The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-06-03
?. N. S ARE STUDYING
FOURTH CLASS PosTMAsTERs
MUST PROVE FITNESS FOR
THEIR PLACES.
EXAMINATIONS OPEN TO ALL
Competitive Tests VIII Be Applied In
Every state-civiI Service Com
mission Entering Upon Biggest
Job That Ever Confronted 1t.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

class postmasterS OF the country to-
day are going to school again. I'm
1 der the orders of Postmaster General
Albert g. Burleson. sanctioned by
President Woodrow Wilson, who nat
urally takes deep interest in edu-
cational matters, the postmasters OF
humble rank soon will be called be-
fore examining boards not only to
/ prove their fitness for their 5000 plus
jobs, but to prove that they are bet
ter fitted to hold them than are any
of their fellow townsmen with postof-
| fee ambitions
/ Fourth class postmasters are now
/ legally on civil service basis The
| fact that man holds the job at pres
ent will be of no service to him I'M
less he can down other aspirants in
the competitive examinations which
soon are to be held all over the United
States. Here are the competitive tests
which will be applied:
L. Elementary arithmetic and ac-
counts (sinple tests in addition, sub
traction. multiplication and division
of whole numbers and common and
decimal fractions and statements Of
| the postmaster's accounts)
2. Penmanship (the legibility, neat
ness, and general appearance of the
compositor's handwriting in the sub
ject of letter writing.
3. Letter writing ca letter OF not
less than 125 words on any one or two
subjects furnished).
A.. Copying manuscript address "a
! simple test in copying accurately ad-
| dresses given.
/ 5. Facilities for transactfng postal
business fbased on the location OF the
| postofice site, the convenience of Of
fee arrangements, etc.).
BIC Task for Examiners.
The civil service commission will
send examiners to the county seats
for the purpose of conducting these
| postmastership examinations. The
task of the "quizzers" will be a big
one, for there are many thousands Of
fourth class postmasters, and prob
ably there will be many more thou
sands of applications than there are
jobs in sight Postmasters who are
receiving less than $3.50 year are not
to be disturbed at this time, but it is
taken for granted that there will be
no strong protest against this exemp-
ton from the Democratic faithful who
are seeking preferment.
/ Some of the Republican members of
congress are inclined to be jocose over
this invasion of the civil service into
the fourth class postmastership field.
They are asking If, when the lists OF
the successful competitors are scan
ned, it will not be found that most OF
/ the successful ones of good, true and
ing on the part of the Republicans
carries with it an intimation that the
4 civil service commission, which is to
conduct the examinations or the ex.
aminers themselves, will not do their
duty as it ought to be done, and II
implies, also, that neither Mr.. Wilson
nor Mr.. Burleson is sincere In this
| latest civil service exploit. There has
been very little complaint in the past
of the work of the civil service com
mission, and 1t is hardly likely that
the commission or its agencies viii
stoop to trickery for the sake of help
ing some thousands OF men to get pic
ayune jobs.
Where Democrats probably viii
profit in a party sense by these com
petitive examinations for fourth class
postmasters is in cases where. under
Republican rule, the jobs have beer
given to men for political service only
men who had no proper business quail
ifications for the places. Fourth class
postmasters Of this kind probably viii
be ousted before long, but Democrats
may not profit any more than Repub
licans, taking it for granted that ths
average Of intelligence in the two par
ties Is about the same. Except in the
south there. probably will be abou
as many Republicans to take the ex
aminations as Democrats, aand. there
fore. fitness probably viii rule.
Wall of Porto Rico.
1t is pretty well known in Washing
4 ton that the administration and tn,
Democratic leaders in congress fea
sugar in its results on the Porto Rical
industry more than they do the result
as they will affect the Louisiana plant
ers and the western beet-root grow
ers. The administration and congress
are being told by possible alarraist
that free sugar viii ruin Porto Rico
Representatives of the Porto Rican
are In Washington doing what the,
can to secure a change in the propose,
tariff legislation as it AFFECTS sugar
The Porto Ricans say that with fire.
sugar the most important industry o,
the island will be wiped out. It is
dfreful tale which the islanders tell
and II things turn out as they sa,
blackly 1t is certain that they Will
| the island will experience destrue
ton of its system of public education
paralysis of public works and santa
ton endeavor. and the impoverishmen
and the throwing into condition o
absolute misery of 400,O0 Porto Rica.
men, women and children.
i Worries Democratic Leaders.
The Democratic leaders ii congress
are, W0rri al more, NV, ~, u :