Evening star., 1922-01-28
Planned to Make Character
Count in Test for US. Job

the collusiop of men who WORKED
from the inside. =
Giting the whole OWL service z
bird 's-eye view" from his centtal
position here. President Hartett q.
toe to Be SSatSse Soo e enable able uncie sam. Tat
great employer, to hire his NKrs
In the same efiicient manner thA$ the
private employer uses r.
Uncle Sam might evan adopt the
plan Of q certain emtnent hnancaer
dinner, and carefully gave MN tns
''once over" II he liked hiy fooks
he hired him: that was all. He could
not tell on what he based. ais yuoS.
ment, but he made good selectionA
Now, of course, Uncle Sam cannot
take all applicants out to supper. out
he can use some common sense In So
lecting his workers. and not Just
leave their choice to mental tests. GO
through the government departments
and a keen observer will be able 10
tell, President Bartlett believes, that
tho government personnel has been
chosen largely on scholarship tests.
1t may be dinicults to put these
plus qualities into the ratings out
That is the judgment Of Mr.. Bart
lett. and OF his colleagues, OF Preet-
Cent Harding and Cen Dawes; your
Uncle sn samnet ns.a ts sons yoa 10 appiy foT
job under him. You may be able TO
pass an arithmetic test with q grade
Of 96 per cent, but II you look like q
sneak thief you probably will not get
the Job you are aftee. .,.,,,.sa .,or
using my discretion in this manner"
says Mr.. Bartlett: "as being cr1ticiseo
for being fool"
The only just criticism Of the civil
service now is that 1t Is not practical
enough. The new sort of examinA-
tons will silence that criticism, 1t is
contended, by making the service an
intensely practical thing. one to meet
the approval of shrewd business men
everywhere.
The scheme will make more true
competition for positions under the
government, for 1t will take the race
with book learning" and give the
man who is rich in character and ex-
perisnce an equal chance. In the
rugged battle Of life the race Is not
always to the man who can conjugate
'amo.". nor yet to the weakling who
to the man who has that Intangible
something known as personality"
And personality IL made up Of ability,
strengths and appearance.
1t will be good thing for the boys
and girls Of the country. Mr.. Bartlett
believes. to know that the govern
qualities. to realise that to meet its
broad tests they must be real mon
and women.
At the present time character
vouchers are needed on all civil serv-
ice examinations, but the trouble is
that anybody can get such vouchers
and the Civil Service Commission
has not the facilities to look up the
people who do the vouching. AS ex-
aminationS are conducted now, the
postal service is about the only
branch of the government that re-
quires any sort Of examination Of
applicants as to the plus qualities" !"
In examinations for third-class post
masters scholarship counts for 50
per cent and business fitness for
SO per cent. In examinations for
first and second class postmasters
20 per cent is educational and the
remainder business ability. Fourth.
class postmasters are examined sole
ly as to scholarship, such as it is.
The Civil Service Commission pos
sesses an excellent organization upon
which to base the new sort Of exam
nations. 1t is not generally realized
that the commission has at its serv-
| ice about 10000 government workers
Throughout the country. constituting
| its $500 local boards, each with three
members. These workers, postal and
otherwise, are authorised to do the
work of the commission upon gov
ernment time. This machinery 10
available to get facts.
Then the commission has thirteen
district organizations, exclusive Of its
| central headquarters here. All that
| is needed is the $4,000 appropria-
ton and the ofncial word to 60
q