Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-17
EDITOR

w
recognition of the underlying principles of the
civil service idea than that contained in a recent
CHAPTER from Col Rooseyelts Possible BiOgra
phy.r Col Roosevelt, it will be remembered
was appointed by President Harrison as ma
tional civil service commissioner, and served
with distinction for six years, two Of them under
President Cleveland The group of which he
was member did really remarkable service, and
the fact that at one time the other two members
of the commission were dyed-in-the-wool Demo
Gratis did not mar it's fine record.
Mr. Roosevelt devotes large part of a recent
chapter to the work of the commission. OF con
crete local interest are his conclusions as to ex,
aminations and promotions. He says
IL men are not be appointed by favoritism, wise
or unwse honest dishonest, they must be appoint
ed in some automatic way, which generally means
by competitive examination The easiest kind of COM
petitve examination is an examination in writing.
This is entirely appropriate for certain classes OF
work. lawyers, senographers, typewriters, clerks
mathematcians, and assistants in an astronomical
observatory for instance 1t is utterly inappropriate
for carpenters, detectives, and mounted cattle IN
spectors along the Rio Grande-to instance three
types Of employment as to which had TO do Datte
to prevent well-meaning bureaucrats from INSISTING
on written competitive entrance examinations. 1t
would be quite possible to hold very good compet-
tive examination for mounted cattle inspectors by
means of practical in hrandreading and shoot
ing with rifle and revolver, in riding mean horses,
and In roping and throwing steers did my best 10
have examinations of this kind instituted but my pro-
posal was of precisely the type which most shocks
the routine official mind. and was never able TO get
it put into practical effect.
The important point and the point most often for
gotten by jealous Civil Service Reformers was to re-
member that the routine competitive examination was
merely means to an end. 1t did not always produce
nrfu 1lx hattie than
TEN of appointments for spells purposes; 1t some-
times worked out very we'll indeed and in most big
governmental offices it not only satisfactory re-
suits, but the only system under which good re-
suits could be obtained. For instance, when was
police commissioner appointed some two thousand
policemen time 1t was utterly Impossible for
the commissioners each to examine personally the
six or eight thousand applicants Therefore they had
To he appoined either on the Recommendation of out
/ siders or else by written competitive examination
The latter method-the one we adopted-was mn
nely preferable. We held rigid physical and NOR
al pass examination, and then, among those Who
nassed we held a written competitive examination,
requiring only the knowledge that any good primary
common school education would meet-that is, test
of ordinary intelligence and simple mental training
Occasionally a who would have been a gooo OF
ficer failed and occasionally man who turned out
Ia be bad officer passed; but as rule. the men
with intelligence sufficient TO enable them TO answer
the questions were OF type very distihctiy auof
that of those who failed.
Therefore felt convinced, after full experience.
that regards very large classes of public servants
by far the best way to choose the men for appoint
ment was by means of written competitive examna-
ton. But absolutely split of from the bulk of my
professional civil service reform friends when they
advocated written competitive examinations for pro-
motion In the police department found these ex-
i aminatons serious handicap in the way of getting
the best men promoted, and never in any office did
find that the written competitive promotion exami-
nation did any good The reason for written COM
petya entrance examination is that it is impossible
for the the office the candidates prospect
I i've immediate superior, himself to know the average
candidate his ability But when once in of
flee to- test any mans ability is by long
experience in seeing him actually at work His
i motion should depend upon the judgment formed OF
Il him by his superfors