El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16
HIGH GRADE MEN
FOR ROAD WORK
Civil Service Examinations
Are Planned to Secure
Proper Engineers.

Washington, ID. c.. Jan. ia COM
/ certed movement for skilled supervis-
ion of road work throughout the Unit
ed States has been launched by the
American Highway association and the
National Civil Service Reform league.
These two great organizations cooper
ated in the holding of session at the
recent American Road congress in At
lanta devoted to a consideration Of the
merit system in road management. The
United States civil service commission
+. was represented by chief examiner
/ George r. Wales, who pointed out the
manifest advantages Of competitive
qualification tesas as a requisite for
appointment to office. To combat the
rather general impression that Compel
! tive examinations in all cases mean
the answering of stereOtyped technical
questions, Mr.. Wales said:
For these high grade positions
I where men Of experience and attain
ments are needed. an examination is
given which does not require the com
petitoFs to assemble at any place or to
answer technical questions. They are
called upon to furnish under oath, a
detailed statement of their education
and experience, including all the work
they have done since graduation. They
may also be asked to submit an orig
inal thesis or report or published
works, and they are required to give
the names of persons able and cOmpe-
tent to testify as to their experience
and personal fitness.
Confidential inquiry is made by
the commission from various sources
as vel as Of all persons referred to
by the applicant. Gratifyingly accur-
ate and discriminating testimony is OBJ
tanned by this means Of confidential
COmmunica ton. Such testimony APP
proximates, if not equals, the testi-
mony adduced upon cross examination
in judicial proceedings. A demOnstTa-
ton of the ability Of the competitive
system to obtain high class men for
technical positions has been made
within the past year, in connection
with the employment of men to an
praise the value of the property of
common carriers in the United States.
For this work the Interstate Commerce
commission required men with quail
ficatiCIs ranging all the way from
rOdman and chairman to senior posi-
tons in civil, mechanical, structural,
electrical and architectural engineer
ing, as well as motive power men and
expert accountants.
There have been approximately 10,
GOO applicants for these positions and
the task Of Sitting the wheat from the
chaff and Of grading the wheat after
the sitting was one OF considerable
magnitude; but it was done, and II
was done so well that the 7. c. c. ex-
pressed its qualification to find that
it could secure a force so well equipped
to perform the gigantic task OF OBJ
tanning an accurate appraisal of the
value Of common carrier property. A
system which can successfully secure
a competent force Of high grade en-
gineers for this valuation work could
surely provide the proper kind of men
TO have charge of the construction and
maintenance of public highways"
To is anticipated that steps will be
taken to wage an active campaign in
o to-.
spoil system and to substitute for il
the merit system.