Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-16
A N FOOL UNCLE SAM,
MR.. HASKIN SAYS
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON, June let is a
strange fact that respectable citizens
who would not dream of beating the
groeer's bill or robbing a bank will
try TO cheat their way on to Uncle
Sans payroll.
What may seem yet stranger to
many people is that scarcely any of
these too anxious candidates for
jobs are able TO fool astute old Uncle
Sam. For a while a trick may appear
to succeed. The applicant may be
rated as qualified and duly installed
at Il government desk. But sooner
or later the truth is out, and another
individual is debarred from the SER
vice. perhaps with d fine or impris-
onment.
This is clearly shown by the Civil
Service records. The government has
a careful system of checking up on
the applicants for positions in its
service, and on its employees as we'll.
The records show repeatedly that
the human memory is SO unreliable
in cases of deception that there is
little chance of the author of mis-
statements remaining undiscovered.
Questions as to age and experience
are answered differently in different
examination blanks, Even on the
same application form discrepancies
may OCCur.
During the year 496 persons were
barred from examinations until fur
Their notice, Most of the debarments
were on account of false statements
made in applications filed. The I'M
+ u statements related to criminal
record, age, height, weight, or previ-
Gus occupation. For collision or use
of helps in examinations, So were
barred. For theft or embezzlement
from the government or for break
ing contract for personal services
with the government, AZ were bar
red. Eleven were for attempts TO
impersonate others in examinations,
6 We're for attempted bribery, and IT
for filing fraudulent vouchers or
medical certificates.
The largest number OF cases comes
under eXaggeration o. education,
training, and experience and these
amount to hundreds each yea The
applicant is usually impelled by nat
ural inclination to make the best
showing possible, and, in some cases,
being a victim of a superiority com
pick, really thinks he has greater
ability than nature or education has
given him. The fraud arises when
the applicants make misstatements
about their training or experience OF
other material fact; for instance,
claiming supervision oye assistants
when they themselves were assist
ants.
Making Raise oath as TO Age
The next in line is Justification as
to age. If it is necessary that the
| applicant should be twenty-one, fol
example, to be eligible in d particu.
( lar examination, and he is only nine.
teen or twenty, he sometimes adds
year or two as the case may be. l.
he is along toward the maximum
age limit or has reached it he may
subtract a year or more and calmly
attach his signature under oath K
the statement. This is constantly re.
curing and is Il Of the most rou
blesome problems with which tn,
commission has to deal.
One explanation not infrequentll
made, particularly in cases of girls
is that their mothers desired to ap.
pear younger than they are and con
sequently have taught their children
to declare themselves younger thai
the facts warrant. These are case.
in which false pride on the part o
the parent becomes responsible FOL
perjury on the part of the child.
There are instances where an ap
plicant has given three conflicting
dates as TO his age in as many diff
ferent applications.
Scarcely less often 1t occurs tina
an applicant who has been charged
with a crime, or indicted or convict
ed, will take oath that he has no
been 50 charged or convicted. Al
most invariably the falsehood is dis
cerned and debarment nsues
There has been a number of case
comparatively recently in which
felony was committed and the of
fender sent to Jail. The most notice
able example of this was in the New
York post Office in which a numbe
Of crooks and criminals entered tn
examinations, were able to pas
them, secured positions, and began
systematic robbery of the post office
They were suspected, arrested, iden
titled by finger prints, and sent t
the p-enitentiary.
Must be Punished
It Is necessary for the government
to infict punishment in most of sue
cases, otherwise the morale of tn