Evening star., 1922-05-30
EFFICIENCY BUREAU
HITS CIVIL SERVICE
Chief Brown Tells President
Non-AssembIed Examina-.
tionS Err.

Few Industrial establishments In
the entire world have as large and
varied a force of scientific and tech
Sans workshop. To bring into this
service the best talent and best ex-
perts In every line the United States
bureau of efficiency, in a report just
submitted to President Harding and
transmitted to Congress, recommends
important changes by the Civil Serv-
ice Commission in its technical ex-
aminations.
Herbert D. Brown, chief of the bu-
reau of efficiency, in making this re-
port stresses that the technicians are
now selected under a system that is
more the consideration of applica-
tions setting forth the previous ex-
perience of the applicant than "by
competitive examination"
Cenmission Errs.
The non-assembled examinations as
set by the Civil Service Commission
err both in the general principle and
In the qualifications to the principle,
he points out to the President. The
non-assembled examination of neces-
SHY emphasizes experience" too
strongly. 1t does not make proper
allowance for capacity for perform
ing particular work as distinguished
from previous employment in that
work.
The Civil Service Commission, al
ways feeling that it is overburdened
In its duties. he says, tends to use
non-aSsembled examinations when
ever it is faced with the necessity of
setting an examination in new sub
Ject or for a new position. Yet it is a
strain on the very idea of selection
by tests to call appointments made
through the consideration of applica-
tions appointments "by competitive
examination"
Written Examinations.
The first step which the Bureau of
Efficiency figures the Civil Service
Commission should take to abate
this evil is to devise written exam
nations for as many of the technical
and scientific positions as possible.
Chemists, biologists. bacteriologists,
metallurgists. physicists. architects,
as satisfactorially by written tests
as can clerks and stenographers.
Furthermore, Mr.. Brown emphasizes,
the commission should study the re-
quirements of the various depart
ments and establish uniform require
ments for the different scientific po-
sitions
For example-the chemical per-
sonnel requirements of the bureau of
chemistry, in the Department of Agri-
culture, and the chemical personnel
requirements of the bureau of stand
ards, in the Department of Com
merce, should be harmonized as far
as possible, and the bulk of their
appointees taken from a single regis
ter of chemists. Likewise. all of the
scientific and technical positions in
the government should be thrown into
standard groups. OF course, educa-
ton and experience would be given a
certain amount of weight (but never
more than 40 per cen) in grading
the papers of applicants for positions
of this kind.
Records Criticized.
The fact is that the extensive use
of records Of experience and educa-
ton for the establishment of COM
petitive grades can have no place in
a sound civil service procedure in the
federal government, the bureau Of
efficiency stresses. Technical, scien-
tif1c and professional positions should
be filled by written examinations; ex-
ecutive and administrative positions
should be filled either by several writ
ten tests of general ability or through
the testimonials of other persons, and
finally manual positions should be
filled by trade tests and performapce
tests.
The bureau Of efficiency recon-
menus tnaI the pFeseut system VI HOu-
assembled examinations be aban-
doned, and that a sounder examina-
tion policy be substituted, even
though the upbuilding Of such a pol
icy require several years of effort.
Of course. the receipt and inspection
of applications will continue to be
helpful in making temporary appoint
ments But the Transformation of ap-
plication papers by forced analogy
into examination papers Is at best a
rather dubious expedient and should
be forthwith relinquished for more
constructive methods. the bureau of
efficiency insists.