New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-06
Civil Service Commission Tells
What Will Be Required OF
WouId-Be Employees.
EXPERIENCE A NECESSITY
examinations To Be Held This
Month for Men Who Will
Make Physical Valua-
ton of Railroads.

go IN q statement issued tonight by
The Civil Service Commission, which is
ohorged with recruiting the vast army of
merits and other employees required for
the undertaking.
The first of the examinations in TINS
new field OF civil service employment viii
he held in all of the states and in the
territories of Hawaii and Porto Rico on
I,lv p and %. So great is the interest
among those seeking employment that
already about 10000 inquiries have been
received al civil service headquarters.
From all parts Of the country letters have
r,o,red in az the rate of from 500 TO 1000
dsiIv since the announcement on June II
of the first examination
Not only will a large force be required
N complete the initial work of appraising
the valuation OF all Of the railroads Of the
country. but after the final figures are OBJ
tanned II is probable that considerable
number will be required 10 keep the In
formation I'D 10 date. Thus the work
about 10 be undertaken will be permanent
for a great number of employees under the
civil service. Those who are appointed
when the work starts and make good
naturally will have the best chance for
advancement. AS the undertaking is en-
tirely in its infancy il is impossible 10 tell
how long a task il will be- but IL is esu-
rated that II will require about five
wears. II will be started as soon as the
employees can qualify
While the Civil Service Commission
Is anxious TO receive applications from
as many qualified persons as possible
because il believes that there will be no
great surplus of such men. 1T has been
found necessary 10 emphasize the re-
ouirement OF experience in the different
lines Of work covered by the seventeen
examinations to be held, Many of the
application for examination blanks
thus far have come from telegrapherS,
station agents, conductors and others,
whose qualifica tons are not Of the kind
required for the work about 10 be
started.
Character Of the Work.
The character of the work. the sal
aries and the manner of the eXamina-
tons is explained by the Civil Service
Commission as follows:
Junior and minor positions of archi-
tect, mechanical engineer, railway sig
nal engineer, electrical engineer. and
structural engineer will be paid from
s1.0SO to $1,000 a year; similar grades
of civil engineer. inspector Of car equip
ment, and inspector Of motive power,
from $1,000 TO $1,000. Senior inspectors
of car equipment and senior inspectors
Of motive power will receive from $500
to So, 800 a year.
There will be two grades each OF
senior structural engineers, senior civil
engineers, senior electrical engineers,
senior railway signal engineers, senior
mechanical engineers and senior archi-
tects. The first grade will pay salaries
ranging from $4,000 TO $4,000 a year,
and the second grade from $500 to
$4,000
There will also be held on July p an
examination for examiner G accounts IN
the Interstate Commerce Commission
These accountants will be paid from 81
20 10 5000 a year for the first grade, ana
from 81, $50 TO 81 100 for the second grade.
Applicants must have had actual eXpe-
rience in connection with common car
ner accounting work in public account
ing practice. with state commissions en-
gagged in the regulation Of affairs OF com
mon carriers. or with the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Seven years such
experience is required for the first grade,
while FIVE years experience is sufhcient
Tor the second grade.
The examinations TO be given by the
Civil Service Commission for all these
positions will be strictly practical IN
Character For the senior positions ana
for examiners Of accounts the applicants
will not be expectedNto come together in
a room and sit at desks TO answer ques-
tons on how 10 appr9se the value OF
railroad property but they VIII be re-
ouired to fiji out an application and eX-
animation form prepared for the purpose,
giving a statement Of their general edu-
cation and technical training, courses OF
study pursued and where so pursued, also
a detailed statement of their professional
and technical experience along the lines
Of the duties OF the position for which
they apply. giving the names of their en-
ployers. with dates, pay and KINDS OF
work they have done. They must make
these staten ents under oath, and must
give the nan es Of witnesses who can cor
roborate their statements.
Inquiry is Thorough.
The commission acts upon these apph-
cations much as any business institution
would act, except perhaps that the eX-
Animation by the commission into the
education and experience Of the applicants
Is more thorough and systematic than Is
customary with commercial houses. Spe-
cifc inquiries are addressed TO the refer
ences given by the applicants and when
all the evidence possible 10 obtain In re-
gard TO the education, training, expert
ence and fitness Of the applicants Is OBJ
tained the papers are placed before
board Of experts accustomed TO weigh
such eyidence-men who have a knowl-
edge Of the qualifications required in the
position TO be hlled-and a percentage
rating Is assigned to each applicant ac-
cording 20 the boards judgment as 10
the value Of his experience and training
Tor the position as compared with that
OF al the other applicants.
For the minor positions, paying from
hleo 10 $500, the examination consists
Of practical questions on the kind OF
work 10 be done, and applicants win DO
assembled for the purpose of answering
These questions. The education and ex-
Derienee Of the applicants will form
tatable part Of the examinations and Will
oe Investigated In the same way as In
The Examinations for the senior positions,