Evening star., 1918-12-01

Commission found this distinct
handicap In Its recruiting work.
Washington. city Of S5o,oo0. alb.
least 125.00o. without adding mate
rally to its living accommodations.
The result was that many Of the war
workers were forced to live under
conditions surrounded by tnconve-
nience. IL not actual hardship A tre-
mendous turnover in the civilian per-
sonnel in Washington was a natural
outcome. Many agencies contributed
all in their power toward relieving
the housing situation. including the
Chamber Of Commerce. the be- Young ing
Young Women's Christian Associa-
tion, other such welfare organiza-
tions. the room registration office OF
the District Council of Defense. and
more recently the homes registration
service OF the Department Of Labor.
The work of examining nearly n
million applicants and Of keeping the
necessary records has been tremen-
dous. Hours have been extended from
time to time and the Civil Service
force during the greater part OF the
war period. 1t is wearying work to
review applications or to rate exam
ination papers for from seven to ten
hours a day, week In and week out.
The monotony Of the routine has been
broken occasionally by Incidents
either dramatic or humorous. An
important point which engaged the
attention OF the Civil Service Com
mission was that the service must not
loyal citizen to flnd therein any op-
portunity for mischief. The commis-
sion has given as careful attention
as possible to the matter OF the 10y
atty OF the persons 1t has certified
as eligible for appointment. 1nvesti-
cations were started in many cases
on very slender evidence. For In
stance, an application was fled with
the secretary of the local board OF
civil service examiners in a southern
city for position ms machinist In the
NAVY yard service.
The representative Of the Civil
Service Commission was keen enough
to observe that thu handwriting In
the application bore some resem-
writing Of Germans. aithouxh the ap-
plicant gave a good Angio-Saxon
name and stated In his application,
under oath. that he was born In the
United States
was placed in motion. aad In a small
town in q western state q family
Bible was discovered which helped to
provo beyond question tho birth of
the applicant in Germany. He was q
German citizen. He was, promptly
on the other hand, the commission
found 1t just as difficult to guard
against hysteria and spite and to pro-
tsSt Sen innocent aPpitiSs,nts against
made. A case IN point 10 that Of n
young woman who iived In city OF
the middle west and who applied for
a clerical position In the departmental
ssrvcs ta, in Washinson A An ,,s sn1nyi v
Service Commission which charged
the applicant with dlsloyalty. The
fact that she bore name that was
as Teutonic ns any imaginable did
Inc 81 70 as
cd beyond a doubt that the woman
who made the charge, and whose
identity was easily discovered. was
actuated solely by Jealousy. The ap-
accuser. who possessed such Q d.sposi-
ton that It made her unhappy to have
her friend obtain employment At a
decent salary while she cnntinued to
york TOR q plttsncs: The alleged
ful and valuable service for many
months In one OF tho departments In
cord
An applicant for examination gave
floor back room OF my fathers house."
while another stated that the length
Of his legal residence in a certain
state was "forty-two feet"
Il 4
For purposes Of Identification the
Civil Service Commission requires ap-
plicants to Gle their photographs,
stipulatins that the photograph must
have been taken within two years"
A conscientious applicant submitted a.
photograph OF . chubby baby. seated
upon a papier -mache rock, ana ex.
planned: This photograph was taken
when was three years old and IL the
closest to two years that I have"
In the millions Of answers to ustes.
tions some gems wers discovered.
One competitor declared that the
largest sound In the state Of Wash.
ington was "tho roaring of the
waves" Another asserted that the
feminine OF cgAr was bazaar. and
still another said that thA plural of
colo was duet. A good sisel book
could BE- fllled with q collectiea Of
these amusing answers.
The commission regards the writing
OF q letter or An essay ~ an excel-
lent test OF general intelligsnce. And
requires such an exercise In exam
nations Tor clerical and subclArical
positions. The ingenuity Of the ex-
aminers IL sometimes taxed in pro.
viding now subjects Tor these lei.
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