The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-05-07
SUPERVISION OF
NATIONAL ROADS
inspectors viii 30 Required to
Know Their Subject.
4 CONCERTED MOVEMENT.

An Active Campaign Will Probably Be
Wased In Every State For the Elimi.
nation Of the SpoiIs System and the
Substitution Of tho Merit System In
lts Place.
A concerted movement for skilled
supervision Of road work throughout
the United States has been launched
by the American Highway association
and the National Civil Service Reform
league. These w great organizations
C .operated in the holding Of a session
at the recent American rOa congress
In Atlanta devoted to a consideration
of the merit system In road manage
ment. The United States civil service
commission was represented by Chief
Examiner George r. Wales, who point
ed out the manifest advantages OF
competitive qualification tests as u
requisite for appointment to office. TO
combat the rather general Impression
that competitive examinations in all
cases mean the answering OF stereO-
tyled technical questions Mr.. Wales
said
For these high grade positions,
where men Of experience and attain
mvutS are needed, an examination Is
given which does not require the cOm-
petitOrS to assemble at any place or to
answer technical questions. They are
called upon to furnish under oath Il
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
nal thesis or report or published works.
and they are required TO give the
names Of persons able and competent
to testify as to their experience and
personal fitness. Confidential inquiry
Is made by the commission from vari-
Gus sources as we'll as of all persons
referred to by the applicant. Crafty
ingly accurate and discriminating testi-
monyi Is obtained by this means Of con-
fdential communication. Such testi-
mony approximates. If not equals, the
testimony adduced upon cross examina-
ton in judicial proceedings.
"a demonstration of the ability of
the competitive system to obtain high
class men for technical positions has
been made within the past year, in con
nection with the employment Of men
to appraise the value Of the property
Of common carriers in the United
States. For this work the interstate
commerce commission required men
with qualifications ranging all the way
from rodman and chairman to senior
positions in civil. mechanical. struc-
tural. electrical and architectural en-
cheering. as we'll as motive power
men and expert accountants. There
have been approximately $1,000 ap-
plicants 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 it
was done so well that the |. G. G.
expressed its qualification tO find that
it could secure Il force so well equipped
to perform the gigantic task Of obtain
ing an accurate appraisal Of the value
VI coLlluloH carrier property. "a SYSTEM
which can successfully ecure a com
petent force of high grade engineers
for this valuation work could surely
provide the proper kind Of mel to
have charge Of the construction and
maintenance of public highways"
1t Is expected that steps will be
taken to wage an active campaign in
every state for the elimination Of the
spoils system and to substitute for it
the merit system.