Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-27
BOARD FACES HUGE JOB
CHOOSING i. S. WORKERS
Fingerprints Big Aid to Civil Service
Commission i'm Finding Honest
Employees.

a wholesale hardware concern. In
YES; igation disclosed q few years
| clerking at SIS a week as the sum
! total of his experience. His name
! went on the barred list" or roster of
! those who by their own dishonesty
! had forfeited the right to compete in
q civil service examination
Applicants lie about age. birthplace.
education, experience. physical coiidi-
ion. residence, and. in fact practical
~ everything concerning which they
are questioned. They forge recon-
mendations and medical certificates,
! assume new Identities, and submit
/ original" theses in the form of ver-
batim copies of published works oc-
casionally having the effrontel, to
copy from Government publications.
Some who pass the application stage
successfully make the mistake of
cheating in the examination room,
notwithstanding the express warn
ing printed on the little blotter with
which each candidate is supplied
The commission has i'm it's files a
large number of books, slips, papers
| and other exhibits taken from COM
petitors caught in the act of cheating.
Weight Schemes Detected.
Many try to attain weight require
| ments by illegitimate means One
competitor, who to all appearances
had just visited the mint. had in his
pockets small fortune in silver dol
lars, the weight of which was just
sufficient to induce the scale to reg
| ster the avoirdupois for which he
was striving. Another tried gold
dust. Still another was found to have
two window weights suspended under
his shirt from the ends of a cord.
| which encircled his neck He ex-
purchased the weights and was mere
ly carrying them home in the most
convenient way. Leaden belts. shot
| filled vests and other paraphernalia
are found from time to time
A court record does not necessarily
bar person from Federal employ
| ment. Where a candidate tells the
truth, his case is given every pos
sible consideration. The fact that
man has court record may, Of
course. mean much or nothing. No
general rule is followed in disposing
of cases of this kind. but each one is
decided strictly upon it's merits.
Persons who attempt to enter the
Government service by illegitimate
means and those who abet them in
cution under the Criminal Code of
the United States. In fragrant cases
fines and sentences of Imprisonment
have resulted.
Barred List" Growing.
The barred list" grows with every
year. When a person is barred from
| competing in civil-service examina-
tons cards bearing his name, peril
| nent data, and the nature of his Of
lenses are dispatched to all points
| in the country where applications are
examined for approval. These cards
| are maintained in a permanent index.
Recently. after having been barred
| from examinations, a mechanic filed
| applications for Federal employment
| successfully under six aliases and at
three different points, but was de-
| tected every time. He finally gave
up in disgust. Upon presentation of
| evidence that for a certain time a
person debarred from examinations
has conducted himself creditably the
Commission may consider restoration
of the privilege of competing for the
Federal positions.
| During the last year the names of
approximately 100 persons were add
ed to the barred list. In addition to
these. applications from a number of
persons who admitted having criminal
records and from others who were
| found unsuitable for various reasons
were rejected. Even burglars with
years of experience find it hard to
break into Federal service nowadays,
for the United States Civil Service
| Commission spares no pains to make
the Government burglar-proof against
the invasion Of the criminal and dis
honest element. The very vigilance
which is exercised in guarding against
the entrance of the unfit discourages
! attempts on their part to secure Fed.
eral positions.
10000 Engaged Yearly.
Forty thousand men and women
recruited from every State in the
Union, pass annually through the
wicket leading to Federal employment
These are appointed from among the
quarter of a million who compete in
examinations. On this small army OF
neophytes, which represents the turn.
over caused mainly by deaths, re
movals, resig nations and retirements
the searchlight Of investigation has
been turned and their records have
stood the. test.
Those who experience difficulty in
finding one or two trustworthy serv
ants can sympathize with the United
States Civil Service Commission, which
wrestles with the Servant problem
of the largest employer in the world
Uncle Sam.
This commission is confronted with
the troublesome task of finding yearly
10000 employees who must not only
be capable of carrying on efficiently
in hundreds of various kinds of oc
equations but must be honest and
faithful as well.