Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-08
CHARLES S. SHAUGHNESSY

THE manner in which municipal civil
l. service examinations are making better
citizens mentally and physically, by calling
attention to their shortcomings is one OF
the advantages of the new plan for employ
ing the thousands of men and women who
carry on the work of Philadelphia's gov
ernmCnt.
This is the opinion Of Charles S. Shaug h
messy. chief examiner of the Civil Service
Commission of Philadelphia. who traces
the evolution of the municipal job from the
time 1t was political plum until its present
status as means of honest and intelligent
service.
philadelphia is the third largest city
employer in the United States says Mr..
Shaughnessy. 1T has 500 varieties of po-
sitions. from common ,laborer TO the high
paid executive.
The character of the personal service
rendered to the city is important. for 1t
costs about S25 .000. 900 a year, nearly half
the entire city budget. and the personal
service is good, medium or bad according to
the character and ability of those who have
been found qualified to enter this vast range
Of employment.
Name n Misnomer
"The employment agency or entrance de-
partment is the Civil Service Commission.
It is really the front door of the public
service. It's name is a misnomer and an
unfortunate one, for it conveys n meaning
sometimes misleading to the average citizen.
But the name Civil Service Commission
has persisted through forty years in more
than 200. cities and in Washington since
the Federal Civil Service Act became ncccs-
sary by the assassination of President Gar
field. The proper name for the department
is Employment Commission. for It re-
cruits and places in their chosen fields
qualified people for the various activities of
the city
Years ago we used to have custom of
turning everybody out of their jobs. every
four years. This was called rotation In
Office and 1t was based upon the theory,
long since exploded. that the siobs belonged
to the party that happened to be in power.
People looked on at this custom very COM
plaCently for they little knew at that time
the significance or meaning of constitutional
government But this system not only
brought in the unfit. but it threatened to
undermine the whole government structure.
The first annual message Of one President
at that time contains this language:
" Doubts may well be- entertained
whether our Government could survive the
strain of continuance of this system
which upon every change Of administration
inspires an immense army of claimants for
Office to lay siege TO the patronage of gov
ernment, engrOssing the time of public off
GERS with their opportunities. spreading
abroad the ContagiOn of their disappoint-
ment and filling the air with the tumult of
their discomfort
HlS COuplllOH SpIShu 10 our cities ana
| was even more dangerous, for it aCcentuated
| all the evils of the Federal service.
"Our understanding OF government has
| vastly changed since then. We have learned
| that the institution Of government and all
| the jobs connected herewith belong TO all
| the people. Citizenship is a responsibility
| as we'll as a privilege. and civic accomplish :
ment is directly proportional to the extent
| in which the citizen participates. So the
| Civil Service Commission encourages par
| ticipation, and to that end interviews and
| guides people to compete and qualify for the
work for which they are best fitted
Value of Examinations
I'VE hear n great deal these days of
much needed training for the public service
and n municipal university, These will be
! organized agencies in preparation for civil
service examinations and are forward steps
| in the educational system; for. after nil
| preparation and examining for civil service
are educational. They train for citizenship,
which Is the great end of education. Orr
medical experts tell us that frequent exami
nations point the way to better and moro
healthful living. Mental examinations show
| our deficiencies; they point the way IN nd .
vancement. They push our horizon out 10
a wider and more usefuIlif
Formerly, civil service examinations
were confined to written tests of about four
| hours duration, where the candidates ,verc
assembled after the fashion of a school ex .
animation. But now n complete appraisal
! of each person Is made, including person
ality, habits, reliability, standing in the
| community as well as general intelligence
| Attention is also given to physical con1i
tion as to standards commensurate with the
kind OF work 10 be done. improvements are
constantly being made as our experience