The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-11
IGNORANCE AND
Wit in EXAMS
Civil Service Records
Show Amusing An
swers to Questions
BY ANNABELLE LEE

| by hlNISAb ELLn LEE
(Staff Correspondent of Universal
Service)
WASHINGTON. = Problems OF
peace have followed the wartime
problems at the civil service commits
sion offices in Washington, and Hen
ry A. Hesse, chief of the examining
division, is called upon to answer
more questions-wise or otherwise
than any federal office holder in
the capital city.
Nor does Mr.. Hesse's service to
the public end with his administra-
ton of educational advice. All sorts
of queries come in by every mail
on subjects so divergent that one
would think he was conducting a
Write to Beatrice Fairfax Whenev-
er You Are in Doubt" column.
He is called upon to aid in sup
plying information to expedite di-
vorce cases. Mothers whose daugh-
tiers have never been away from
home write to him asking if the gov
eminent provides chaperones to trav-
ell with them from California to
Washington. Young men inquire if
lady "vamps" are married, as their
application blanks will show wheth-
er or not they have helpmeets. Such
a case was disposed of last week,
when yoong man inquired il Su-
san Brown were married or single,
stating that he was engaged to be
married to the young lady, who ac-
cording to rumor was not free.
you are entitled to the informa-
tion,' said Mr.. Hesse, and the rec
ords soon proved the young lady
was tickle and had deceived him.
On the other hand, the department
has found it difficult to guard
against spite and hysteria to protect
innocent applicants about whom
charges of disloyalty were made.
These charges are made usually in
anonymous letters accusing the ap-
plicants with Teutonic names Of dis
loyalty. Careful investigation near
ly always reveals that the accusers
are actuated wholly by Interior mo-
tives.
One young man was careful to in
quire the penalty attached to cheat
ing in the examinations the day he
called to take the examinatinos.
1--WE cancel the papers and bar
them from examinations for three
years." was the reply.
Thereupon he sat down at the
table, took book from his pocket
and began to copy from it.
why did you do this, he was
asked, when you were advised of
the penalty?"
"Oh," he replied, II sized up the
questions and knew ! could not an
swer them, so it was easier to cheat
than go home and tell the folks
that l had failed. I Just hadn't the
nerve to do it,
An applicant for examination gave
as the place of his birth, "the Sec
ond floor back room of my fathers
house." Another stated that the
length of his legal residence was
"forty-two feet
For the purpose of Identification
the civil service commission requires
applicants to file their photographs,
stipulating that their pictures must
have been taken within two years"
Not long ago a conscientious appli-
cant submitted chubby baby's
photograph and explained:
81 was three years old when this
was taken, but it is the closest to
two years that I have"
Some Gems of Answers
In the millions Of answers to ques-
lions, some gems are discovered.
One competitor declared that the
largest sound in the state of Wash
ington was 1.-THE roaring of the
waves One stated that the femi-
nine of car was BAZAAR" and that
the plural of solo was duet"
Here are few taken at random
from the political economy list:
Q-"What is meant by the term
balance of trader"
Balance of trade means |
good deal more in all cases."
Q-"Name two of the principal
functions of money"
A-"To have and to hold"
Q-"Name the causes of the civil |
war"
A.-"Succession and precision"
Q-"Who were the Pilgrims and
why we're they so called?"
A-"The Pilgrims were called Pill
grims because they were named af-
ter the rocky coast of Plymouth
on which they landed, and because
they were pure in heart and pill
grimed and journeyed."
Here are a few questions and an
swers in the geodetic survey exam
nation: