AZ Washington. Great
cucOui agcmcnt to n life time of study,
amt il!
Going into the subj jrct a little fur
ihcr | find that the service wants
craftsmen for the Philippine service,
who will get from $500 Ia 5000 u
year, the same aud more as the poly.
COLT guy; an oiler at West Point, Is
reasonably sure 10 get $3.50 n year
which is $3.50 n day, for knowing
enough Ia squirt oil in the holes pro.
Nided an the engines ui the power
plant at the big army school, an as
sisiant inspector Of electric light plants
~ ~ 500 II year, will he expected TO
have complete electrical experience
which il takes six wears to attain and
costs the student from $1,000 up; 4
seed tester for the agricultural depart
ment, which il tn hc womnu will
get $50 u year aud must pass n com
plctc scholarship aud technical examira
tion; aud 10 stop the pSt before IL gets
tiresomc an assistant instructor in An.
napolis, who mast he proficient in
mathematics, including algebra, gcomc
try, trig0nometry, calculus, astronomy
in all its branches, and physics, will
less than 800 "A month, less than is
paid n first class carpenter anywhere
in the western country. There are
many other classes of public servants
wanted, but these will do for n start.
~ il any wonder thai with such exact.
ing requirements and such low salaries
that the government has Ia be eternal
~ sweeping the country to get com.
petent helpl The requirements would
he strictly all right if the pay cores.
ponded, but they don't track in the
present shape, and the young men and
women are few and far between who
care to enter into the government ser.
sSsaf when such wages are paid. They
fail utterly to recognize the sacrifice
and hard digging that many must en-.
ploy in order to meet the qualifications,
only to be offered remuneration in M
wise equalizing the income attainabIe
in the commercial callings aud some of