The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-07
ALL POPPYCOCK"
This Is What City Officials
Think of New Civil Service.
Claim 1t Is Wasting the City's
Time and Money.
MAY LOSE POSITIONS.
Employees, Assistants and All
Have to Take exams"
City Hall in an UprOar Over New
Requirements.
MAY LOSE POSITIONS.

The city hall is in an uproar be-
cause the civil service commission has
issued an order that all city employees
coming under the commission law
must take their examinations and
must pass these examinations before
they will be allowed to remain in their
present positions.
Some of the officials who have been
assisted by clerks and deputies for
years and some of the commissioners
who have competent, experienced men
under them and depend upon them,
are making declarations of war against
the whole civil service commission sys-
tenn and against the rules that the
present board are exacting
The physical certificates are causing
the most trouble. For instance-here
are few questions included in the
examinations that the officials believe
are too personal, are immaterial and
have nothing to do with the compe-
tency and efficiency of city employee
What is your exact height in your
How far do you hear ordinary con-
verSatiOn %
what is the condition of your
limbs? %
"Give exact measurements of yorr
chest
"Have you ever had fits?''
eff married do you live with and
support your family?''
who is your family physician?'
How much money do you owe?''
as your father or mother dead?
When? Cause?'
when were you born, where?"
Questions Too Personal.
This isn't all. There are at least
twenty other questions about your
physical neutrality-suspicious. that to
some people are a personal matter and
have little to do with whether he or
she is able to hold down a position of
clerk, stenographer or inspector in the
employ of the city. Some of the
physical questions are termed 'im-
proper" and naughty by the city Of
ficials.
What difference does it make" said
Commissioner Tandy this afternoon,
whether a clerk or a stenographer
has one leg or ten legs. If he is able
to do the work required of him it is
not the business of the city to take
up these private and personal mat
tiers.
I'm the fire or police departments
where it takes good strong men to do
the work a civil service physical exam
1nation is the right thing but in a
matter of this kind it is wrong-radi-
ca1ly wrong.
Now the city makes some of my
physical defects and they allow the
day laborers to work without an exam
ination of any kind. The 1aborers do
the heavy work and not the inspec-
tors. If an inspectors father died of
bunions it doesn't harm his efficiency
in telling a bad brick from good one.
"There are many clerks and indoor
workers who have some physical de-
feet but they are just as good with the
typewriter or with the pen and the
"a in civ fhnr,
woman physically perfect.
Too Much Textbook
Then they ask you a lot of text
book questions which are absolutely
foolish when applied to the real work.
Perhaps a young college man could go
| in to the civil service commission and
answer correctly every technical ques-
ed him over to the city engineer and
put him out on the job he might fall
fiat.
"A man may be crooked as dogs hind
leg and slip through these examinations
and obtain position.
What looks funny to me is this: The
people elect the city commissioners and
give them the power to appoint all of
the important professional positions-such
sn ty clg ev autar y cer efc
and then when it comes to appoint the
minor clerks and the men and women
StenographerS in our offices they have to
make a thorough investigation.
1.-The civil service commission is all
poppycock and is a waste of time and
money for the city. don't think it will
last long.
Take this interview with Mr.. Tandy and
apply it to practically all of the city Off
Gals and they would say the same thing.
Meanwhile the civil service commission
is conducting strenuous examination
with preponderous questions-and the
city clerks and stenographers and assist
ants are entering the school room with
trembling limbs.