The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-09-23
] EXAMINATION !! ! I FOR
POST !! MlAs TIERS TO
be HELD SOON
'oong1essT e Authorize An Appfopfta-
lion q $se, 900 For Conduct.
ing Examinations.
z.xAMs: EASY SAYS EAvRnNERs
Arithmetic, Penman.hip, Letter
Writing and Copying Addresses
- -
Will Comprise azestions.
BY Congressman Clyde +. rayenner.

BY Congressman Clyde H. Tarenner.
Washington, September School
starts this fall not only for the mil
lions of American school children
but also for 2i,5s7 postmasters of
the United States. Congress this
week will probably authorize an APP
preparation of $4,000, which is to
pay the salaries and expenses of ex-
aminers, printing Of examination
questions, etc., and just as soon as
this sum Is in the hands of the Civil
Service Commission the examinations
will begin.
The States Of the Union have been
divided into groups of four each, and
1T is proposed to hold the examina-
lions in each group each month, SO
that 1t will take exactly a. year to
complete the, work. At the end of
that time all fourth class postmast-
ers, who draw a compensation above
$3.50 per year, will be in bona fide
civil service, having won their places
by competitive examination.
This is big news to thousands of
country store keepers who find the
adjunct of the post Office in their
stores not only a profitable depart
ment in itself but one which brings
much trade for the general mercan-
disc end of the. emporiums. Thus
there will be keen competition for
the jobs, the Civil Service Commits
sion estimating that there will be
three applicants for every place, or
about 5seee candidates who will
take the examinations. AS rule
a single examination will be- held
in each county for all the fourth
class offices in that county. =
The examination is not hard, In
fact, it is one that could be easily
passed by almost any grammar school
boy, yet the Civil Service Commission
expects many of the present incum-
ibents of fourth class post Offices to
stumble over it. 1t will comprise
four questions having the following
weight: Arithmetic, SO points; pen
manship, Is points; letter writing,
20 points; copying addresses, IS
points -s-
The arithmetic test will have four
questions. In question 1 the contes-
tant will be required to add eight
whole numbers and from their sum
subtract another whole number.
Question 2 is bookkeeping. The ex-
animation paper will give the value
of stamps cancelled at certain post
office, the amount of money received
from newspaper postage, from the
sale of waste paper and from box
rents.
The candidate will be given a blank
form on which he must set down
these figures in their proper places.
and then he must compute the salary
of the postmaster for the quarter in
accordance with directions given on
the form. Question 8 deals with
multiplication and division of de-
cimal fractions and also the reduction
of simple fractions to decimals.
Question is practical arithmetic,
calculating the number of post Of
flee boxes that can be put into a GER
tain space, or the number Of yards
of linoleum required to cover a given
floor space. Question is blank
money order report to be properly
filled out from figures given in the ex-
animation paper.