Evening star., 1922-05-31
REVISION PLANNED
FOR CIVIL SERVICE
Geographic Apportionment
Needs Change, Says Re-
port to Congress.

The apportionment method of ap-
pointment to positions in the federal
departments by the Civil Service
Commission plainly needs revision"
Herbert D. Brown, chief of the
United States bureau of efficiency.
says in a report to President Harding
which has been transmitted to Con-
gress. Instead of a geographical dis
tribution of the jobs, the bureau of
efficiency argues that there should be
first consideration of who will do
the work best. In discussing this
phase the report says:
THE civil service act authorizes a
geographic distribution of appoint
ments at Washington, but plainly in
dicates that an apportionment of ap-
pointments shall be subservient to
the requirements of good admintstra-
tion. The act gives the commission
ample authority for an Interpretation
of the apportionment clause suffici-
emily liberal to guard the ultimate
end of the whole civil service act,
cient workers.
THE present method of certification
should be discontinued and the sys-
tenn recommended by the Presidents
commission on economy and efiici-
ency on March 25, 1913, installed.
That system gives more weight to the
primary intent of the law"
Principal Recommendations.
Among the principal recommended
tions in the report to the President for
civil service improvements were: For
definite recruiting system to seek out
the best material for civil service jobs,
changes in clerical tests so that those
having special abilities for particular
kind Of work will be appointed. tests
for scientific and technical experts
which will bring into the service those
Of the greatest talent and capability
rather than those whose applications
show past experience. and performance
tests for those hired for manual work.
Under a system of trade tests a me-
chanic Is not rated on his statement as
to how long he has been at the trade,
the report points out. as is done in most
civil service examinations, but he Is
rated on his ability to answer twenty
questions about how he would do this,
or why that. In the performance test
he must do it.
test beside other things, he must tell
how many turns he would make on an
index crank when he is milling the head
on a hexagon screw. The trade test
sets forth demonstrated evidence Of the
applicants actual ability. The nom
assembled civil service examination for
artisans Is not truly an examination.
1t serves as an application record. The
longer the experience alleged, the
higher the rating.
Weeks Required for Rating.
In the Civil Service Commission it
takes several weeks at the earliest,
and in most instances much longer,
before an applicant can obtain a. rat
ing and be certified. With trade tests
an applicant is rated almost at the
time he finishes the test. II trade
tests were introduced in the civil
service procedure not over one week
need elapse between examination and
certifcation. This time saving is of
advantage to both the applicant and
the government. If the applicant Is
out of work it is hardship upon him
to await for certifcation. He does
not feel free to accept other work and
is not, as a rule, too well prepared
financially for the delay.
In view of the superiority of trade
tests over present civil service meth
DDS, they should be installed by the
commission, the Brown report empha-
sizes. No better plan of developing
lowed by the commission. Mr.. Brown
says, than that plan followed by the
United States Army.
The Army, having no tangible ma
terial to begin work on, required the
services Of a staff Of but thirty-flve
men in developing in great haste
trade tests for eighty-three occupa-
tions. 1t does not appear, in view of
the amount of material already de-
veloped, that the services of more
than one or two experts would be
needed by the Civil Service Commits
sion.
COMMISSION TO REPLY